Members agreed that the automation journey is an extremely technical exercise that requires highly skilled individuals, but that this is a given. What is as important, but often overlooked, are the softer skills needed to ensure the success of the process, its adoption within the business and its ongoing maintenance and improvement.
The success of what can be an extremely complicated process can ultimately rest on three comparatively simple concepts: communication, engagement and ownership.
Communication and people
Communication is key to the success of any automation process. Automation relies on the consistency of data being fed into the product, and is seriously hampered by any unexpected extraneous elements.
Clearly outlining the conditions required for automation from the start of the process is key. This requires ensuring that there are no interdependencies which could throw the process off, which in turn requires identifying the needs of different user groups.
Clear communication with super-users and the executive on what you’re trying to do, and what you need to do it successfully, is as important as technical knowhow when laying the foundations of any automation journey.
One member, who had successfully launched an automation tool across various markets for a large multinational retailer, said: “We obviously needed people from science and engineering backgrounds with an understanding of analytics, but having the skill to translate what’s being done to the business was just as important.”
The ability to discuss complex concepts with the business in a language it can understand is a skill which should be carefully considered when assembling any ‘automation squad’.
Engaging the business
Automation, by its very nature, challenges processes that have been deeply ingrained within the business. Successful adoption of any model depends upon winning over individuals to the new product, some of whom may have been running the old model for years, if not decades. Earning the trust of these users is one of the biggest problems for any automation team.
Changing deeply ingrained ways of working can be an awkward process, as one member explained: “Sometimes you can feel a bit like the Grim Reaper, as you’re essentially having to demonstrate to users that the new product is superior to them and their knowledge.”
Simply proving the superiority of the new model is often not enough to win users over. One simple step that automation teams can take to promote uptake of the new product is to ensure that those in charge of internal marketing properly understand it. They can then write accurate and informative copy to drive engagement.
Another key step is to find a ‘champion’ for the product from outside of the automation team. This will typically be one of the senior executive. According to research undertaken by DataIQ early this year, 44% of organisations believe that greater buy-in to data from the senior leadership team would help to overcome threats to the effective use of data throughout the business.
A fully bought-in product champion from within the leadership team is vital in demonstrating to the business that it is not just the data team who are pushing for the integration of the product. Simple steps a champion can take include promoting the product at internal meetings and sharing details of its progress and impact in company-wide emails.
The onus is on the automation team to secure buy-in from the senior leadership team. This is again dependent on effective communication, and in demonstrating the benefits of the product in a language that non-technical individuals can understand, interpret and disseminate.
Getting senior stakeholder buy-in is no easy task, however. According to DataIQ research, a lack of buy-in to data by senior leadership is the main threat to the effective consumption of data at one in five organisations. This does not bode well for the acceptance of more complex concepts such as automation.
This is where soft skills become as important as technical capabilities for any automation team looking to have its product taken up by the business.
Once the automation product is successfully adopted, data teams can face a new challenge: increased demand. As the automation process produces useful data, requests from the business are likely to grow. This can be a time-consuming overhead for teams busy working on maintenance and improvement of the product or the delivery of new solutions and tools.
One member mentioned that they had managed this demand by building a simple Spotfire report. This only satiated demand for a short while, however, and increasing demand for data is an ongoing battle for the data team. Despite the increased workload, demand for data is a sign that the model has been successfully accepted. It is also the sign of a data mature business. This can only be good news for data teams.
Ownership
Building and successfully launching an automation product is not the end of the journey. Automation tools are like a plant that needs to be watered, if neglected they can quickly dry up and wither. Teams that want to ensure the long-term success of their product would do well to prevent it from slipping into the BAU void.
According to DataIQ research, one quarter of organisations either don’t know if things go wrong with their data science model or don’t know how models are reviewed. Reviews typically come as a result of events, such as surges in demand or new market conditions. This can work up to a point, but this approach misses opportunities for the dynamic development of the model. Key to this is product ownership.
The owner, typically from within the data team, must drive continuous improvement by ensuring that new metrics are added to the product as new ideas arise, and that these improvements are communicated to the business.
Ownership also prevents knowledge of the tool’s backend being lost as those that built it leave the organisation further down the line. One member said: “If the people who worked on the product leave, their replacements might not want to risk ‘opening the hood’ if there isn’t a proper handover. Having a driving force is very important.”
Beyond the data team, support from the senior executive is vital for promoting the maintenance and improvement of the product as they pressure data teams to get more out it. By maintaining ownership of the product, data teams can ensure that their hard work continues to drive value for the business for years to come.
Key takeaways
- Communication is key. Clearly outline the conditions required for the automation process from the start. Ensure there are no unknown interdependencies that could throw the process off.
- Speak to the business in a language it understands. This is key to ensuring the success of the automation process, as well as its successful adoption by the business.
- Get yourself an automation champion. Typically one of the senior executive, a ‘champion’ from outside of the data team can help drive engagement with the product throughout the business and break ingrained ways of working.
- Own the product. Nominate someone from within the data team to be responsible for the maintenance and continuous improvement of the product. This will prevent it from falling into the BAU void.
