EP248: Why, When & How to Improve Operational Efficiency Through Systems Automation

FOLLOW US: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/inside-commerce/ ABOUT THIS EPISODE: Let’s set the scene for this podcast. Operational efficiency is critical for ecommerce success. James recently moderated a panel at Dark Matter Commerce’s Commerce Fusion event, exploring the business case for investment in better automation with Green Feathers Ecommerce Director, James Ewens. The topic for that panel was, "Say goodbye to excel and error-strewn manual work. Hello to automated retail and growing fearlessly". The conversation was popular with the audience, so we decided to extend the discussion with James Ewens to ultimately answer the WHY, WHEN, WHAT & HOW of evolving from manual and spreadsheet based approaches to running key processes, to increased automation using modern technology. Although we often joke about Excel or other manual systems managing a business, sometimes it’s the right thing to do given where that business is at. However, scaling on manual processes adds risk and businesses need to identify when it's time to change, and what change is required. Both James' have first hand experience of large digital transformation projects and give advice on spotting the signs that change is required, the risks of not changing fast enough and the benefits of investing in better systems and processes. Make sure you’re following Inside Commerce on LinkedIn and have subscribed to the Inside Commerce newsletter.