Automation maturity: closing the digital automation perception gap

To thrive in today’s world, businesses must consistently drive productivity and growth by increasing efficiency and cutting costs. Many believe they’ve found the answer to this balancing act: automated document management.

By automating information-intensive processes, organisations expect to boost productivity and deliver increased returns. However, despite their enthusiasm for automation and its benefits, businesses are not getting all it can offer.

New research from Canon indicates that IT decision-makers (ITDMs) tend to have a more optimistic view of their information automation journey than the reality¹ . While 78% believe their organisation is already mature in terms of information security and digital process² , only half report implementing some of the most basic forms of automation, such as automatic document access rights. Even fewer have reported more advanced forms such as Robotic Process Automation (RPA), and automated customer communication processes.

To close this perception gap, organisations need to take a holistic approach to integrating digital automation into entire business processes and workflows, not just specific functions. In doing so, leaders can unlock benefits that go far beyond enhancing day-to-day productivity. They can build resilience and unlock strategic advantages in the long-term. The challenge in overcoming this perception gap lies in turning potential gains into a business reality.

Canon’s research shows that 99% of ITDMs who have automated information management in some capacity said they have seen noticeable benefits from it² . When enough routine processes are performed using automated tools – which streamline workflows and manage repetitive tasks – organisations can reduce the pressure on employees and free up their time to focus on more rewarding work.

For example, in finance, if employees no longer have to spend time matching invoices to purchase orders, it allows them to focus that time on optimising spend and reviewing suppliers. This leads to long-term organisational benefits, with nearly a third of ITDMs reporting strategic benefits from digital automation.

There is also untapped opportunity to deliver growth and better business performance. Strikingly, despite lower uptake of automated customer communications, improved customer experience was among the top benefits of automation cited by IT leaders. By applying automated systems to customer communications processes, faster, more consistent, and more personalised communications can be achieved through customers’ preferred channels. The risk of regulatory breaches due to inaccuracies is also reduced, which is important for consumer trust.

Automation is not just a cost and timesaving exercise. The benefits are far more widespread. So, though there is much to gain from automating information-intensive processes, why are IT leaders slow to adapt?

Information automation solutions are scalable, which means they can be introduced for the smallest projects or to cover entire workflows. The wider the application, the better the results. Yet many businesses struggle to progress to advanced types of digital automation due to issues surrounding implementation and complexity. In fact, one in ten ITDMs have reported abandoning an implementation project completely during the last two years⁴ .

The more complex the implementation, the lower the adoption rate. Not only is adopting new automated applications a challenge, but there are also issues around successfully integrating technology with existing systems. As such, compatibility was voted the top priority for ITDMs during the procurement process. This comes as no surprise, as our research shows that 28% of the IT leaders reported compatibility issues in their last tech implementation, with a further 23% reporting that the functionality of technology installed was not for purpose. This ranked even higher than cost or other technology concerns, highlighting just how difficult integrating new systems into an existing IT estate can be.

ITDMs understand that achieving efficiency and revenue growth while mitigating security risks means embracing modern digital solutions. But when they’re faced with complex integration and compatibility challenges, those benefits can feel impossible to secure.

To overcome the challenges surrounding compatibility and integration, organisations need to take careful steps forward. For some, overestimating the maturity of their own automated information management processes limits their ability to reap the full rewards of advanced solutions.

The right partner is perhaps the most important factor to a successful solutions integration. Nobody is in doubt that ITDMs are juggling a vast number of demands and pressures throughout their day-to-day working life. As leaders look to integrate ever more complex information management systems, finding the right partner is key. Canon’s research found that projects with full collaboration between a company and third party throughout, as opposed to the third-party only being involved for the initial stage or roll out, led to the greatest chance of success.

To realise the benefits of digital automation and actually close the perception gap, organisations need an experienced outside eye – someone with the necessary distance and expertise to identify the potential benefits of automation within each unique business, and most importantly, to safeguard the implementation.