Out Of Date Blog 1

In the final post of this three-part series, we examine the problems that can arise from a lack of key skills. Don’t miss parts one and two, which looked at sustainability and complexity issues associated with ageing automation technology and the costs of relying on outdated workload automation (WLA), respectively.

Any company that relies on outdated automation and scheduling tools runs a plethora of different risks, some of which we’ve looked at previously. But they all face the same ultimate problem, however different in scale, sector or operation: A diminishing pool of staff with the appropriate skills for legacy automation and scheduling technology.

It’s not just that the clunky interfaces of old batch scheduling tools, for example, require significant operator training, but rather that – at a more fundamental level – they’re based on old, obtuse code and programming languages that require specialist knowledge that simply isn’t being taught anymore. These aren’t like modern tools with a simple, centralized dashboard that non-developers within the business can easily get to grips with.

As time passes and the people responsible for these tools retire, that doesn’t remove the (often vital) functions they perform for a business. Of course, replacing infrastructure and migrating to new systems is the only long-term answer, but digital transformation is a journey, not a destination. And it’s one that can take years.

In the interim, businesses need to find a way to manage these legacy tools while implementing new ones. Robust, flexible options, such as RunMyJobs® scheduling, can provide the ‘digital glue’ required to bring together siloed and outdated systems in a scalable, cost-efficient way. Bimodal IT (the phrase coined by Gartner to describe two separate but coherent styles of IT essential for digital transformation – one slow and methodical, one fast-moving and exploratory), can be more than just an aspiration – through appropriate automation it’s a reality.

Relying on outdated automation software that is itself based on ageing technologies is a recipe for disaster in the long term – but the employees that do still hold these skills remain a valuable part of your organization, for both their technical and institutional knowledge.

By using automation to bridge the technological gap, these people can still perform their jobs, putting those skills to use in a new way. And the entire organization can devote fewer resources to time-consuming activities like managing batch scheduling, and instead spend more time focusing on innovation.

Try the world’s only enterprise cloud-based solution for job scheduling and process automation today. Get started now with a free trial of RunMyJobs by Redwood scheduling. You’ll be able to use the service for 30 days and get support and help.

About The Author

Devin Gharibian-Saki's Avatar

Devin Gharibian-Saki

Devin Gharibian-Saki brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise on enterprise IT, the SAP ecosystem and business process automation to his current role as SVP of Business Development and Strategy at Redwood Software. Experience within product marketing, product management and enterprise software sales enables Devin to drive strategic initiatives and alliances for the organization and unlock new business models and go-to-market strategies. Acting as an executive advocate for the customer, Devin is passionate about delivering the best solutions to make the most out of a customer’s environment. His approach centers on connecting with customers, prospects and partners to better understand how Redwood can help their digital transformation initiatives, improving their automation roadmaps by leveraging a combination of his SAP and process optimization proficiencies.

Prior to working for Redwood, Devin was an SAP Technology Consultant, working directly at SAP and at EnBW, the 3rd latest utility in Germany. Devin holds a diploma in Mathematics from Karlsruhe Institute of Technology in Karlsruhe, Germany and as well as two patents.

1 GARTNER is a trademark of Gartner, Inc. and/or its affiliates. 2 Magic Quadrant is a trademark of Gartner, Inc. and/or its affiliates.