You’ve invested in automation and built an awesome product that’s going to save your company money and improve workflow, and now it’s time to launch! Successful automation implementation requires a systematic approach with the appropriate resources, including training, regular testing, and technical support. Momentum is a Camp Hill, PA IT and management consulting firm that has helped organizations of all sizes implement successful automations. Let’s talk about how to implement your new automation successfully.

Plan the Implementation Process

All organizational change begins with planning, and this is especially true with automation implementation. Part of your automation development process involved figuring out the big picture of how the team will transition to using the new process. Now is the time to outline exactly what that will look like. Some things you might think about for the rollout include:

• When is the last day of using the old process?
• Will everyone transition at once, or will it roll out in phases?
• How much IT support is required?
• How will employees report problems with the automation?
• How long will the implementation take?

Developing a business process automation often leads to changes in the process, so leaders will need to manage all stakeholders’ expectations and ensure needs are being met. Having a detailed plan in place improves the chances of a seamless transition to the automation.

Train the Team

In many cases, the team that will use the automation is part of the automation development process. In others, an automation solution is presented to a working group without any experience in the new workflow. Regardless, new processes almost always require training.

An automation can work perfectly, but if the staff doesn’t know how it works, it becomes useless. The users must understand how the automation works and their roles, and the support staff needs to know how it works to fix back-end problems if they arise. Leaders also need to be aware of other factors related to the automation, such as the inputs and the outputs of the process and provide training if there are changes to those elements.

The training required depends on the complexity of the automation, the team’s skill level, and other factors specific to each organization. In some cases, help documentation is all that’s needed. In contrast, workers may need more hands-on, dedicated training in other cases. Some commercially-available solutions, like Microsoft Teams or ServiceNow, have preexisting training documentation. Company-specific or proprietary systems will have different training needs.

Provide Enhanced Support

When the go-live date arrives, additional support and troubleshooting may be required for a short period to ensure the implementation goes smoothly. This support can come from a project manager, super users, vendor representatives, or an expert support team. Having the right support solution in place reassures staff that they are implementing the process correctly, leading to a better end product. Automation is meant to make work easier and more efficient. It’s essential to make the right people available to ensure a smooth transition.

Regularly Audit the Automation

Automation saves organizations time and money by reliably completing tasks and processes that humans are not required to do. However, leaders and process owners must regularly test the automation to ensure that it works and accomplishes the goals it was created to do.

Regularly assessing performance against the intended goals is vital for any organization’s processes, and automation is no different. Does the automation work the way it is intended to work, and does it perform to the standards set out in the planning process? After the initial rollout, are there areas that can be improved or additional functionalities added to further improve automation? Is the staff adequately trained, and are new team members onboarded effectively?

Work with An Automation Implementation Expert

Momentum is home to a team of automation experts who can help analyze, improve, and automate your complex business processes. Contact us today to get in touch with our team.