Preparing Your Business Processes for a Post-COVID-19 World

There’s a new level of urgency forcing organizations to rethink how they operate today and in the future. The new way forward will require them to take a hard look at manual, paper-based processes that have stagnated modernization and put a strain on employees who need the flexibility to work beyond office walls.

“Organizations and agencies will need to re-evaluate the day-to-day responsibilities of their employees,” said John Mihoc, Director of Innovations and Artificial Intelligence (AI) at JTEK. “They’ll need to identify areas and workflows where automation with tools such as robotic process automation (RPA) — and ultimately AI — can drastically change the landscape and efficiency of the workforce, especially in a post-COVID-19 world.”

There is a general push across IT operations to “shift left” where possible, Mihoc said. “For example, work that was previously assigned to tier-three engineers is shifting to tier two and then down to tier-one engineers as it becomes more automated,” he said. “Employees are freed up to tackle higher-value tasks rather than tedious work that can be handled by automation.”

That’s where JTEK has been an invaluable partner for organizations, helping make changes to their operational models in support of digital transformation and modern IT infrastructure. JTEK takes a multi-pronged approach to craft the right solution for its customers by assessing and understanding their current workloads, mapping business processes, and viewing operations through the lens of human resources, finance and other lines of business.

“It’s about understanding the customer’s systems and their processes required to complete daily tasks,” Mihoc said. He shared key areas that organizations should focus on as they look to support transformation in a post-COVID-19 world.

1. Re-evaluate the day-to-day responsibilities of employees

Re-evaluating daily responsibilities can help you identify to what extent your organization is tapping into the unique expertise of your workforce. The goal is to free up employees to focus on strategic problem-solving while allowing technology to handle routine and manual work.

2. Identify areas and workflows where automation with RPA and AI can drastically change the landscape of the workforce

The ability to support employees working in remote environments is critical. Tools such as virtual desktop infrastructure, RPA and AI can reduce requirements for in-person interactions, automate tasks and enable employees to seamlessly continue operations. RPA also improves workforce efficiencies and reduces costs by eliminating repetitive and mundane tasks.

3. Capitalize on simplicity

If you have a distributed workforce, deploying and managing the IT infrastructure to support them can be complex. Although there is one overarching mission, each office or division, or at-home worker has specific needs to get their job done.

“That’s why we provide solutions that simplify workforce productivity, including bot creation to solve process problems,” Mihoc said. “We support operational consistency across the organization and help them implement scalable solutions that can meet their evolving needs today and into the future.”

This article is an excerpt from GovLoop’s recent guide, “Agile for Everyone: How to Improve Everyday Work Processes.” Download the full guide here.