Written for: IT Web | M&G

Productivity and process analysis with less room for error and more room for root cause solutions

By Sean Ammon Founder and Managing Director of Ciba Industries

Markets no longer require high performance. They demand super performance, which for organisations means people, process and technology being in sync like they’re from the Marvel Universe – but you don’t need to go that far, you just need to start with a

Current State Assessment 5.0.

The methodology known as People, Process and Technology may be old-school, but it remains relevant in standout performance organisations. The approach emphasises the interconnectedness of the components in achieving organisational success. It recognises that effective operations rely not only on advanced technologies and streamlined processes but also on skilled and motivated individuals. By aligning them, businesses can optimise their performance, enhance productivity, and adapt to evolving market demands with agility.

In textbook terms, the change management framework looks to foster a collaborative culture, refine operational workflows, and leverage innovative tools to drive sustainable growth and competitive advantage. But here’s the edge; it’s great in theory and greater still when you plug intelligence tools into it because this gives organisations super speed, super accuracy, and super productivity from doing a humble current state of assessment.

So, what’s the current state of assessment on automation?

With new technologies consistently being introduced, organisations are increasingly recognising the value of taking stock of their operations, pinpointing areas of inefficiency or stagnation, and identifying opportunities for improvement. To their credit. As while the way forward may appear complex, it need not be complicated to identify where processes are stalling or slowing and how people are equipped to use technology.

The status quo is that many companies are asking themselves three pertinent questions. One, how ready are we to automate? Two, what should we automate and three, how much will it cost? It doesn’t take a cloaked superhero with x-ray vision to answer them. It merely takes a new way of conducting this type of assessment in ways that are exponentially faster and more cost effective.

This is being done by Ciba. For example, for one insurer, a business optimisation process that had historically cost millions and taken seven months to complete was done in three weeks for a budget of R100 000. Our Discovery Phase in Intelligent Automation enabled them to know exactly where to automate – all the while being guided by the framework of People, Process and Technology.

Our approach determines where people are relative to the processes they perform and how they perform them. It makes sure that a client knows how technology can bridge the gap and how ready employees or project team members are to use such technology. It then identifies how the company needs to empower them so that they can do this best to create the outcome that the business needs. To create business value.

Humans and technology cannot exist without one another. Change management is as much about people and processes as it is about technology. Consider the analogy of an engineer using AI software to design a house. The software may be capable of generating blueprints, but without the engineer’s input regarding design parameters, requirements and client preferences, the result may fall short of expectations. Likewise, in current state assessments, understanding and activating the human element is imperative. It’s about assessing not only the technological readiness but also the capabilities and readiness of the workforce to use relevant technologies in ways that take the business to the super performer level.

In the Discovery Phase, it is also crucial to look not only at what is in place and not working in a business, but to what is working. Ideally, when we start working with a client, we ask what is in place so that we don’t lose existing good in the processes when developing that solution.

There’s just one red flag to consider in adding AI to an assessment process. When dealing with change at every level of an organisation, the team running the project must have the superpower of experience in automation for large organisations. It is these change agents who have the power to give business leaders super sight into specific root causes of problems to enable them to move fast to correct them, while deciding which existing technologies to retain and which new ones to adopt – all the while bringing together the now superhuman and digital workforce.