Since 2020, intelligent automation (IA) technology has been quickly adopted by some Chinese companies as the owners view it as a weapon to recover their business and become more resilient.
In the past, IA was considered as a ‘nice to have’ technology. However, as it becomes more popular, it will completely transform the whole operations of a company including its supply chains and workforce management.
So what is intelligent automation?
Since the Industrial Revolution, automation has been making the human society more productive for centuries. Now, intelligent automation is going to take us to a new level.
IA enhances or replaces both repetitive and ‘higher order’ tasks. Therefore, it can completely transform diverse apartments in a company, including customer service, human resources, and data security. It also uses artificial intelligence to generate powerful insights that can further refine workflows and lead to better long-term business decisions.
Several years ago, the CEO of Ningbo Locosc found that it was hard to complete all orders in time as many workers were unable to come back to the factories. He thought it is the time to introduce IA technology into his factories. He believed that the technology would help manage and accelerate the production and it did work.
The optimized production line successfully let Locosc complete all orders in time and survived through the challenges. Meanwhile, Locosc upgraded their factories under the push of development of their productivity. Nowadays, it has become a top company in its field around the world and gets more orders from global buyers.
How to use IA in the right way?
As you probably have already known, there are many benefits to apply IA technology into the operations of your company. However, the real question is: how to develop a successful IA strategy? Four pieces of advice are given by Tom Ivory, the VP and Global Leader of IBM Services Automation Innovation Unit, in his article on Supply Chain Magazine.
Establish a company-wide governance framework
Do not install IA technologies in a company with different departments without giving any single entity a holistic view of all operations.
Be willing to scale the technology
You should use IA for higher-order or “expert” workflows – like handling massive numbers of complex customer inquiries simultaneously, rather than merely routine or mundane tasks.
Get the right talent
It is tempting of you to think that you can just install IA in your company and leave it there. You need the proper training like through a third-party provider to give employees the agility and flexibility needed to work with automated workflows, skills that ultimately help them work smarter.
Clear your business goals
IA can transform your company in a short time. Therefore, it requires you to have a thorough self-assessment. Know what it is you need to achieve.
Some Chinese companies are just starting to uncover the possibilities of this technology, but there is no doubt that more will join.