In the rapidly evolving business landscape, organizations must continuously adapt to stay competitive. Digital transformation has become a key driver for success, enabling companies to leverage technology and automation to streamline processes and drive innovation. As a business owner, it is important to stay ahead of the competition and improve the company’s efficiency and productivity.
The rise of AI tools and automation has meant that smart technology adoption is fundamental to the success of any business. While it is imperative that businesses start leveraging these tools, it is also critical that the right approach for automation and digital adoption is taken. This ensures the ease and effectiveness of digital initiatives while enhancing productivity, automating activities, and streamlining processes. Peripheral automation provides the perspective for the same.
Peripheral automation refers to the set of digital initiatives which leverage the core enterprise records smartly to enable numerous interactions in the organization while enabling and empowering the organization members toward their goals.
It recognizes the importance (and relative permanence, and thus the required controls) of core records of any organization (such as those relating to customers, products, transactions, employees, items, assets, and so on); and then identifies ways of accessing, exposing, managing and updating them to suit the unique contexts of the particular organization, purpose, and user.
Such operations which get and act on such records have an enormous bearing on the organization’s overall efficiency and productivity. The peripheral automation approach builds virtually autonomous (yet, connected, secure, and controlled) systems on what can be easily visualized as a periphery of the core records.
The peripheral automation approach recognizes the investments made, as well as the potential costs of disruption of the core systems of record that an organization has built. It emphasizes leveraging and enhancing these in a manner that aligns with the modern paradigms of access, ease, and performance. Even when the core systems of record undergo change or renewal, this approach provides the fundamental framework for identifying the needs, plans, and models for such systems.
It is important to recognize that a successful peripheral automation approach is not just about automating “non-core” or minor sub-processes. Hence the focus is not necessarily on the processes and systems that already exist but on rethinking and innovating to build them in the context of transforming the interactions that they entail.
For instance, in procurement scenarios, a traditional approach might lead to expensive and complex ERP customizations and/ or multiple vendor databases; the peripheral automation approach would build on the vendor, item, and transactions records; learn from the evolving patterns; etc., and create on a modern interface available to vendors as well as line operators who can make and act on insight-based procurement decisions.
To realize the full potential of digitizing business operations, the following aspects of peripheral automation are important:
- Automation on data: Easing data flow across various systems of records, aggregating them, and surfacing them in a useful model is key to digital effectiveness. Peripheral automation approaches include technologies for data collection, collation, cleansing, organizing, warehousing, and modeling. This further covers solutions for visibility, insights, and better decision-making.
- Automation for action: Such systems surface the right and relevant information at the right time, enabling anyone (an employee, partner, or customer) to act quickly, effectively, and confidently. Systems such as intranets, document management, and business intelligence ensure that the right content, documents, or information are accessible based on an intelligent analysis of the context. One system recently deployed by Advaiya allowed project management offices to access relevant technical checklists and SOPs, review related operational data, and take corrective action seamlessly in one workflow.
- Automation with intelligence: Leveraging machine learning, AI, and generative technologies can transform complex and decision-intensive tasks. Peripheral automation here would allow businesses to generate custom and unique interactions creating opportunity efficiencies and transformative experiences. As an example, we at Advaiya are working on building training automation that connects with enterprise skill databases and knowledge stores and uses LLMs to provide relevant content, discussions, and assessments.
The most important advantage of the peripheral automation approach is that it simplifies and accelerates the digital transformation journey. It enables the business to function and thrive as peripheral automation unfolds, making the digital transformation journey less disruptive.
Peripheral automation simplifies the digital transformation process by breaking it down into manageable steps. While core systems may require more extensive changes and involve higher risks, peripheral automation offers a smoother transition. This allows businesses to build momentum and confidence as they gradually automate different aspects of their operations.
Furthermore, with peripheral automation, organizations can rapidly build on business and innovation opportunities—which present themselves across and beyond the organization. Peripheral automation democratizes the core systems within the organization, enabling quick response, collaboration, and action. The barriers to creativity and speed are reduced as improvement opportunities can be prioritized, and everyone is enabled with direct access to the results of automation.
Peripheral automation is thus a revolutionary way of looking at workplace automation. It can help organizations negotiate the increasing complexities of digital processes and achieve their goals faster and better.
Digital transformation is not a silver bullet but a stepwise plan that can help quicken the journey. Peripheral automation is the quintessential step in the ongoing digital transformation journey adding smarts, speed, and agility to the business with intelligent technology adoption. Organizations can thus achieve their digital transformation goals faster and more efficiently, resulting in a more productive and competitive business.
Contributed By Mr. Manish Godha, Founder & CEO at Advaiya Solutions