Since Covid-19 has invaded our lives, the world is no longer as we knew. Rarely any event triggered so many drastic changes as the 2020 Coronavirus. There has been a drastic transformation in consumption as lifestyles have altered, particularly in the digital arena. On the other hand, companies are struggling to stay afloat as social distancing practices are enforced, and many have plunged, as they couldn’t fall back on their digital backup.
In the past couple of months, we have witnessed quite many automation endeavors, which would have a lasting impact even in the post-pandemic world.
If you think you can put a hiatus on the business till the pandemic lasts, then your judgment is far-off from being judicious. Besides, you haven’t considered a myriad of alternative futures where another disaster awaits and your lack of preparedness could well be the added cherry on top.
The Gravity of Automation during Lockdowns
Before the crisis, we thought we are well on our way towards automation, but there was no sense of urgency in achieving even semi-automation. The situation has altered now, and the need for automation is taking center stage.
Businesses with semi-automated supply chains such as Amazon are now delivering more essential products than they had previously envisioned, and they would have folded if not for their way-ahead automated infrastructure. However, we still are deprived of a digital architecture that could well sate the essential demands of the entire nation that has out of the blue begun working from home and shopping online whenever they feel like.
E-commerce shopping wasn’t the only industry that managed to tackle the unexpected demand with automation. In fact, the unprecedented shift to remote working standards added quite a strain on the entire network infrastructures powering videoconferences, virtual trading platforms, cloud storage, telecommunications, video streaming platforms, heavy online gaming, and a lot more.
The element of scalability in automation sustained the surge in demand while breaking only a little sweat as it enabled a hundred percent shift to the work from home model. IT and security teams managed to install VPN in gazillions of laptops, smartphones, and other devices under short notice so employees could keep up with the required productivity level while working remotely. Meanwhile, ISPs like Charter Communication ensured stable and consistent connectivity in the employees’ homes as they were bombarded with more calls than ever on their Spectrum Phone Number during the short duration.
Obtaining the Return on Investment we Thirst For
It must be remembered that the return on investment is rarely ever swift, and automation is one of those areas where urgent expectations shouldn’t be beheld. Moreover, complete automation of complex operations should be thoroughly planned as plunging into uncharted waters with everything you have and ill-preparation may prove to be fatal.
Rather, you should start small by automating only small tasks at first, especially those that unnecessarily steal most of your time that could have been better spent on crucial tasks, as your business and its employees learn to adjust with change and gather confidence in automation. This slow and steady automation could gradually aggregate into a complicated and gigantic automation process, which took its sweet time in the making yet its well-thought-out and patient execution would contribute to a solid automation foundation.
Moreover, it’s important to consider the expertise and skills required to operate with automation as you decide on automation tools. Some solutions are much easier to learn, work with, and require less troubleshooting than others, so they may only require small doses of investments and are apt for employees with a nil-to-beginner level understanding of automation languages.
Besides, opting for an automation language with minimal difficulty level could spare you from hiring highly-skilled yet expensive professionals solely for the automation domain when your employees from every other domain can undergo an easier learning curve and adequately shift towards its application.
Working with the Risk of Human Error
Automation still requires human assistance and where there is a human involved, there are bound to be errors. What we can do is accept and work around it by implementing the best automation industry practices. A peer review of the automation process you plan to execute by a professional IT team, who can appropriately identify any kinks in its design and effectiveness, can really help. There are a lot more best practices to look out for as you embark on the automation path such as falling back on safe version of automation workflows for critical systems and tracking changes across a vast pool of devices.
Kicking Up0 Adoption Rate
Adoption can only kick start when an organization deploys computing devices and provides the mode of configuration for applications and operating systems, but there is more to it than that.
We could make do with powerful automation engines that can swiftly configure hardware and software devices in seconds and completely integrate components with day-to-day business tools, which makes deployment much seamless and quicker than ever.
Moreover, automation has proved to be a boon for the cybersecurity industry as it merges its security apparatus across a wide range of its products and operation teams. During instances like mergers and acquisitions, automation can enable the configuration of entire company networks with surprising simplification.
On the Path Towards Expertise
It may not be easy to achieve automation expertise this quickly, particularly when the transition 0occurs under considerable pressure and crisis. However, it’s not an impossible dream and some patient soul-searching across your industry can be of great help, starting from consulting or researching similar businesses in your industry that have launched on the mode of automation. There’s much you could learn from their decisions, failures, and success stories. You can participate in community platforms, hosted by most automation service providers — particularly of the open-source variety, where a number of peers with varying experience levels can provide invaluable feedback on your approaches.
Furthermore, a myriad of automation solutions possesses online marketplaces for the purpose of showcasing automated workflows of most common applications and business operations. A bit of deep-dive into their implementation by other businesses can help you assess its suitability for your business.
Baldwin Jackson is a successful digital marketer with expertise in search engine optimization and content marketing. The perfect balance of his analytical ability and creative thinking is what sets him apart from other practitioners in the digital marketing realm. He has helped a lot of small and medium-sized businesses in crafting their digital marketing strategies that are not only cost-effective but delivers results as well.
Baldwin is also a proud father of two kids and a Sports enthusiast. When he is not working, you will find him watching ESPN and NFL network. He has been able to get an amazing package on his favorite channels from Buytvinternetphone.com.