The document outlines a webinar focused on successful automation through a process-driven approach, emphasizing the importance of identifying suitable automation candidates, assembling the right team, and developing a clear project plan. It highlights the benefits of automation such as cost reduction, increased quality, and enhanced visibility while also addressing common pitfalls to avoid during implementation. Additionally, it features profiles of the webinar presenters, Jon Leposky and Shelley Trout, detailing their expertise and roles in the context of automation.

1. Navigating the Road to Successful Automation –
A Process Driven Approach
Jon Leposky Shelley Trout
With: Moderated by:
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2. Esker started out as a software vendor back in 1985 with a direct and simple
vision in mind — help businesses deliver their paper documents electronically.
Today, Esker is widely recognized as a leader in AI-driven process automation
software all around the world. Companies use our cloud-based solutions to
drive greater efficiency, accuracy, visibility and cost savings throughout their
O2C and P2P processes.

3. 3

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Check out the Esker Blog at
blog.esker.com
Contact us:
(800) 368-5283
info@esker.com
www.esker.com

5. Click on the Questions panel to
interact with the presenters
https://www.supplychainbrief.com/webinar-series/supply-chain-visibility/

6. About Jon Leposky
Jon Leposky is an innovative and strategic thinking change agent with expertise in information systems, operations
process engineering, and program management. Passionate about achieving results that impact both top and
bottom line growth, Jon specializes in combining technology with operational best practices. As Director of
Operations and Logistics at Z Customization, a company dedicated to providing top level value added and
fulfilment services, he leads a team of over 40 individuals by focusing on culture and KPIs. When not in the office,
you can find him serving in his church or enjoying the beach in sunny San Diego where he competes in amateur
volleyball tournaments. Jon holds a degree in Industrial Engineering from California Polytechnic State University,
San Luis Obispo.
About Shelley Trout
Shelley went to UC Berkeley and majored in Anthropology & Archaeology. After working at the Center of Digital
Archaeology, she became fascinated with digital representations of personality and culture, and now leads Webinar
Production at Aggregage, providing some of the most interesting thought-leaders across a wide variety of industries
with a space to celebrate the diversity, depth, and experience of their professional cultures, personalities, and
passions.

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Navigating the Road to Successful
Automation - A Process Driven Approach
AGENDA
• Power of Automation and why we Automate
• When is the right time to automate a process
• How to identify the best candidates for
automation
• Getting Started – Assembling the team
• Approach – putting optimism where it belongs
• Scoping the project and helpful tools
• Going Live

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Navigating the Road to Successful
Automation - A Process Driven Approach
What is Automation?
Mechanical Artificial Intelligence

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Navigating the Road to Successful
Automation - A Process Driven Approach

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Navigating the Road to Successful
Automation - A Process Driven Approach
Automation
Cost
Reduction
New
Capabilities
Higher
Quality
Increased
Visibility

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Starts with Vision Ends with Process
Navigating the Road to Successful
Automation - A Process Driven Approach

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Automation and KPIs
• Revenue and Profit are not KPIs
• KPIs are a burden to track – Automation
can help
• Automation ensures KPI accuracy
• KPIs drive decision making
Navigating the Road to Successful
Automation - A Process Driven Approach

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Navigating the Road to Successful
Automation - A Process Driven Approach
Scaling Point - the point in which all
tasks required to fulfill the immediate
vision have been successfully executed
at least once
When to Automate?

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Approach
• Start with identifying the process to
automate
• Assemble the team
• Map out current and future state
• Define project scope – consider constraints
• Develop technical requirements and
specification document
• Create project roadmap (tasks and timeline)
• Communicate each step of the way
Navigating the Road to Successful
Automation - A Process Driven Approach

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Find your Happy PlaceAttributes of a Good Candidate
• Minimal inputs and outputs
• Minimal decision points
• Repeated often
• Inconsistent quality/accuracy
• Several Non-value added activities
Navigating the Road to Successful
Automation - A Process Driven Approach

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Calculating Return
• Convert everything to $$$
• Often forgotten:
• Increased Quality
• Increased Accuracy
• Increased Visibility
• Ancillary affects on other processes
• Compare ROI to Internal Rate of Return
• Consider running a NPV analysis
Navigating the Road to Successful
Automation - A Process Driven Approach

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Navigating the Road to Successful
Automation - A Process Driven Approach
How to Avoid Common Pitfalls
• Put optimism in its place
• Road map everything
• Formalize a way to raise concerns
• Embrace a phased approach
• Build buffer at every step
• Train before go live
• Expect to retrain after go live
• There will be on going maintenance

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Expectation vs Reality
Navigating the Road to Successful
Automation - A Process Driven Approach

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Start with Team Building
Navigating the Road to Successful
Automation - A Process Driven Approach

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An Ideal Project Team
• Champion – A member of the senior leadership team who understands and protects the project keeping
it in line with the overall vision of the company
• Director – A member of Junior leadership who works directly with the Project Lead ensuring all
stakeholders are held accountable
• Project Lead – Responsible for leading the efforts internally and communicating desires externally
• Technical Lead – Responsible for providing constant feedback on what is and is not feasible from a
technical perspective
• Process Lead – Individual in charge of working with Stakeholders on capturing and simplifying processes
• Stakeholders – Employees at all levels who are affected by the process provide input on specifics of the
process
Navigating the Road to Successful
Automation - A Process Driven Approach

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Navigating the Road to Successful
Automation - A Process Driven Approach
Process Mapping
• Reveals complexity
• Uncovers hidden tasks
• Categorizes tasks
• value-added
• non-value added but necessary
• non-value added waste
• Cheaper to remove waste than
automate it

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Before After
Navigating the Road to Successful
Automation - A Process Driven Approach

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Additional Tools
• Work breakdown structure
• Fishbone diagram
Navigating the Road to Successful
Automation - A Process Driven Approach

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Navigating the Road to Successful
Automation - A Process Driven Approach

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Technical Requirements
• Document created by Technical Lead
and team
• Based on Project Scope document
• Does not need to be comprehensible
to all stakeholders
• Used to drive development
• Review and get signoff of Project Lead
• Passed to development team
Navigating the Road to Successful
Automation - A Process Driven Approach

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Project Plan
• Assemble tasks and establish
dependencies
• Define deliverables
• Assign tasks to individuals
• Request timeline and budget
• Acquire signoff from all individuals
assigned tasks
• Build buffer!!!
• Pitch project plan to Champion and
Director
Navigating the Road to Successful
Automation - A Process Driven Approach

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Execution
• Establish cadence for team progress
meeting (suggest weekly)
• Review accomplishments
• Highlight obstacles for Project Lead to
remove
• Share work that’s in progress or in the
immediate future
• Update project plan
• Raise concerns to Director
Navigating the Road to Successful
Automation - A Process Driven Approach

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Go Live Tips
• Don’t be afraid to push go live!
• Train, train, and then train some more
• Go Live is often a company wide
endeavor – ALL HANDS ON DECK!
• Have a clear escalation path for issues
• There will be issues, expect them
Navigating the Road to Successful
Automation - A Process Driven Approach

30. Q&A
Shelley Trout
With: Moderated by:
Director of Operations and Logistics at Z
Customization
Linkedin page: /in/jonleposky/
Twitter ID: @
Website: zcustomization.com
Jon Leposky
Managing Editor, Aggregage
Linkedin page: /in/shelleytrout
Twitter ID: @scbrief
Website: www.aggregage.com
https://www.supplychainbrief.com/webinar-series/supply-chain-visibility/