Only 18% of IT leaders of large European companies claim that their company is fully embracing IT automation–according to a report commissioned by Red Hat. However, as many as 75% of those surveyed do have a strategy for implementing this process and plan to execute it in the near future. In Polish firms, automation is still at an early stage and often associated with employee fears.
Employees state that they lack time for automation
Employee engagement and cooperation between teams are critical to effectively implementing automation throughout the enterprise. The Red Hat survey shows that only 6% of employees are open to technological and process changes. Their reluctance stems from the feeling that they “do not have the time” for the implementation of automation (45%) and are overwhelmed by overly complicated or highly technical changes (40%). They also prefer to “do their own thing” rather than use processes or technologies imposed on them (39%). Interestingly, only 16% of IT leaders surveyed stated that staff are reluctant to change as they do not see the benefits of full enterprise IT automation.
Ad hoc approach carries risk
Large enterprises often adopt an ad hoc approach to IT automation. This “small scale” strategy may seem easier than a full company rollout. However, it is not strategic or long-term. It highly depends on the activities of specific employees and carries the risk of automation knowledge “trapped” with one person. If this person leaves the job, the gained experiences will be lost, and starting from scratch will be required. For this reason, automation should be a comprehensive process, based on collaboration and engaging all company employees.
For many firms, automation is a necessity
Surveyed IT managers also point to a range of consequences for not introducing automation throughout the company. 28% of them stated that the company would not be able to implement new technical solutions, such as generative artificial intelligence. 26% indicated difficulties in hiring and retaining talented employees, as well as the risk of losing money and non-compliance with regulations. One in four respondents fear losing clients, increased exposure to cyber-attacks, and the inability to effectively compete in the market. A total of 21% of IT managers even stated that without automation their company would go bankrupt.
Benefits of automation
All surveyed leaders see the benefits of implementing automation at the company-wide level. For the majority of respondents, the main benefit was improved customer service and increased customer comfort (33%). UK respondents indicated more creative and strategic thinking (36%) while French IT leaders responded that better cooperation was most important for them (34%). Surveyed CIO’s claimed that enterprise-wide IT automation supports increasing investment in business activity (36%).
Automation in Polish companies still at an early stage
In Poland, similar to other countries involved in the study, we see strong interest from leaders in the topic of automation. They recognize the benefits of a strategic approach to this process. However, they often act ad hoc, without a defined plan. Convincing employees is often a challenge. They have many concerns about changes in their daily operations. Therefore, the role of leaders should be to clearly indicate the benefits of automation for the entire enterprise. Employees freed from performing repetitive tasks will be able to focus on creative and innovative tasks.
Witold Żukowski, Country Manager at Red Hat
About the study
To get a closer look at the challenges associated with the IT automation process, Red Hat commissioned the analytics firm Censuswide to conduct a survey of 1,200 IT leaders in companies employing over 500 employees in the UK, France, Germany, and Spain, operating in various industries, including IT, banking and finance, engineering, logistics and shipping, retail, media (including telecommunications) and the public sector.
The full report is available at: https://www.redhat.com/rhdc/managed-files/ma-enterprise-wide-it-automation-survey-overview-549516-202310-en.pdf
