Optimising workflows

Ofir Hatsor at WalkMe argues that understanding your workflows Is key to making the work flow

 

Organisations now have access to more technology than ever, technology that can make their operations far more efficient and effective. Unfortunately, many businesses are not able to realise the business value of their technology fast enough. By the time they are starting to understand how a new addition to their tech stack works, the next big thing is already here.

 

With IT spending expected to surpass $5 trillion in 2024, businesses need to ensure that they are doing everything they can to maximise ROI from their investments, and that includes not forgetting the people that need to use all of these systems and applications.

 

AI adds a new layer to business operations

In the coming years lots of IT spending will be put into AI tools; this is expected to reach almost $300bn by 2027. AI tools are opening new frontiers in productivity. But as these tools are constantly evolving, organisations need to ensure that both they, and their associated workflows, are properly integrated into operations. Not doing so will quickly leave companies playing catch up to competitors who implement and adapt more quickly.

 

AI will be critical for many organisations as it opens up the door to hyper-productivity – allowing employees to perform tasks more effectively than ever before. Alongside automation, AI enables employees to focus their precious time on those important tasks that create the greatest value for the business.

 

However, having these tools is one thing. Being able to maximise their capabilities is the real key to seeing the benefits.

 

At the moment, this isn’t happening, with 70% of digital transformation projects failing to meet expected ROI. Furthermore, businesses are losing $1 million a week in lost productivity due to technology issues. This problem will only increase if digital strategies continue to fall short.

 

There is a change-management problem for companies. They need to alter the way they approach the implementation of new applications and software into their business operations. 

 

Workflows, and why they are so important

Organisations need to take a step back and examine the wider picture of their day-to-day operations. They must understand what tools in the tech stack employees use and how a new addition will affect their current workflows. After all, in most cases an employee won’t use a single application to perform a task, but multiple tools in sequence. When a team is struggling to use software, you get friction, and that means productivity slumps.

 

Employees frustrated over software struggles simply can’t get their work done. Friction across workflows also opens the door to compliance issues, with employees more likely to make mistakes or find ways of circumventing using certain software in a bid to complete tasks. Not using the technology to its full capability inevitably means that tasks don’t get completed to their highest quality. 

 

Being able to gain visibility into where friction is occurring is essential. Management needs to identify which pieces of software are used in which workflows, and the principal issues employees encounter when using them.

 

Organisations need to also be prepared for when a new technology is added to the tech stack and what new workflow frictions arise. That way new software can be seamlessly integrated into the overall tech stack and help keep employees on track.

 

Businesses need the right tools and approaches to gain such visibility into employee workflows. With the right approach, organisations can identify the precise tools employees are using in their workflows, and where they are encountering friction.

 

They can then offer contextual, intelligent advice to help employees overcome potential obstacles before they appear. And with a unified platform, they can offer a consistent experience across all applications and workflows, so employees can focus on the job in hand instead of on the quirks of individual technologies. 

 

At its core, such a digital adoption platform will remove workflow friction, accelerate productivity and boost ROI across tech stacks. 

 

Keeping pace with the rush of technology

Being able to identify workflows and provide solutions to obstacles that occur in them is the key to building a resilient business. That way, when the next big technology does come along – as it almost definitely will – employees will know how to use and take advantage of it. This is especially important for the AI-powered tools that will play an increasingly large role in day-to-day activity.

 

By having automatic and intelligent solutions to issues, organisations can stay ahead of their competition and maintain rising productivity levels.

 

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Ofir Hatsor isSVP of EMEA Sales at WalkMe

 

Main image courtesy of iStockPhoto.com and ardaguldogan