Has Automation Lost Its Cool?

Not cool, cool handle

Bell-bottom jeans. Flip phones. Avocado-green home appliances. Automation.

You might think one of these things is not like the other. However, they’re all related. At one time, they were cutting-edge and cool. And now? Well, depends on who you ask.

Let’s clarify. Automation hasn’t lost it’s cool factor. However, automation has moved from innovative and unusual to essential. In fact, it’s becoming table stakes for any modern organization because it streamlines business processes and supports new capabilities. It provides consistency, reduces human errors, and frees up staff time and resources. Instead of focusing on mundane tasks, organizations can turn their attention to differentiating themselves, rising above the competition in a contracting economy.

Artificial intelligence (AI) and automation-powered machines and applications are incredibly efficient, capable of processing data at an amazing speed and accuracy. They can process, within seconds, a task that would take an expert a few hours or even days to complete.

In a world with an “always-on” mentality, automation can ensure businesses never sleep. Its wide range of capabilities has pushed it from the world of science fiction to a must-have for organizations.

The Sea Change from Sci-Fi to Standard

In the not-so-distant past, non-automated companies were viewed neutrally. Organizations that utilized automation were seen as the movers and shakers.

Now, automation has become almost commoditized as a concept. If you’re not doing it, you’re leaving efficiencies and time savings on the table. As a result, your organization may lag behind your industry peers. This competition is driving organizations to increase their investments in automation to accommodate the market conditions brought on by the pandemic, according to a Honeywell study.

The caveat is, organizations now need to go further than just saying, “We use automation.” You need to back up this claim with specific use cases. What are you doing with automation? How are you using it? Why should we think that’s cool?

Ideas on How to Innovate

Looking for inspiration on how to deploy automation within your own organization – and how to show your customers what that’s worth to them? Here’s how we’re utilizing automation at Tangoe.

  • We use Robotic Process Automation (RPA) to create efficiencies and save money. It provides end-to-end workflows for all of the common processes Tangoe manages — including downloading and processing invoices, auditing and optimizing expenses, order processing, and updating inventory. 90% of all activities performed at Tangoe are automated.
  • By extending RPA across its telecom platforms, Tangoe is now able to download 10.6 million invoices annually, up from 7.8 million. The overall invoice processing time is reduced by four days. This allows us to identify and act on savings opportunities for customers more quickly.
  • We use a combination of predictive and prescriptive analytics to analyze mobile usage patterns compared to carrier contracts. As a result, this lets us offer customers automated savings recommendations, resulting in millions of dollars in identified savings for customers in 2019 alone.
  • With Tangoe’s automated cloud data usage reports, customers gain real-time visibility into usage. Because of this, they can make quick decisions to better leverage their cloud deployments. Eliminating cloud waste from daily usage reports has resulted in $3 million in savings since 2019.
  • As the only provider leveraging Machine Learning (ML) and AI to deliver service levels beyond customer expectations, we’re uniquely capable of superior customer service. For instance, we use ML and AI for personalized assistance in customer support, because our bots can mimic the actions of a human.

Customers are Winning

All of our automation efforts are paying off not just for us but our customers as well. Our automation capabilities helped a large childcare organization reduce invoice-load times by 50%. In addition, they also saved $1 million through automation within our telecom application in the Tangoe Platform. We rebuilt and realigned the telecom and mobile invoices and inventory for a global life sciences juggernaut. Our automation and auditing capabilities allowed the company to focus on their network migration and reduce spend by nearly 40%.

Just remember: However you use automation, show – don’t just tell – your customers how it helps them.

Intrigued by how we use automation to save our customers time and money? We can do it for you, too. Request a demo of the Tangoe platform today.