Workflow automation critical in business
October 4, 2024
Businesses and employees alike are eager to automate mundane processes, but reluctance to disturb mission-critical systems hampers change.
New research from Ricoh Europe reveals that both decision makers and employees are keen to automate workflows to improve productivity and job fulfilment, but the implementation of these systems is being hampered by concerns about disrupting mission critical operations mid-flight.
The research was conducted by Opinion Matters on behalf of Ricoh Europe, polling 7,000 workers and 1,800 decision makers across Europe. It finds significant employee appetite for process automation in the workplace, with almost a third of employees (32%) reporting they do not currently have access to process automation technologies, despite wanting them. Business leaders echo and acknowledge their employees’ enthusiasm for this automation, citing the slow adoption of process automation solutions as their employees’ joint top technical frustration.
However, the research highlights that apprehension among business leaders may be hindering the implementation of process automation technologies. Concerns around business continuity are top of mind for leaders, with 30% saying they need guidance to better understand which systems can be integrated and extracted into workflows without disruption. This caution is understandable, considering the potentially catastrophic consequences on the bottom line if implementation goes wrong.
At the same time, over half of business leaders (55%) agree that IT investments are often made in isolation, without full consideration of their impact. This leads to C-suite unease about the prospect of implementing automation technologies and their potential impact on other essential processes. Banishing tedious tasks is not just about boosting employee productivity, it’s also a key factor in nurturing employee fulfilment and job satisfaction. When asked what factors would improve their fulfilment at work, a quarter of employees cited having the right tech to free up their time for more rewarding work.
A further 21% of employees also said having better software technology, including automation solutions, would make them less likely to consider leaving their current role in the next twelve months , showing the real impact the technology could have for talent retention.
Nicola Downing, CEO of Ricoh Europe, said: “In an era of increasing employee apathy, process automation technologies can play a key role in helping employees feel fulfilled, by reducing the time spent on tedious tasks and enabling them to focus on more rewarding and creative work. However, I know first-hand that the C-suite is justified in being cautious to disrupt mission critical systems, considering the ramifications if things go wrong. By partnering with a reliable digital expert who offers proven technical expertise and the right teams, businesses can confidently embrace automation and enjoy its benefits with minimal disruption.”
Categories : World Focus
Tags : Business Research Ricoh Europe Survey Workflow Automation
