Harnessing Grassroots Automation
MIT Sloan Management Review
September 11, 2023
Companies are increasingly embracing the idea of helping nontechnical staff members — those who have deep business-area expertise — learn to directly automate processes that give them headaches and eat up their time. For instance, human resources employees are uniquely qualified to identify the mundane and repetitive parts of their jobs, such as candidate-tracking tasks, and then, with some training, build automations that will relieve them of chores such as duplicative data entry and data cleaning.
While the development of such applications by so-called citizens within organizations requires careful planning and governance to be effective, low-code and no-code technologies have become commonplace and made such ventures possible.1 Specifically, robotic process automation (RPA) and a broader intelligent automation (IA) suite that allows for the redesign and automation of workflows are now straightforward enough that functional experts can design, develop, and deploy IT applications and analytical models themselves. No longer do all projects require mediation by IT employees, who might not fully understand end users’ pain points. These tools of citizen-led automation are allowing less-technical people to build complex systems that improve their work experience, and they are already generating considerable value for many businesses.
In this article, we draw on interviews with six companies — AT&T, Dentsu, Johnson & Johnson (J&J), PwC, Voya Financial, and Wesco — to describe their efforts to join the citizen automation movement. We also detail how other organizations can best develop these capabilities and the benefits and challenges of doing so.
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Tags: AI, Business Strategy, RPA
We’re All Programmers Now
Harvard Business Review
September 01, 2023
Generative AI and other easy-to-use software tools can help employees with no coding background become adept programmers, or what the authors call citizen developers. By simply describing what they want in a prompt, citizen developers can collaborate with these tools to build entire applications—a process that until recently would have required advanced programming fluency.
Information technology has historically involved builders (IT professionals) and users (all other employees), with users being relatively powerless operators of the technology. That way of working often means IT professionals struggle to meet demand in a timely fashion, and communication problems arise among technical experts, business leaders, and application users.
Citizen development raises a critical question about the ultimate fate of IT organizations. How will they facilitate and safeguard the process without placing too many obstacles in its path? To reject its benefits is impractical, but to manage it carelessly may be worse. In this article the authors share a road map for successfully introducing citizen development to your employees.
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Tags: AI, Digital Transformation, RPA
(GPT-4 wrote this post) Unlocking the Power of RPA: A Comprehensive Guide
LinkedIn
April 07, 2023
The world of business is rapidly evolving, and Robotic Process Automation (RPA) is at the forefront of this transformation. From streamlining mundane tasks to maximizing efficiency, RPA is revolutionizing how organizations operate. Let's explore this exhilarating world and uncover the secrets to RPA success.
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Tags: RPA
It’s Time for a BETTER Normal
LinkedIn
March 06, 2022
Googling of the phrase “New Normal” spiked in May 2020, as COVID forced us all to adapt to new ways of working and living. We feared things weren’t going back to the old normal for a long time. So, we began discussing the new normal we were navigating together.
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Tags: Future of Work, Entrepreneurship
The Future of the Future of Work
LinkedIn
January 12, 2022
And, it is both energizing and confusing. At least it feels that way to me. So, I have set off to explore the trajectory of this future, and the powerful set of tools and approaches that serve as elements of today’s (and tomorrow’s) future of work. I am doing so by absorbing webinars, white papers, social media posts, and attending industry events. I served as Chairman of an Intelligent Automation conference in December in order to listen to the attendees that are each navigating their own Intelligent Automation journey. More on that in later blogs!
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Tags: Future of Work, Entrepreneurship
The Universal Chase
LinkedIn
October 25, 2021
Earlier this month, I had the privilege of traveling (for the first time in 20 months), to Italy (hadn’t been there in over 10 years), to discuss Intelligent Automation and the Future of Work (ok, that one I’ve done a lot more frequently).
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Tags: Future of Work, Entrepreneurship
It's the People, Stupid
Self
September 18, 2021
Coined during the 1992 US Presidential election, “It’s the Economy, Stupid” was a phrase meant to focus the campaign workers - stick to the script, and talk about how our candidate will be better for the economy. Ultimately, the economy was one of three messages, chosen for the sake of winning the election by addressing the matters that resonated the most with the voters. (The other two points of focus were about “change” and “health care”.)
So, I take obvious liberties and assert (not very creatively perhaps) that, in the world of Digital Transformation...
“It’s the People, Stupid”.
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Tags: Digital Transformation, Future of Work, RPA
3 Ways COVID-19 is Changing the Future of Work
Self
April 30, 2020
On a recent episode of my OneTAKE LinkedIn livestream, I spoke with my friend and Chief Evangelist for UiPath, Guy Kirkwood. As his title would suggest, Guy is a gentleman who thinks big thoughts and is chock full of interesting insights. He’s also always a pleasure to talk to.
We wound up diving into the future of work and how, despite turning our world upside down, COVID-19 is really giving us a chance to build a better one – if we take this opportunity to do so.
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Tags: Digital Transformation, Future of Work
The 4 Keys to Thriving at Work At Home
Self
April 20, 2020
With over 2 decades helping enterprises tap into the unique Work-At-Home (WAH) delivery model, there are few people on the planet as experienced with this new reality as Jim Farnsworth - a recent guest on my OneTAKE livestream show on LinkedIn Live. Jim, the Executive VP of SYKES, is an expert in helping corporations design and transition to using at-home talent. So, I asked Jim to speak with me about specific processes and support systems that set everyone up for success.
Jim boils his system down to 4 S’s: safe, secure, supportive and successful. Here’s how to establish each of them!
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Tags: Future of Work
Happy New Decade!
Self
December 31, 2019
So, first, yes I am aware that when you’re born, you are not one year old. So, no, tomorrow is not the start of a new decade, merely the final year of the current one. But, 2020 is fun to say. And, it’s fun to think it’s a momentous leap forward into a new decade, in which our sincerest dreams for improvement, fairness and sustainability are all achievable. And, I hope they are.
I am also looking forward to the ways in which our lives and our work will evolve in the coming decade. A recent spam I received actually sparked this idea, asking whether I’d be interested in acquiring the contact details of AI (Artificial Intelligence) professionals in order to “add impact” to my marketing initiatives and close more sales. Who could say “no” to more impact and more sales?
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Tags: Digital Transformation, Future of Work, RPA
RPA is About People
Self
April 18, 2018
"People come to us in the happiest or in the saddest times in their lives." This is something a client once said to me to describe the world in which they operate, the services that they provide. This was a revelation. An epiphany. One of those conversations that sticks with you and colors how you look at what you do, and how you do it.
This particular client asked that we help them solve a rather routine HR challenge. Employees take leave. They take leave for a number of reasons, long-term leave being the most complicated. Sometimes it is for the happy occasion of a baby's arrival (maternity leave). Sometimes it's to support a family member, or welcome a new member of the family (family bonding). Sometimes, it's because the employee has become injured, or ill - sometimes very ill (disability and medical leave). Indeed, the happiest or the saddest times of their lives.
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Tags: Digital Transformation, Future of Work, RPA
Top 10 RPA Rules of Thumb
Self
March 26, 2018
I’ve heard a lot of RPA practitioner knowledge bandied about in the conferences, chat rooms, and saloons that I frequent. And I want in on the fun. So, I’ve pulled together my own (no holds barred) set of thumb rules. Hope these help…
Rule of Thumb #1: Involve IT yesterday
If you don’t involve IT at the earliest stages of your exploration, and they find out what you’re doing (and they will), they will come down on you like a bag of bricks. And (perhaps this is worth its own rule of thumb) if IT does find you, you will lose at least six months as you wrangle, fight to win back trust, and recalibrate. Note: you no longer have the luxury of losing six months. Your peers are sprinting at RPA. As you read this, you are falling behind.
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Tags: Digital Transformation, Future of Work, RPA
RPA is NOT about the robot.
Self
December 21, 2017
I’ve been in the automation trenches for over five years. If I can impart one piece of wisdom above all others, it is simply this…
RPA is NOT about the robot.
I have watched in somewhat quizzical amusement as enterprises have followed in an all-too predictable series of adoption phases. And, almost without fail, the natural inclination of teams looking to understand and adopt RPA in their operations is usually always wrong.
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Tags: Digital Transformation, Future of Work, RPA
2018 - the year of the robot (finally?)
Self
December 12, 2017
In 2015, I was told that 2016 was going to be the ‘year of the robot’.
It wasn’t.
It was the year that people who were eager to hear about newfangled technologies got excited about the idea of robots. It was the year that some of them hid their tinkering from their IT departments so they could say they were playing with robots. But, that was it.
I described 2016 as ‘the year of the discretionary budget with which we did as much as we could afford, but it wasn’t much’. Less catchy than ‘year of the robot”, but hey.
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Tags: Digital Transformation, Future of Work, RPA
Is RPA the Tool of Old Plant Managers Who Haven't Died Yet?
Self
August 10, 2016
A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of hosting an automation panel at the Chicago OAISS event, hosted by IRPA. On the panel were David Brain from Symphony Ventures, A.J. Hanna from Ascension Health Ministry Service Center, and Adam Devine from WorkFusion. To these distinguished panelists, I posed the following question:
“Is Robotic Process Automation the tool of old plant managers who haven’t died yet?”
So, first, let me explain myself.
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Tags: Digital Disruption, Digital Transformation, RPA
Process Mining for Robotic Process Automation
LinkedIn Learning
May 26, 2022
Nearly every company wants to save time—and therefore, money—whenever possible. And automation is a key tool in the modern process improvement toolkit. However, while intelligent automation tools like robotic process automation and artificial intelligence have transformed the way organizations work, there’s no one-size-fits-all solution. It’s important to figure out where automation would be most helpful, and where it might even be detrimental. In this course, Ian Barkin dives into process mining, a technique used to analyze and track processes, and shows you how to use it to answer questions of when, where, and how to apply automation processes—if at all. As Ian shows, you don’t need to be automating to gain value from process automation. In every business environment, there is huge worth in understanding what you do and how you do it before deciding on a plan to transform or innovate. If you want to see how process mining can help you evaluate your processes, join Ian in this course.
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Tags: Digital Transformation, Future of Work, RPA
Intelligent Automation Foundations
LinkedIn
May 10, 2022
Intelligent automation is influencing corporate strategy in every way unimaginable. Enterprises are investing billions of dollars on intelligent automation initiatives. So, what exactly is intelligent automation? Is automation intelligent? How can intelligence be automated? If you’ve been hearing about intelligent automation—often called intelligent process automation, hyper automation, or just IA—but don’t have a firm grasp of what these concepts entail, join Ian Barkin in this course as he gives you a primer on the array of technologies, terminology, and concepts that are powering this phenomenon. Whether you’re a developer, manager, executive, do any work in the software industry, or just interested in finding new ways to automate mundane tasks, this course can you prepare all levels of an organization on what IA is, what it can (and can’t) do, and how to deploy it successfully.
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Tags: AI, Digital Transformation, Entrepreneurship
RPA, AI, and Cognitive Tech for Leaders
LinkedIn Learning
February 11, 2019
A slew of exciting new technologies—from robotic process automation (RPA) to machine learning (ML)—have altered the way that companies do business. As a digital-era executive, skating by on a vague understanding of these capabilities is no longer an option. To successfully lead your team in this new world of work, you need to grasp the digital operations landscape, and how you can effectively apply it across your company. In this course, Ian Barkin shows how to filter out the noise, properly set expectations, and prepare your organization for a smooth digital transformation journey.
Learning objectives
- Identify the primary motivator for automation.
- Recall the initiating factor of processing workflows.
- Summarize how integrated systems improve customer experience.
- Explain why a top-down mandate is necessary.
- Name the type of effort that is generally the smallest or most modular.
- Describe the usual outcomes of trying to perform work without the necessary competence or skillset.
- Identify the skill needed in combination with technical and engineering strengths.
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Tags: AI, Digital Transformation, RPA
Introducing Robotic Process Automation
LinkedIn
October 25, 2018
Robotic process automation—software-based robotics that emulate work that people do—is poised to change the way we work. Using this exciting technology, organizations can digitize and transform an array of business processes and functions. In this course, instructor Ian Barkin takes a deep dive into RPA, explaining what it is, what it's not, and what to keep in mind when adopting it in your organization. Here, Ian shares information that can help a variety of stakeholders—from executives to IT professionals—grasp the key benefits of RPA, as well as best practices that can help their organization succeed at both the process and enterprise levels. Plus, he lends a real-world context to the concepts covered in this course by providing examples from global companies that are implementing RPA.
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Tags: Digital Disruption, Entrepreneurship, RPA
OneTAKE Live: Digitalizing & Augmenting Customer Experience with Gabriele Masili
Spotify
December 20, 2020
“Be scrappy. Just try something — see if it works. If you can try two things at the same time so you can compare, that’s even better.” – Gabriele “G” Masili
In this digitally focused episode of OneTAKE Live, host Ian Barkin discusses artificial intelligence (AI), augmented customer experiences (CX), and the complex world of digital transformation with Gabriele “G” Masili, vice president and chief technology officer (CTO) of the Customer Experience and Success organization at Microsoft.
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Tags: Customer Experience, Digital Transformation, Future of Work
OneTAKE Live: The Science Behind Great CX with Luke Williams
Spotify
December 15, 2020
“The reality is, you’re in the last 1/10 of a mile in the marathon — and that’s where all the money is made.” – Luke Williams
Welcome to OneTAKE Live! In this episode, host Ian Barkin speaks with Luke Williams, the senior vice president and distinguished principal of the XM Institute at Qualtrics, about what it takes to deliver experiences that rise above the fold and keep customers coming back.
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Tags: Business Strategy, Customer Experience, Design Thinking
OneTAKE Live: The Transformative Power of the Human Element with Alice Sesay Pope
Spotify
December 09, 2020
“I’ve always had a passion for customers, and a reoccurring theme in my career is: If you put the customer at the forefront of your strategy, your strategy will be a winning one.” – Alice Sesay Pope
In this episode of OneTAKE Live, join host Ian Barkin as he speaks with Alice Sesay Pope, the senior vice president and global head of contact centers for Visa, about the transformative power of keeping people first.
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Tags: Digital Disruption, Digital Transformation, Future of Work
OneTAKE Live: The Power of Learning From Your Customers with Michelle Buretta
Spotify
December 05, 2020
“If I had a hundred dollars to spend on my business, I would put $90 of it into making things easy — making sure things work.” – Michelle Buretta
In this episode of OneTAKE Live, join host Ian Barkin as he chats with Michelle Buretta, senior manager of CX analytics and customer improvements at Lenovo, about carefully studying consumer interactions to vastly improve customer experience (CX) outcomes.
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Tags: Customer Experience, Design Thinking, Future of Work
OneTAKE Live: The Digital Transformation Revolution with Tony Saldanha
Spotify
November 19, 2020
“We’re in the midst of an industrial revolution, which means, essentially, the change that is going to be necessary is going to be much bigger — and is therefore going to need much more help — than traditional change.” – Tony Saldanha
In this episode of OneTAKE Live, host Ian Barkin speaks with Tony Saldanha, President of Tranformant and Co-Founder of Inixia Inc. about what digital transformation actually means, why so few companies seem to be able to achieve it, and how businesses can prepare for the tech-revolution ahead!
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Tags: Business Strategy, Digital Transformation
OneTAKE Live: Helping Customers Help Themselves with Bernard Slowey
Spotify
November 17, 2020
“That’s probably the most important thing — understanding (customer) personas is where you need to start. It’s not a one-size-fits-all.” – Bernard Slowey
In this episode of OneTAKE Live, host Ian Barkin sits down with Bernard Slowey, the senior director of global support — digital transformation at GitHub, to talk about the future of self-service and customer experiences, and what it really means to meet the needs of a diverse customer base.
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Tags: Customer Experience, Customer Loyalty
OneTAKE Live: Customer Service Magic with Shep Hyken
Spotify
November 05, 2020
“At the end of the day, be nice. Customers start with a problem. They want to be happy when it’s all over with. Anything in the middle — that can change all it wants to change.” – Shep Hyken
In this episode of OneTAKE Live, host Ian Barkin discusses customer service, customer experiences, and all the innovative new ways companies can start prioritizing convenience with Shep Hyken, chief amazement officer at Shepard Presentations, LLC.
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Tags: Customer Experience
OneTAKE LIVE: The Internet of Things with Guest Peggy Smedley
Spotify
November 02, 2020
“I do the things I love; it inspires me, and I want to inspire others.” –Peggy Smedley
In this episode of OneTAKE Live, host Ian Barkin discusses digital acceleration, the Internet of Things (IoT), and the power of stories with Peggy Smedley, president and editorial director of Specialty Publishing Media and host of The Peggy Smedley Show.
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Tags: Digital Transformation, Future of Work, Sustainability
Introducing Robotic Process Automation
Bain & Company
Intelligent Automation: Welcome to the World of Hyperautomation
Symphony Ventures
Founding Parnter
Strategic Advisor - PROCESIO