6 Problems Custom Automation Solves
The general opinion on automation is that it's good for saving time and not much else.
That's not the case.
Automation can address a huge amount of challenges in a business. Especially when it's custom made for that business.
In this guide I'm going to share 6 different types of problems you can solve with custom automation.
#1 IT TAKES TOO LONG
Let's start with the obvious. If something is taking too long for a person to do, then it should be automated. Of course, it's not possible to automate everything. But that should be the first port of call if you want to be more efficient.
And what is "too long"? A second over the time the task would take if it was automated.
Every second over that time is a second wasted. Those seconds add up over the course of a day/week/month/year/decade.
Make sure you and your teammates are spending your seconds wisely.
#2 IT NEEDS MORE SCALE
A lot of processes today need to happen at scale. Humans have limited scale and limited time available to us.
Machines, especially with the rise of cloud computing, can scale infinitely. I've built systems that fetch 100s of reports from various platforms simultaneously. There's no way I could do that myself.
Another example of a scale problem is "health checks". Yes, a person could check over the vitals of a company/campaign/process once every so often. But a machine could check every minute, of every hour, of every day, of every week etc etc. Or even more often!
Don't be restricted by human limitations.
#3 IT'S TOO RISKY
You know the tasks when you hit the Confirm button your heart rate goes up a couple beats? The ones you don't want to delegate because there's no one you trust as much as yourself? Those are the ones in this category.
Custom automation isn't always about saving time and taking away parts of a process. In these cases, you can add:
- Extra confirmation checks, showing you the action you've chosen
- Guardrails that don't allow changes of a certain magnitude or type
- Alerts to a wider group that something has changed
Risk mitigation is a huge part of custom automation. Use it to protect yourself.
#4 IT'S TOO COMPLEX
Complexity can come in lots of forms.
Mathematical complexity is something that can and should be solved through technology. Machines can do more, and more complex, mathematics than us, and do it faster.
Process complexity is a huge opportunity for automation. And a complex process can't be replaced using an off the shelf solution. You'll need something custom.
Perhaps the process itself can't actually be automated. But even if that's the (unlikely) case, the tracking of the process can be. Complicated processes often involve lots of people at different times. But these people are too busy to/aren't good at letting the next person know they're up. Machines can keep on top of this for them.
Don't get tied up in process. Simplify through automation.
#5 IT'S NOT POSSIBLE
Your business offers a better or different service to your competitors. And you're probably using some of kind of technology to do that. Whether you're building it yourself or using a third party system, there will be limitations to it.
There will always be customers who ask for something you can't do. But building on top of existing systems is a huge part of custom automation.
Maybe they just want one extra feature/integration/service. You can use a simple, custom automation to meet their needs for now. And later down the line, if that's successful, build it into your full product. They're probably not the only customer who wants that feature.
Say yes to more customers by customising and automating fast.
#6 IT'S BROKEN
Things break. All the time. Especially when it comes to software.
It's a horrible situation to be in. Your tech provider isn't working and your customers are getting more and more annoyed (at you!).
Being able to pull an alternative together fast will get you out of a lot of trouble. I've seen relationships saved by companies providing a replacement when things aren't working. It will still be more manual than your full process, but it's way better than nothing.
Automation can get you out of a tight space - make sure you're ready to use it.
#6 IT'S BROKEN
I hope this guide has shown you that custom automation is about so much more than just saving time. It's about solving problems. It's a tool to make your business better.
If you would like to discuss using custom automation in your business, Get in Touch today!