Digital Office 24/7: Why Automation Reveals Company Bottlenecks

To reduce manual labor and perform as many tasks and skills error-free in a shorter time, companies are introducing automation into their operations. Information technology (IT) and artificial intelligence (AI) are becoming indispensable as they simplify work and increase efficiency in repetitive tedious tasks. However, it is precisely the employees that need to be shown, agree the interlocutors, that automation is not a bogeyman and that it can bring benefits and progress in everyday business.

Silent Superhero

Since IT automation, emphasizes the head of the FixIT department at Ventex Daniel Legin, transforms everyday, repetitive tasks into reliable and predictable processes, it consequently speeds up decisions, reduces the number of errors, and results in a clearer picture of business in real-time. For Ventex, he says, automation is the silent superhero of business, invisible at first glance, but which directly affects cost reduction, increased productivity, and profitability for clients. He testifies that when well-planned, automation becomes the most reliable employee as it works 24/7, does not forget tasks, and always follows the rules.

– It is crucial to first map processes, identify routine tasks, and clearly determine where automation brings the fastest and greatest value. Successful implementation requires good analysis, the right tools, and partners who understand the technology and business logic of the client. We start from a snapshot of the IT system and business processes, and then, with small but smartly chosen steps, we introduce automation where it brings savings in time and money. In doing so, employees must understand that technology is not competition, but an enhancement of their team. Resistance often arises from fear of losing control or uncertainty about what will change in daily work. Therefore, we conduct workshops and training for clients to show through examples from their business that the goal is not to reduce the number of people, but to give them tools to work smarter, not harder. When employees see that automation removes administration and leaves more time for real work, resistance quickly turns into support – describes Legin.

Setting Goals

Cost reduction, less manual labor and errors, increased productivity, improved security through automatic checks, and self-storage and patching that reduce the risks of data loss are the advantages of IT automation for Dubravko Puhelek, director and owner of Zel-cos. In addition, processes are standardized as everything operates in the same monitored way and allows for faster scaling, so systems can grow without additional burden on the IT team. However, there are obstacles in implementation, according to Puhelek, the complexity of existing systems because it is difficult to automate outdated or inconsistent infrastructure, poorly defined processes if the process is not standardized, and the initial investment is not small.

– Therefore, it is necessary to clearly define goals and processes before automation, choose the right technology and tools, conduct training and team involvement to accept new processes, and gradual implementation and continuous improvement. If employee engagement increases in the process, they then feel included and important, which facilitates the adoption of new tools, brings less fear and more collaboration so that teams provide useful feedback and ideas. Before implementation, it is essential to monitor whether automation works accurately and reliably, and then regularly update and maintain the system – emphasizes Puhelek.

Lack of Awareness

More and more office tasks can be covered by IT automation, noted the director of VIS Solutions, Miljenko Vuković, reiterating that repetitive tasks such as data transcription from structured forms have long been automated. One such technology, he added, is robotic process automation, and by applying AI, unstructured data such as human conversations can also be processed and appropriate actions initiated based on them. Such AI agents mimic a human employee in performing tasks.

– The most common barrier is the lack of awareness among business users about modern technologies in automating business processes. For successful implementation, it is crucial to find the right employee or partner with knowledge and experience in similar projects to avoid learning from one’s own example and to introduce best business practices. Involving employees is a critical step because without employees working on those tasks, it is almost impossible to support them with software. Resistance may arise, most often due to fear of job loss, but according to our experience, this almost never happens. In an era when there is a shortage of employees in almost all sectors, people are transitioning to smarter jobs, while technology takes over the repetitive tasks. After the introduction of IT automation, it is necessary to implement quality monitoring and maintenance of the system – emphasizes Vuković.

Early Adopters

Among the most important advantages of IT automation, the project manager for business digitization at Montelektru, David Bartovčak, lists simplicity, consistency, traceability, clarity, and acceleration. Digitization itself brings acceleration, he notes, but for all advantages to be visible, a deep analysis is needed, which encompasses not only data about who, what, when, and how works, i.e., what roles are in the business process, but also metadata about all surrounding processes, such as, for example, data on process duration.

– One of the biggest challenges is convincing users that digitizing processes can effectively replace and improve work processes that, according to users, are already functioning. Therefore, it is important for users to participate in the introduction of digitization to identify problems themselves and see the need for improvements. Additionally, today there are many specialized software tools on the market for process improvement, and using multiple such tools can create stress for users who are not inclined to use new technologies, as well as for those who are technically well-versed. Therefore, it is important to approach all stakeholders openly, where early adopters play a significant role, individuals who readily embrace new technologies. Furthermore, due to the increasing influence of AI technology, the number of individual additional tools is rising, which could lead to user congestion. Therefore, it is important to strive for the unification of tools into a single system using central authentication, a simple workflow, and an intuitive interface as a digital office – describes Bartovčak.

Bottlenecks

According to the opinion of the business development manager at Combis, Marijana Bogdanović, the biggest shift does not happen when something is done faster, but when it no longer needs to be done. She gave an example of a project where three people spent about ten hours each month manually transcribing data between systems, and today that data is automatically synchronized, and that job no longer exists. For Bogdanović, this is the difference between digitization and automation because digitization speeds up the process, while automation removes unnecessary steps. In practice, she often witnesses a reduction in operational work by 50 to 70 percent because the goal of automation is for people to do what they are irreplaceable at.

– The most common reason why automation fails is the ambiguity regarding who makes decisions and is responsible for the outcome. However, technical challenges such as integrations with existing systems, disconnected databases, or lack of APIs are expected and solvable. Resistance to automation arises when employees receive a solution that someone else designed for their job, so the system is perceived as imposed, and old habits are retained. Therefore, we maintain digital workshops, and employees do not receive ready-made solutions but participate in their design. This leads to 80 percent greater acceptance compared to the classical approach. And the biggest surprise after the introduction of automation is that the system works so well that it reveals new bottlenecks. In our projects, we see that classical automation solves the operational part, while AI takes over analysis, prediction, and communication with users, which together brings the greatest shift – says Bogdanović.

Lagging in Adaptation

Today, automation increasingly relies on AI, claims the chief director for business transformation and IT at A1 Croatia, Ivan Skender, because besides speed, accuracy, and better usability, AI enables organizations to predict situations and resolve them in advance instead of reacting to the emergence of problems. For example, A1 has introduced a network monitoring solution where the system recognizes patterns indicating possible failures or performance drops and allows intervention before users feel the problem.

– Technology is evolving faster than organizations can adapt. Therefore, it is crucial to connect AI initiatives with business goals, ensure collaboration between business and IT teams, and invest in employee development. Involving employees in the application of AI is crucial for success because new technology can provoke resistance, most often due to fear of job loss, insufficient understanding of technology, or insecurity in one’s skills. But this quickly changes when people get the opportunity to work with new tools and feel the benefits in their daily work. Automation and AI are increasingly becoming the foundation of digital transformation, not just support for existing processes, and after the introduction of AI automation, the job does not end but shifts to management, monitoring effects, and improvement – believes Skender.