Written by Dr. Maria Jesus Saenz and Dr. Jaime Macias Aguayo, MIT Digital Supply Chain Transformation Lab, and Dr. Duncan McFarlane, Cambridge University Distributed Information and Automation Lab (DIAL)

Managers at small and midsize businesses may perceive automation as too expensive to be feasible, but research has identified strategies that make implementing it possible even on a tight budget. A framework for evaluating the five main factors that can reduce — or increase — the cost of an automation project can help leaders make more informed decisions about whether process automation might be a viable and cost-effective option for their company. These solutions enable managers to provide updated information to sales and customer service personnel and to quickly react to potential delays — all for a technology investment that is often less than $300. Yet, most SMEs do not know where to start with automation or how to do it under their budget constraints and sometimes limited bandwidth for operational innovations. 

Read the full article in Sloan Management Review at sloanreview.mit.edu »