New report reveals five steps to explore before you invest in automation

Businesses must improve five processes before preparing for a shift in automation, a new report from Prological Consulting reveals.

The white paper, ‘A guide to operational excellence: five processes to explore before making your automation’, outlines how businesses can best prepare for a shift in automaton using insights Prological has gained from working with some of the world’s largest companies.

The report dives into the advancements in the automation industry, the rise in choice of vendors, and the complexities involved in finding the right fit.

It also examines the risks of rushing the process and the very real impacts these mistakes have on cost, operations and the ability to scale.

Prological says that while most industries today use automation of some kind, the pressure from consumers is driving more businesses to automation, particularly within retail and e-commerce.

To compete in today’s market, retailers now need the capabilities to receive an order, fulfill it an hour later and have it shipped to the customer the next day, or in some cases the very same day.

Achieving this involves a number of processes, from procurement to delivery and everything in between, which shows the importance of getting automation right.

But with so many vendors, types of automation, and software on the market, Prological poses the question: what do companies need to be cautious of and how can they ensure they’re making the right decision?

“There is no such thing as a silver bullet in supply chain operations and by seeing it as an easy fix, many businesses make the expensive mistake of automating before they are ready,” said Peter Jones, Founder and Managing Director of Prological Consulting.

To support the industry and its clients to ensure these mistakes don’t happen, Prological has produced this white paper to recommend some key steps to complete before embarking on any automation journey.

“By being ready, not only will you drive a better outcome for your organisation, but you will also give the vendors a better chance of presenting a response tightly aligned to your requirements,” Jones said.

“Following these beneficial steps means your business will be confident it is asking the right questions and is in a strong position to pressure test the technology options presented,” he concluded.