Choosing a process orchestration provider

After deciding that you need to manage and run your operations more efficiently, your research will likely have led you to the most logical solution: process orchestration software. But with a plethora of options on offer, you now face the challenge of choosing the right provider for your needs.

If you still need a little more grounding on exactly what process orchestration is, check out our blog on this very topic. Otherwise, read on to find out exactly what you should be looking for in a process orchestration solution.

What to look for in an orchestration provider

Choosing an orchestration provider is a big decision and finding what’s right for your business can be a difficult task to navigate. What will work best for you depends on the unique nature of your company, but these guidelines provide a solid framework to get you started.

#1 Flexibility

Look for a provider that is suitable for your specific industry, business goals and any problems you wish to solve with process orchestration tools. An out-of-the-box solution which offers little room for configuration may not sufficiently address your needs.

#2 Technology agnostic

The solution you choose must be able to work with your existing legacy systems and wrap around your current tech stack. In addition, you'll want to deploy software that integrates with RPA, so that you can explore maximal opportunities for automating repetitive work and improving efficiency.

#3 Speed to implementation and ROI

You don’t want to wait years to reap the benefits of your investment. One of the most important things to clarify is a projected time frame for implementation. A good starting place is to look for a provider with demonstrable capability of rolling out within 6 weeks.

#5 Customer service

We can all be creatures of habit and any kind of transformation requires a cultural shift. After implementing orchestration software, many companies have issues encouraging employees to adopt the new technology, as they are used to working in a different way or fear the change. Choose a hands-on provider who will help with teething issues, training material and objection handling. This will be invaluable in helping the changes you make a success.

#6 Price

Be wary of orchestration providers who offer a one-size-fits-all package, requiring you to sign up for hundreds or thousands of licences at the outset. Ideally, you want to start small with your most urgent use cases. Then, once you and your provider have worked together to ensure everything is working well, begin the rollout to other users. Look for a provider who encourages implementing their software in this way, as it indicates they value their product and service over making a quick buck.

Orchestration game plan

Process orchestration is growing YoY at 15-20% and the market was estimated at $2.4 billion in 2021.
Gartner

Once you’ve chosen a provider, it’s time to make a plan. This means establishing every stage, from gaining the approval of key decision-makers, to rolling out your solution organisation-wide.

Enate's CEO, James Hall, has outlined the key steps businesses should take when adopting process orchestration.

Step 1: Transformation mindset

Achieving success in any transformation project requires deep understanding of exactly what you want to achieve. Process orchestration is about more than just automating a few tasks or processes, it’s a bigger-picture project. You need to define strategic goals in order to gain a holistic view of work. You can begin establishing these goals by answering the following questions:

• Where do we lack control and transparency over the work we are doing?
• How much work do we process?
• Is work being delivered on time?
• Who is doing this work, how much of it, and when?
• What insights and data do we need to make improvements?
• Can we optimise the workforce and if so, what skills and capabilities do we need to introduce in order to accomplish this?
• What savings can we achieve and in what ways? E.g. gathering management information regarding productivity, handoffs, and minimising rework.
• When looking at the whole picture, what are the opportunities for automation or process change?
• Are we working with the right suppliers and are they delivering correctly on their end?

Step 2: Stakeholder buy-in

Orchestration is a change management exercise, as it impacts the way you organise and assign work. It's therefore vital that you fully align your ops and IT teams with your vision and secure buy-in from senior stakeholders. Gaining support for this kind of change can be challenging and requires that you clearly define your strategy and the benefits that can be attained.

Remember, orchestration is built around the worker. It aims to improve their ability to do their job and to deliver on the needs of their department, customers or clients. Successful implementation of orchestration requires technology and people working together - and that requires full support from senior decision-makers.

Step 3: Pilot orchestration

Start orchestration in departments with strong use-cases to deliver value quickly. Often, good examples can be found in back/middle office process areas that have high variation and complexity such as finance or HR operations. Recent intelligence sourced through process mining suggests 80%+ of the work performed in a shared services organization is not performed in the ERP systems, but rather in Excel or Outlook. This is where Orchestration thrives.
‍James Hall CEO, Enate

Step 4: Build organisational capability

Use a change management strategy to roll out orchestration slowly, putting it in the hands of delivery employees on the front line. This gradual process will help you to combat any internal resistance and engage employees with your vision. Be transparent about the changes that are being made, your goals and how you plan to achieve them.

Ensure adequate training and support are provided before, during and after the rollout. Give your staff opportunities to feedback on the changes and communicate with them on the best way to tackle any issues. When you start to see improvements, celebrate these with your team.

Above all, be flexible during this process. Your roadmap might have to change as you evaluate how your team is responding and as you deal with any problems. A good provider will help you with all of this.

What Operational Leaders say about orchestration

Discover what Felipe Araya, Global Head of Operations at TMF had to say about using Enate's orchestration solution.

Having orchestration implemented across our departments can be likened to having x-ray vision into your operations.
Felipe Araya, Global Head of Operations at TMF

About Enate

Enate enables you to view, manage and track your operations in one place. Our end-to-end platform wraps around your current tech stack, automates repetitive tasks and provides real-time insights to help boost productivity and efficiency.