Design thinking has been used by consumer-driven companies for the development of products and services, for over 50 years. But can design thinking in intelligent automation drive benefits in the same way as it does for consumer goods?

What Is Design Thinking?

Design thinking isn’t a new idea and has been well refined over decades. In short, it is an approach to products and services that helps to methodically identify unknowns, establish solutions, and then test outcomes. It can be broken down into 5 clear stages, and while they don’t have to be completed in order, teams will often run them simultaneously and repeatedly until the result is refined to a point the stage can be considered complete.

1. Understand
First, you must identify and understand the problem you want to tackle. Focusing on the user of your product or service and how the solution they currently use works.

2. Define
Next, you must define what the key challenges for that user are, and what issues those challenges create. Make your definitions clear and easily understood by everyone involved.

3. Solve
Then comes the first part of the solution. Looking at the problems you discovered and defined and think of a variety of potential solutions that solve most of or all of those challenges.

4. Prototype
Create a basic version of the solution you think is best. It doesn’t need to be perfect, it just needs to cover the basic functions of your solution – so that you can establish whether or not it works.

5. Test
Testing is the gatekeeper to rolling out, so you have to be certain you’ve tested your solution as thoroughly as possible if you want something to be successful on day one. If something doesn’t work, go back to the root cause and apply the relevant stage.

How Intelligent Automation Benefits From Design Thinking

Design thinking in intelligent automation is no different from the stages we’ve covered above; we just have to apply those in an automation setting. As with any business venture, ROI is right up there as a performance indicator. Design thinking offers a specific way to boost the ROI of automation – changing the perspective on the technology to not accomplish individual tasks but instead outcomes.

By focusing on outcomes rather than processes you can more clearly define what every process is set to help achieve. It’s just like your business goals, all the decisions you make should be geared towards achieving them. Design thinking brings alignment between process flows and process outcomes and that helps to drive returns on automation investment.

You may already use some form of design thinking in your business so making the shift to using it internally, focused on intelligent automation, could fit nicely into your current model. If you’re unsure of how to bring automation into your business or how you can implement design thinking then your best bet is to reach out to an expert.

Need help with design thinking and automation? PAteam is ready to help, talk to us today.

For people working in tech, the appeal of buzzwords and complex terminology is ever-present. Automation is no different – but the industry does itself no favors by focusing on putting things into boxes with names, rather than delivering the actual value of the technology on offer.

Today we’re diving into a few bits of tech talk and we’ll hopefully build your automation glossary and dispel some myths about what is actually a very accessible set of tools.

The Real Value of Terminology

Tech terminology is important in understanding the definition and context of concepts. Once you start to understand the common acronyms it’s almost like being able to speak a new language and it can aid your learning as you dive into deeper topics. But – and it’s a big but – for most people complex jargon puts them off. First impressions are everything so when you want to engage a person you need to deliver your message without layering it in specialist slang.

Misleading Terminology in Automation

IA, RPA, BPA, WFM. Ok, that’s enough (!). There is an enormous amount of depth to each of those individual acronyms and the topics they represent. It’s so important to move past the names and understand the core concepts of the technologies. Once you understand them you can communicate them to others.

To someone who knows nothing about automation, the difference between Intelligent Automation and Robotic Process Automation could be anything. The same goes for Business Process Automation and Workflow Management. They are all concepts and technologies that represent real value for organizations if implemented correctly but you have to go deeper to demonstrate the differences and what the best choice is for a particular business case.

Don’t just let people google everything, leave the automation glossary at home, and instead, really explain how it works and what it does for a business.

A Stark Warning

It’s a problem that doesn’t just face tech though. It’s rife in finance and wider business with more jargon than you can shake a stick at. In our need to quantify and define, we often settle for surface-level definitions. After a quick search on another 3 letter acronym, we think we have a handle on a topic. But, the truth is, we don’t. More worrying still, is that while you might be the person who at least looks things up, many people just switch off when they are bombarded with technical talk.

If you’re talking to someone whose area of expertise isn’t the same as yours then tone it down with the techy lingo – you’ll have a more engaging conversation if they feel like they can participate. We always promise to cool it with the automation glossary and just speak to you about your business and how automation can help.

Want automation to add value to your business? Talk to PAteam today.

You think that there are process automation opportunities in your business… but you aren’t sure where to start looking. Sound familiar? Well, don’t worry – that’s very normal because there are so many things to consider. But to give you some insight: where there’s data, there’s an opportunity to automate.

What should I automate first?

There’s 4 steps to figuring out which task you should automate first. Process automation, perhaps unsurprisingly, starts with a process. One small thing before we start: the steps outlined here are a lot easier with the help of an expert.

Step 1
Look at the current processes in your business that take up a lot of time – or those that are easily prone to error. It’s unlikely that you’ll have many processes completely mapped out, but there will likely be things you already know aren’t quite right.

Step 2
ROI is the name of the game. What are the benefits of using process automation in the areas you’re interested in? For example, is it going to save one person 4 hours a week, or is it going to improve quality? Whatever process you choose to automate, the impact of it needs to be measurable.

Step 3
Now that you’ve picked out the job you want handled by a bot, you need to think about how to build that robot so it’s fit for purpose. There are a variety of different technologies available – including Robotic Process Automation and Cognitive Automation. The former is for very basic tasks, while the latter uses AI and machine learning to handle more complex functions.

Step 4
Last, but certainly not least, you need to understand how you’re going to implement this new bit of tech. This means thinking about whether you are going to completely switch from human to robot on specific data, or use a phased approach. Then there are training considerations, whoever is overseeing the bot’s work needs to understand how to work with it.

Who’s responsible for implementing intelligent automation?

Making a shift to automation requires a cultural fit for the new robot. This type of company-wide change begins with a business’ leadership. Changing attitudes must start at the top. From there, nominating departmental leaders to take ownership of the project shows that responsibility is held by the entire team and that it is important to all. Your IT and innovation departments are likely to run with the day-to-day project management.

What’s your best advice for a business that wants to start automation?

There’s a good chance that you didn’t understand every part of the 4 step process automation guide. That proves the most important point for us – you need to work with an expert. Simply put, an expert gives you the knowledge to confidently understand and implement automation.

At PAteam we build tailored automation solutions, specifically customized for your business needs. Check out how we’ve already helped businesses with their automation. We help you combine your workforce’s talent with the power of intelligent automation.

The expert in automation is right here – contact PAteam today.

You might not have noticed but science fiction, by its very name, isn’t real science. But, what makes truly great sci-fi different from the rest is that it’s often grounded in reality – it’s believable. Sci-fi has given us good and bad predictions of the future – some of which, but not many – are now playing out. Today, we’re looking at 5 famous sci-fi movies and the predictions they made about future automation.

Terminator

Of course, we’re starting with a favorite, but also one that really missed the mark on what the future of automation would be like with cyborgs. The terminators, in the films, are extremely adaptable, and able to deal with new situations and information constantly. The reality, however, is that bots only do what you tell them and anything outside of that will leave them stumped. We’re a long way off killer robots…. which is good news to be fair.

Ex-Machina

In Ex-Machina we see AI machines fall in love, care, cheat, and manipulate all as part of their very ‘being’. But the truth is that they dropped the ball on showing the difference between intelligence and consciousness. The machines in the film behave in an intelligent way in that they aren’t actually loving – they are just mimicking emotions to manipulate and be able to preserve themselves. But they aren’t protecting their existence – they’re protecting their programming. Also, one lone genius in the woods could never make such a staggering AI breakthrough on his own. Just saying.

2001: A Space Odyssey

From the visionary mind of Stanley Kubrick, this sci-fi classic features the infamous computer HAL. Now, credit to the vision of Kubrick, much of HAL’s job is to fulfill computing tasks too complicated for the human crew to do and in doing so keep them alive. This very much represents the world now with machines being built to tackle tasks too repetitive, too complicated, or too vast for people to carry them out. Because of that great prediction, we’ll ignore the part where HAL makes the decision to turn into a killer AI (*spoilers*).

I, Robot

This film took the concept of machines controlled by fundamental rule sets, laid out interesting visuals about future automation… and then sort of just decided to make an action film (!).  For that, we can forgive it, because there are some fun moments but the idea of a bot reprogramming itself is quite ridiculous. The knowledge and, importantly, intelligence required to do that just doesn’t exist in robots today or for a very long time.

Blade Runner

Blade Runner is rightfully called one of the greatest sci-fi films ever made, and its special effects and philosophies on humanity have aged well for a movie made back in 1982. It didn’t get everything right, sure, but it was on point with connected devices throughout the home and the rise of video calling. Whenever we want to eliminate the bots we make we just hit delete – which is a lot easier than Deckard had it.

Got a favorite piece of movie robotics or automation? Chat about it with PAteam today.

You can hardly blame people for having the wrong idea about intelligent automation. But we’re here to tell you that it isn’t some evil thing to be feared and shunned – but instead, something to embrace. It’s just the next step in freeing us up to do what we’re great at. That’s right, robots aren’t going to steal your job, they’re just going to help you with it.

“People are usually afraid of change because they fear the unknown. But the single greatest constant of history is that everything changes.” – Yuval Noah Harari, Homo Deus: A History of Tomorrow”

Intelligent Automation Will Lead to Job Changes

Research by McKinsey shows us that automation, along with other technologies, will continue to impact jobs around the world in the future. The most common jobs to be automated are those involving the operation of machinery. For many years, car manufacturers have used robotic production plants to increase speed and accuracy, and for that reason, repetitive manual tasks are increasingly being replaced by robots.

The cost of robotic hardware is so great that most SMEs have little opportunity to implement it at scale. That differs from software automation where the rollout is based on the cost of design, implementation, and maintenance – rather than all of the above, on top of expensive hardware. For this reason, changing practices in administrative functions are likely to see more impact across businesses of all sizes.

How Can Humans Remaining Relevant in the Age of Robots?

Despite what might seem like a new challenge, humans have been dealing with technological advancement in the workplace since the dawn of the industrial revolution. As machinery became more accessible, companies looked to implement it to overcome historically labor-intensive tasks such as operating looms. Notice a similarity?

The key for companies and people is to focus on additional upskilling. People can think and feel – robots cannot. Humans are built for dealing with new information and adapting so training revolving around critical thinking is key.

What Exciting Innovation Can We All Expect from Automation?

Intelligent automation can, without question, fuel company growth and this will create more jobs that will lead to new products and services. Automation is already available and while there is the drive to improve intelligent versions of it, the automation itself is going to lead to innovation in every area where it is used.

The truth is, we don’t know what innovation is on the horizon yet. Up until now, so many people’s time has been filled with repetitive tasks that sap them of the time and motivation to be creative, critical, and problem-solving. That is all going to change as we take the next step in our working lives.

Automation is a big change for workforces everywhere. It’s going to shift us away from the old ways of working and into the future, offering businesses a fantastic opportunity to reinvest in human beings.

Interested in the future of intelligent automation? We’re ready to chat – speak to PAteam today.

Retail is coming under increasing pressure, and its evolution is one of necessity more than choice. Between increasing labor costs and competition from lower-cost e-commerce only outfits, traditional retail must adapt if it wants to survive – and this is where retail automation comes in.

What is Retail Automation?

Retail automation is an umbrella term that describes the use of technology, within a retail environment – one that’s designed to streamline processes, reduce human intervention, and improve efficiency. It also aims to reduce cost and errors, as well as increase the value humans can offer by giving them more time to focus on their specific roles.

Examples of retail automation can be seen in both offline and online settings. In-store, it could include managing staff timetables and replenishing low stock; and online, popular uses include marketing functions – such as feedback and sales offers based on a customer’s purchase history.

Bigger uncertainty & challenges in the retail industry

Changing customer demands, coupled with low cost, personalized services, and issues in the global supply chain over the past couple of years have impacted fuel charges, material prices, and labor costs – which have all had a massive effect on the retail sector.

Customers want everything faster, with longer return options and all from the comfort of their own home. This is particularly at odds with real-life stores that rely on foot traffic to sell their products. In addition, young brands are continuing to disrupt the market with increasingly customized services.

However, automation can play a positive role in alleviating many of these pain points – helping to improve efficiencies, retain customer loyalty, and deliver an improved level of service.

Big opportunity for automation in the retail industry

Retail automation offers classic brick and mortar stores the opportunity to be a part of something completely new. We’ve seen the initial success of Amazon Go in the US where they’ve managed to begin cornering the fresh food market with almost staffless and totally cashless transactions. Or, look at Carvana which has become the fastest-growing used car dealer in the US, making itself famous for its car vending machines.

The shift to e-commerce within many sectors along with the impact of COVID has created a perfect environment for retail companies to pursue automation. Working with big retail giants isn’t new to us and recently we managed to save 1000 hours annually for a major furniture retailer while completely removing any human error from a part of their order checking process.

Research shows that automation in retail is no longer an option – it’s a necessity. Struggles to hire quality people are increasing worldwide and because of this, a focus on retail automation is now crucial as companies must seek software solutions to their processes. Beyond the strain of managing workloads, businesses everywhere must strive to become more efficient to avoid the pinch of price increases else they won’t be able to compete at the scales they are built for.

Does your retail business need a leg up from automation? – Contact PAteam today!