The use of intelligent automation (IA) has been growing in popularity across various industries as organizations look for ways to increase efficiency and productivity while reducing costs. And when applied to gaming and hospitality, benefits can be significant as organizations continue to combat inadequate talents pools and the return to travel continues. The decision to begin bringing IA into an organization is an exciting one, but can also be quite overwhelming, especially for individuals who aren’t in traditionally technically-focused roles, such as revenue management, distribution, customer service, etc. As a result, the importance of getting the project right and ensuring success can be a daunting task for leaders who are interested in adding intelligent automation to their operations. In this article, we will explore how to begin exploring IA, gaining buy-in, models for supporting the initiative, and how these decisions will lay the foundation for a successful (or sometimes unsuccessful) IA journey.
Creating Excitement with a Vision and Planning
Internal support is a critical component of a successful IA initiative; without it, funding and access to necessary capabilities can be quite difficult to obtain. It is important to ensure that the leadership team is on board with the project, as they will be the ones making the decisions and allocating resources. The first step is to create a clear and concise business case for the IA initiative. This should outline the goals of the project, the benefits to the organization, and the expected return on investment (ROI). The business case should be presented to the leadership team, and they should be given the opportunity to ask questions and provide feedback. For some leadership teams, cost savings can be a benefit of interest when exploring IA. For others, reduced manual efforts and ability to focus on higher value or revenue-driving tasks can be appealing. There are even hospitality organizations that view IA as the key to sustained growth and a revenue enablement tool (i.e. increasing speed to market). No matter the driver behind the IA initiative, ensuring clear goals, benefits and expected ROI are key when looking for internal buy-in and support.
READ THE FULL ARTICLE BY TUCKER SHOLTES IN THE 2023 SUMMER EDITION OF GAMING & LEISURE MAGAZINE.