Work Without IT at Your Own Peril! [ARTICLE]

Mohammed Al Ghadban is IT. He’s not quite sure what the hubbub is about regarding Business vs. IT. He’s blessed at his organization with a solid working relationship. That solid working relationship is based on IT disrupting itself to ensure that the enterprise systems continually evolve.

“Throughout the 13 year IT process, automation went through several phases. Currently we have several capabilities within our team that include process automation, IT process automation and workflow automation.

“We partnered with our internal teams to actually have a framework, have the criteria about our partner selection.”

While this isn’t the bleeding edge of technology — the technology is simply part of the equation. The problem being solved is how the technology answers the business need. And that’s the approach the enterprise is taking with robotic process automation (RPA).

“When we wanted to go through our robotic process automation journey, we partnered with our internal teams to actually have a framework, have the criteria about our partner selection. Selecting a partner is going through a journey. You have a vision, so to say, where do you want to go with this partner? How do you actually want to find the partner that would help you to go through this journey with you? How do you find the way.”

You have to have a vision to understand where you want to go with the partner. If an intelligent automation plan hasn’t been perfect- it’s most likely due to the fact that the vision wasn’t established prior to jumping into a relationship with a partner- or allowing that partner to help set the vision. Allowing the partner to help set the strategy to realize the vision isn’t an issue. But you not setting the vision for your enterprise is fraught with danger.

“It's like imagine having a map of some kind and you want to go through it. How is your operating model working along with your partner. In RPA it's very important, because RPA is something that has been sold a lot as a silver bullet that will help you directly to solve your issues. It will help you to automate everything, do everything. But yet you can see now from the trend it's not always the case. RPA can work, should work with other technologies to deliver the success for the business. And this is why having the right partner is very crucial, so to say, that you will have a partner who's aligned with you, aligned with your vision.”

But back to the issue at hand- IT & Business working seamlessly.

“Just start by understanding what the other party is really wanting by asking for something. So start by understanding why would the business ask for a new technology, ask for RPA implementation, why they don't want to go with the normal way? And the same on the other side, so if your IT partners are telling you no, you don't need an RPA in this area, just try to understand why. And then by discussing, by understanding, having common ground, you are after all working in the same organization, whether it's a big, medium, small enterprise. You're working for the same goal. You have the same strategy, you're working together and you want to have the success of your company.”

"You’re behind folks that have done nothing."

And so now we’ll return to choosing the right partner. If you’ve chosen a partner to simply get things jump-started, prove the business case and ensure you’re down the path of automation — congratulations — you’re at least within the mean of the industry.

But now is the time that you’ve got to have a conversation with IT. And now is the time when IT is going to tell you that your partner doesn’t integrate with enterprise systems. And just moments after now; is when you realize that you’re not only and industry laggard — but you’re behind folks that have done nothing. Because you’ve got to start all over again.

"And if it doesn't work out, then I think you will have some serious problems.”

“So it's mentality, it change management, it's the way you're actually changing the environment. Every day there are new things. And we are in a time where you're going through digital transformation, and digital transformation is a never-ending journey. And then if you're having somebody who is telling you, ‘no, I don't understand what you're saying, this is the way that we have to do it.’ Really try to go into conversation. And if it doesn't work out, then I think you will have some serious problems.”

Breathe. No matter where you are on the automation journey — right now — stop reading. Go talk to IT and ensure that they’re on the same page with everything that you’re doing. Otherwise you’ll be even further behind tomorrow.