Too many times, I see areas or teams wanting to reduce the time creating a widget or developing a single touch solution for a very manual data entry. But, the downside is the first thing they want to do is implement the automation before they fully understand the process.

To be efficient, we need to initiate a project, plan and design a process, execute it, monitor, and control (repeat when necessary), and close the project. This will lead to creating more widgets, reduce human resources, and avoid making a million widgets wrong with automation. The focus needs to be put on understanding how a widget is first created without systems interaction.

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In all I think we need more access to Project Management. Obtaining Six Sigma or PMP certifications is not for everyone, but I do believe teaching these skills is beneficial to any area or company. 

There are so many, below are two that I have used over the years.

Project Manage StackExchange is a question and answer site for project managers. It’s 100% free, no registration required.

The Mythical Man-Month  is a book on software engineering and project management by Fred Brooks