Consider: building a house. Not something you would take lightly. You would talk to different people and get their advice, you would consult with an architect, you would weigh different options before you would even start building. Our experience in the fields tells us that companies are not as careful when it comes to automating corporate processes.
Some examples to clarify:
A business designed an app on top of its existing website where clients can find general information and manage their orders. The app allows customers to track orders and to indicate suitable delivery times. Both solutions resort under the responsibilities of the Marketing department. Sales staff has a tablet solution to support their commercial activities with large clients of the organisation. Stand-alone, all three channels (web, app and tablet solution) all work perfectly. Nevertheless clients are notifying the company that there are inconsistencies in the information provided on the website and the app. When talking to a sales representative, they see them using a different system containing more customer information. By listening carefully to the client’s needs in advance, you can take their requirements into account when deciding on which channel to use to what extent. In addition, the end-customer’s experience can be coordinated better across channels.
A company decides to automate several support services such ass accountancy, payroll, stock management and logistics. After a while, the new system’s users start to issue complaints. After a first inquiry, we concluded the end-users of the system were not involved in determining system requirements prior to its purchase. A software package was purchased, trainings were organised and users had to work with it.
However, the solution failed to meet end-user needs, as they were not mapped in advance. As a result, several tasks were executed manually again and some data went missing, ultimately making the system unreliable. By involving end-users in the automation process, you can create involvement and you can take into account their needs. Not all requirements may be realistic, but at least there will be buy-in from the start, making final introduction of any system much easier.
Why? From our experience in the field we note the essential step to accurately map WHAT people are expecting from automation is very often missing. Usually, organisations skip from problem to solution – the HOW.
Why not go back to considering building a house. Carefully thinking about that house is a complex and time-consuming undertaking. We accept the advice of experienced professionals (architects, contractors, …) who give us tips, ask questions, help us visualise future results. The same process should be applied to business process automation. After consultation, considering several options (with different suppliers), asking questions, we will ultimately get a better picture of future results.
Most businesses however, usually do not take the time to do this. This extra step takes up time and resources, very often not available. We would like to stress the importance of the ‘think before you act principle’, though. It can help avoid many implementation issues in the long run. Research shows the cost of resolving a problem increases exponentially once the automation project is ongoing and in implementation phase.
By taking enough time in the design phase to map requirements and by closely monitoring the solution build a wide range of problems can be avoided afterwards. We use a structured, 2-step approach:
Grant Thornton can help you take on these issues in your specific business environment. Our experienced consultants map requirements along with you based on input from different stakeholders. They help you select the right partner for the build of your automation solution and involve you throughout implementation.
We are convinced Grant Thornton can help you align your requirements process in a way your projects will provide solutions to actual needs. Just like you would want when building your own home.