Problem
Any company will realize the problem of self-imposed software systems has two aspects. First, a manager's freedom to adjust and adapt his own operation to changing real-world conditions is limited… limited because he is working under, and must follow, a pre-designed system. A second aspect is that, software systems are constantly re-designed and upgraded but not by those very managers who have the responsibility, experience, and the first-hand knowledge of the needs.
Unfortunately, systems that drive organizational processes and perform organizational functions are designed and implemented by a cloud of technical people, from IT, from outsourcing companies, and from programmers in India and beyond. Incredibly, such a far flung committee "does the details" while direct management, the source of first-hand knowledge and experience, is a bystander!
And when applied to a designed software system the computer does precisely what it is programmed to do. It executes and enforces the designed system exactly!
The user community finds it has accepted and is constrained by an imposed system with peculiar rules and limitations, a system designed and maintained by outside interests but imposed on this organization.
So it happens that individuals nominally responsible for the actions and behaviors of a unit can no longer be held accountable for what they are doing… since they are "just following the system."
Automation Approach moves the power of computer automation to those persons with direct responsibility and control.
Each level of responsibility is enabled by this new, non-systems approach, to automate-in-place by providing the machine with a work script analogous to that which would be provided to a human worker!
Managers have always instructed their human subordinates (given them a script of things to do). Now managers may likewise instruct a computer subordinate and be able to change those instructions whenever real world circumstances change.
Because the manager knows what was instructed he/she will know what instructions should be changed when real world circumstances change… without having to wait months while a far flung committee "works out the details".
