Lower the cost of enterprise automation by switching to OpCon

Not all enterprise automation solutions are the same. Each automation platform provides distinct advantages. One of the most important advantages that automation provides is cost savings. In this article, we’ll discuss how you can maximize your cost savings on an enterprise automation solution.

Before we go full-on into discussions about how automation—and choosing the right platform—can save you money, we need to cover some background. The automation industry has experienced a few changes recently, and that may affect the value that some competitors bring to the market.

So, before we tackle how to lower the cost of enterprise automation, let’s look at new developments in the field.

Changes in the enterprise automation landscape

Two of the larger players in the automation industry were recently acquired by larger companies. This has varying implications for their current clients.

CA Technologies was purchased by Broadcom in 2018. Almost immediately, Broadcom laid off roughly half of CA Technologies’ staff. Such massive unrest and upheaval don’t bode well for the future of their automation efforts. Unfortunately, their clients are currently in position to be most impacted by any shortcomings or adverse changes.

On the other hand, BMC was recently acquired by the private equity company KKR. In contrast to CA Technologies, the future of BMC’s services isn’t as uncertain. However, their acquisition does fundamentally change their business interests and strategy. Instead of answering only to their clients, they must also answer to their parent company and its shareholders. Considering that KKR is essentially an investment firm, one can easily see how their commitment to profit could take precedence over their commitment to addressing their clients’ individual needs.

For organizations just getting into the world of enterprise automation, both CA Technologies and BMC are suddenly risky bets. For organizations already well-versed in automation, now may be the time to look into switching platforms.

How OpCon from SMA Technologies saves money

As we mentioned, not all automation solutions are the same. Here’s what we’ve seen so far regarding OpCon’s position in the general automation landscape.

Cutting costs for new automation partners

For some people, the idea of spending money to save money makes no sense. For those who understand how investments work, it’s easy to see how spending money in the short term provides a strong ROI down the line.

Enterprise automation achieves three major goals, all of which save money in the long run.

1. Increase efficiency

We have a saying at SMA Technologies: “If you’re going to do it twice, you might as well automate it once.”

The primary reason to automate anything is convenience. The most convenient thing any employee can do is reduce or remove the amount of tedious manual work they must do.

OpCon can handle complex, cross-platform workflows spanning several business units with the press of a button. In a manual setting, this type of automation can save staff hours per day. In a setting with job schedulers or cobbled-together workflow solutions, OpCon can integrate or replace these systems, allowing them to be seen and controlled from one central hub.

2. Reduce the need for staff

As your organization grows, so do the needs of your business departments. However, with the increased efficiency from OpCon, your staff can accomplish more work in less time. Consequently, OpCon reduces your need for additional staff.

With reduced reliance on staff and increased efficiency, your organization may scale more quickly and effectively while keeping costs down.

3. Curtail human error

Although none of us like to admit it, we all make mistakes. Sometimes we don’t sleep well, or we’ll miss a meal. Sometimes there’s so much work that we lose our ability to focus like usual. That’s when human error strikes.

Computers are not human. They don’t suffer from human error. Circuitry and algorithms are far more precise—and far faster—than humans. Introducing automation into your ecosystem virtually eliminates your risk of error.

Cutting costs for our competitors’ clients

The biggest cost savings in automation have come from when our competitors’ clients switch to OpCon. There are a few reasons for this.

First, the bespoke automation experience OpCon provides can replace other costly and clunky job schedulers and automation solutions. The key is that OpCon doesn’t just automate workflows, it automates ecosystems. Instead of cobbling together multiple automation solutions to cover all their needs, businesses can replace them all with OpCon, which will both save money and unite their functions under a single point of control.

Second, aside from consolidation, OpCon doesn’t have investment firms or massive parent corporations to answer to. The primary goal of OpCon is efficient enterprise automation, not profit.

Cost considerations for automation platforms

With major players in the industry getting acquired, their futures are uncertain. Additionally, they face pressure to turn profits, which leads to increased prices and less-active support. In the current scheme of things, companies risk paying more for less by sticking with their existing automation vendors.

OpCon’s hands-on approach is as much a partnership as it is a platform. The OpCon team is dedicated to providing consistent support to all its partners, regardless of size or complexity.

If you’d like to learn even more about OpCon and what it can do for your organization, request a custom demo below.

[1] BMC Control-M, OPC, and TWS
[2] Unix, Linux, Windows, z/OS, SAP, IBM i, HP-UX