4 Ugly Reasons Why Companies Adopt Automation Software

There are multiple reasons for getting automation software.

In many cases, the decision to onboard a product that lets you create and automate workflows is driven by a combination of hype and exposure to the product’s features.

Maybe you came across a cool YouTube video, or perhaps somebody told you about their most recent software acquisition and what they are doing with it.

Both hype and features are valid reasons in their own right, and can’t be left out of the decision-making process.

Products like Make are packed with features that provide enormous value to thousands of organizations and are usually worth the hype.

However, these are not the only reasons to look at, which brings us to the point of this article: The ugly reasons to consider before getting automation software.

As most of us know from experience, looking at things with rose-tinted glasses is not the best way to approach a decision, and on occasion, other factors need to be considered.

Sometimes these aren’t pretty, but that doesn’t make them less important. In this article, we’ll share some of the most common ugly reasons why companies go for automation software. Let’s take a look.

1. Underperforming employees

There’s a popular statement claiming that employees are your greatest asset. We celebrate when this comes out to be true, but let’s face it: It’s not always true.

Sometimes, the need for a workflow automation tool is deeply ingrained in low productivity levels that have a negative impact on the company’s operations.

Maybe your team isn’t hitting the numbers, fails to deliver on time, or produces sub-par results in terms of quality.

In such cases, workflow automation can help you boost productivity while putting a limit on your dependence on manual work.

Bear in mind, automation software is not magical, and won’t increase productivity by snapping your fingers. You will have to take a long, hard look at the processes, identify where the shortcomings are, and automate accordingly.

2. Staff shortages

Many industries in the USA are currently suffering from a nationwide staff shortage, with millions of open positions available and no one to fill them.

This presents companies with the difficult challenge of getting the job done when there are no extra hands available. Putting extra pressure on existing employees is not really an option, as the risk of generalized burnout could bring dire consequences to an already tight situation.

Again, automation can be the answer many companies are looking for.

While most tools in the market cannot replace the full breadth of what a human employee does, they are perfectly capable of automating hundreds of tasks, and thus taking some weight off your team’s shoulders.

3. Financial restraints

When business is good, everything is easier. When it’s not, effective solutions are urgent.

Oftentimes, a business is in need of more people, but can’t afford the gamble. Think, for example, of a company that needs to reply to tickets during off-hours. Hiring someone to do so can result in an uptick in customer satisfaction, but also burn a hole in the financials.

In this situation, a tool capable of delivering answers on its own (such as a chatbot, or an email automation tool triggered by new tickets or form answers) would be significantly more cost-effective than having a person doing so.

This is just one example referring to a specific task, but reducing the impact of labor costs is something workflow automation tools excel at.

4. Gaps in the software stack

This is a reason that often gets swept under the rug, but limitations in your software stack can lead to needing a workflow automation tool.

Don’t sweat over it, this happens all the time. As it turns out, most software products do not offer a broad range of native integrations that facilitate workflow automation for non-technical users.

Yes, APIs are ubiquitous, but not always properly documented or easy to work with. So, maybe you found out that integrations would save you resources and time, but also learned that your current stack is very limited in that regard.

In such a case, crying over spilled milk won’t take you far, but identifying where the gaps are and picking the right no-code workflow automation tool will.

The takeaway

Hard as it may sound, there are reasons that can’t be addressed by automation and need a different approach.

Decaying team morale, unsustainable turnover rates, or systemic risk (picture being Blockbuster at the beginning of the streaming era) are examples of problems that automation can help mitigate, but only to a certain extent.

However, this shouldn’t stop you from addressing the less glamorous reasons that lie beneath the decision to adopt automation software.

To conclude, if you enjoyed this article and want more information about how to pick a workflow automation tool, we invite you to read our latest take on the subject here.

Happy automating!