What is under-automation?
By our own definition, “under-automation” describes a problem that thousands of businesses are experiencing across the UK right now.
From wholesalers to distributors, industries of all sizes are missing key opportunities to save time, money, and resource with the support of the right technology.
Modern and purpose-built automation serves a host of purposes that go far beyond simply speeding up processes and reducing manual data entry. It’s a fundamental basis for increasing productivity, empowering staff, and creating a stable infrastructure for years to come.
Under-automation is the problem that occurs when a business is still relying on outdated and disjointed technology. And the simple reality is, outdated legacy systems and workload automation tools are not only hard to stay on top of, but hard to cross between different tools and platforms. As a result, they’re often used in isolation from the other processes and systems a business has in place. Short term, this means manual handoffs between isolated automated activities to keep operations running smoothly. Long term, businesses can expect to experience some of the following:
- An underutilised workforce. Staff become tired, frustrated and disengaged with older systems. Today’s younger workforce desire user-friendly software solutions. Automation also means giving more meaningful, less monotonous work to employees.
- Inadequate levels of customer care. A lack of connectivity between channels, customer service teams and warehouse staff can often lead to a compromised service for customers. Extra strain is then applied on customer support teams.
- Inaccurate reporting and decision making. Without integrated data from all departments being fed into quality reporting tools, decision making can become slow and inconsistent. No clear or immediate connection is being made between the efforts or shortcomings of different teams.
- Growth stunts. Operations may keep running, but the technical debt built up from so many workarounds and fixes builds up. Less time is spent on innovation and growth, and instead spent firefighting different bottlenecks, from different teams, all with their own ways of working.
Why do companies still under-automate?
It’s common for businesses relying heavily on legacy or disjointed systems to view upgrades or business-wide automation as a luxury they either can’t afford, or don’t have the time for.
This misconception that larger companies can only afford to automate so many of their processes because of their success, rather than automation being the making of the that success, is one that continues to hold businesses back.
The simple fact is, highly automated companies are 6 times more likely to see revenue growth of at least 15%.
Thinkautomation also reported that implementing automation generates a return on investment of up to 200% in the first year alone, mainly in labour savings.
Of course, no business will have the same automation journey, but there are several things we can learn from high-growth companies making purpose-built automation a priority:
- Automation frees businesses and people up to focus on more worthwhile tasks.
- Any fast-growing business needs a fast-hiring process. Automation closes that gap between what jobs need to be done, and what people are available to do it.
- If identified, automation provides the opportunity for hundreds of ‘quick wins’ across your processes. These are the jobs you never imagined you could automate until an experienced provider shows you.
- Automation doesn’t need to be done all at once. It can be done gradually, keeping costs managed, and stakeholders happy.
- Automation provides a huge plethora of valuable data about your business. Most companies find this data just as a valuable, if not more so, than the savings and efficiencies of automation.
Preparing your business for an autonomous future
Over the last few years, automation has shifted from a ‘nice-to-have’ to an essential tool for business continuity and growth. Companies that have adapted to digital transformation and automation are now reaping the rewards of greater efficiency, cost savings, and resilience in the face of market challenges.
A cloud-based, stock-first system like Orderwise makes it easier than ever to start automating. Whether it’s reducing warehouse inefficiencies, improving order accuracy, or streamlining financial processes, automation can be rolled out gradually - so businesses can start seeing quick wins without a disruptive overhaul.
The businesses that thrive in the coming years will be the ones that embrace automation, not avoid it.
Start automating today
Orderwise makes warehouse and stock automation accessible and affordable. No complexity, no massive investments - just an easy-to-use cloud system that helps you scale. Get in touch to see how automation can work for your business.