Your Automation Project Needs to Start with the Human Element

Part 2 of the series: Transformative Investing with Robotic Process Automation. Experts from Thomas H. Lee, Bain & Co. and Automation Anywhere discuss the importance of management buy-in when launching an RPA initiative.

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PRIVCAP TRANSCRIPT “Your Automation Project Needs to Start with the Human Element” Privcap: Can you give some advice to people about to launch into an automation project about how to make sure management is enthused and not resistant? Tamas Hevizi, Automation Anywhere: The value component needs to be an important conversation. And especially in a private equity owned business, executive teams will get very excited if this could be an element of value creation for the business. The second is making sure that people understand that automation is automating a lot of back office processes, to make that person like a claims person or a customer service reps’ job a lot easier. One thing we’re noticing is people start talking about automation in their companies is, almost nobody ever wants to go back to their job that was automated. So while there is fear, there’s enough stories and people experience this saying, “This is actually a relief and I do get to do other things.” Mark Benaquista, Thomas H. Lee Partners: When we approve a program, there’s obviously the technology layer, there’s the business process we’re going to impact. But we try to always make sure that change management – the human side of the change that’s going on – whether it’s to make them more efficient in the role that they’re doing or to take on some other activity, try to always make sure that’s funded along with the rest of the components. If you miss that component, technology works, the whole thing can fall apart. Michael Heric, Bain & Co: The only thing I would add to that is, there are different populations of human beings within a company that react in different ways. I think for the management team, to your point, getting them excited is around value and how it adds to the overall parts around value creation.  

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