Scale up process improvement through automation
Experts from PepsiCo and AT&T share their thoughts and advice on scaling up process improvements with automation
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At PEX Live: Digital Process Automation 2022 that took place in April 2022, David C Williams, assistant VP of automation at AT&T, and Anna Alechno, global process excellence and automation lead at PepsiCo, held an expert panel discussion titled Moving from pilot to rollout: realizing the value of automation across the enterprise.
In this discussion, the two talked over the best approach for scaling processes, the value of working with external partners when scaling through automation and the importance of collaborating with IT teams when rolling out solutions.
The best approach for standardizing and scaling processes
The session was kicked off with a question regarding the value of top-down versus bottom-up approaches when rolling out process improvements at scale across an organization.
Alechno noted that the idea that an organization can operate with global and standardized processes at all levels is a myth, explaining that at some levels there will, by nature, be some localization. She stated that businesses need to be aware that there will be legal and fiscal requirements in certain regions that will necessitate discrepancies in the way processes are carried out.
Williams agreed with this and stated that every organization needs some standardization around central processes. They also need to do some iterative work to figure out the best methods for carrying out local processes based on the regional restrictions.
The value of working with external partners
A question was posed regarding the value of working with external partners to scale and standardize organizational processes. Williams stated that they are useful because they simplify automation from the initial implementation stages to scaling them.
He explained that they do this by allowing organizations to get to grips with the process of automation much quicker by bringing their experience to the table. This lets businesses focus on uncovering the intrinsic information they possess about their processes to further ease the process of automation.
Williams noted that sometimes there can be an organizational mind-set that sees internal and external methods as being at odds with one another.
He explained that some believe that it is intrinsically more valuable to develop solutions in-house. However, he noted that if you can find a business that has expertise in what you are looking to develop, and it is not something you are actively selling, then you should try to outsource it at the best price you can get.
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The importance of working closely with IT teams
AT&T’s approach on managing the relationship with IT teams is to go with the best solution for the business, regardless of where it comes from. While this approach makes a lot of sense from a business perspective, Williams explains it may not align with the plans IT have regarding the technologies or solutions they are rolling out or the roadmap they are trying to follow.
His advice is that organizations must incorporate an understanding of how dynamic they are in terms of process changes, which will need to be effectively communicated to IT teams.
Alechno expanded on this by stating that IT and the wider business should work hand in hand. She explained that on one hand if IT is allowed to build solutions on their own, they may not be useful for the goals of the wider business.
On the other hand, if the wider business does not communicate their requirements to IT effectively, they may find themselves complaining that IT have not delivered what they wanted.
You can view the full presentation here.
Let us know your thoughts on the value of working with external vendors when scaling up solutions in the comments below.
