Emerging technologies like AI and automation can enhance operational efficiency for businesses, freeing up employees to engage in more meaningful and strategic tasks. However, if these technologies aren’t deployed in purpose-forward and thoughtful ways, they can do more harm than good, putting goals that were thought to be more attainable than ever further out of reach.
Haphazard tech implementation can result in unexpected expenses, low morale among your workforce and even damage to your brand and long-standing customer relationships. Here are some of the most common mistakes companies make when it comes to introducing new technology.
1. Implementing tech with workforce reduction in mind
Labor is typically one of the biggest expenses for any company – as much as 70% of total business costs, according to HR software company Paycor. While bringing on new technology with the sole purpose of eliminating roles may lower overhead in the short term, automating too much too quickly could lead to a breakdown in key business processes.
Organizations that adopt automation without proper change management strategies risk creating confusion and incurring greater inefficiencies. Employees accustomed to legacy processes may struggle to adapt to rapid changes, leading to costly disruptions in workflows and overlooked errors.
The goal of automation shouldn't be to replace your workforce, but to enable it to perform at its best. Instead of automating complex processes all at once, start by identifying low-value, repetitive tasks that eat up valuable hours. For example, accounts payable teams spend countless hours processing vendor invoices manually.
AI-powered solutions like Gravity Software’s AP automation with AI invoice processing extract data automatically, saving hours of manual entry while increasing accuracy and efficiency.
By automating tedious processes like data entry and approvals, your in-house accounting team is enabled to focus on high-value activities like analyzing spend patterns, uncovering opportunities for substantial cost savings, and engaging in more detailed budgeting and forecasting in line with stakeholders’ strategic objectives.
2. Failing to take a nuanced approach
An AI chatbot can answer a question whose answer is buried somewhere on the company website. But does it have the finesse to placate an irate client?
Trying to use AI or automation in every situation is like trying to build a house with a hammer as your only tool.
Organizations that fail to strike the right balance risk alienating both customers and employees. For instance, relying solely on AI-driven customer support can frustrate clients with unique concerns that fall outside predefined workflows. According to a Forrester study, 58% of customers report dissatisfaction with AI-only support systems, citing impersonal interactions and the inability to resolve nuanced issues. Internally, employees may feel undervalued if their expertise is ignored in favor of automated systems, leading to reduced morale and engagement.
Make sure you’re reserving human oversight and insight for situations that require judgment, creativity, or empathy.
3. Adding technology without a specific use case
Continually adding blocks to your tech stack without consideration for whether or not they alleviate specific pain points may eventually topple the whole thing. This often happens when companies adopt technology simply because it’s the latest trend or because a competitor is using it: tech for tech’s sake. While each new tool may seem promising in isolation, the cumulative effect of piecing together disparate systems often leads to inefficiencies, higher costs, and increased frustration for your team.
Every technology you introduce requires time, money, and effort for implementation, integration, and training. Without a clear use case and measurable ROI, these investments can quickly add up, draining resources without delivering tangible value. For example, adding yet another data analytics tool because it sounds impressive can result in redundant functionality, overlapping features, and siloed insights—forcing employees to juggle multiple platforms to get their work done. In fact, Gartner reports that 65% of technology leaders cite “overlapping systems” as a major barrier to achieving operational efficiency.
An overloaded tech stack also places unnecessary strain on your infrastructure.
Each tool brings additional demands on your servers, integrations, and IT support. The more software you add, the greater the risk of system lag, crashes, or incompatibilities that disrupt workflows rather than improving them. If employees must constantly troubleshoot, log in and out of multiple systems, or manually reconcile data between platforms, the technology has moved from a solution to a burden.
Instead of adopting technology for tech’s sake, start with a clear understanding of your organization’s pain points and goals. Ask the following questions:
- What problem are we trying to solve? For instance, if your team spends hours processing intercompany transactions manually, you need software that automates and balances those entries effortlessly.
- What processes can we improve? Focus on areas where technology can eliminate repetitive tasks or enhance decision-making.
- Will this tool integrate with our existing systems? Technology should complement your current infrastructure, not add complexity. Solutions like Gravity Software, built on the Microsoft Power Platform, seamlessly integrate with tools like Power BI and Power Automate, as well as Microsoft Office and Microsoft365 to streamline workflows rather than creating new silos.
- What measurable outcomes do we expect? Establish benchmarks for success, such as reducing month-end close times, improving AP efficiency, or saving hours on manual reconciliations.
And once these questions are answered, don’t be afraid to revisit earlier ones. Sometimes, your decision may shift based on newfound insights.
By aligning new technology with specific use cases and quantifiable goals, you ensure each tool delivers value, reduces manual inefficiencies, and enhances your team’s productivity. A streamlined, purpose-built tech stack doesn’t just simplify operations—it empowers your organization to grow without the risk of collapse or tech bloat.
4. Rolling out new technology without a careful vetting process
AI, machine learning, automation, and other technologies on the horizon may well have game-changing potential, but it’s important for your company’s leadership to find that out for themselves rather than simply buying into the hype.
Implementing the wrong technology isn’t just a financial burden—it disrupts workflows, erodes employee trust, and can have long-term consequences. Teams may spend weeks training on a system only to find it doesn’t solve the original problem. Rolling back a poorly chosen tool can be even more complicated, requiring rework, re-training, and potential data migration. According to another Forrester report, over 40% of technology initiatives fail to meet their business objectives due to poor planning and rushed adoption.
Taking the time to carefully evaluate new technology before adoption ensures you’re investing in solutions that truly add value to your business. Create a checklist of must-have features and priorities.
Then, pilot the technology with a small team or department before scaling it across the organization. Use this testing phase to uncover any limitations, gather feedback, and measure ROI. For example, if you’re considering a new AI-powered system, test its accuracy and performance on tasks like accounts payable automation to ensure it meets expectations.
Don’t take marketing promises at face value. Ask vendors for case studies, references, or product demos that show measurable results in businesses similar to yours. This extra step can help you determine if the tool is proven to deliver real outcomes.
Include your finance team, IT leaders, and end users in the evaluation process to ensure alignment and adoption. Technology decisions made in isolation often miss critical operational insights or fail to gain employee buy-in.
5. Failing to adequately train employees
Even the most advanced technology is only as effective as the person prompting it.
Without adequate training, your team won’t know how to make the most of new systems and applications, causing wasted time and frustration. Employees may even abandon the solution altogether.
The consequences of poor training are tangible. A survey by PwC found that 73% of employees feel they lack the training necessary to take full advantage of new technology, resulting in lower adoption rates and increased resistance to change. Organizations also risk increasing the workload of their IT departments as employees rely on them to resolve basic operational issues that could have been avoided with proper training.
Technology implementation best practices
Here are some ways businesses can strike a balance between moving into the future and maintaining what was already working.
Seek input from end users
It would be incorrect to assume workers will automatically resist all AI or automation. In actuality, 91% of enterprise workers and SMB leaders responding to an Adobe survey said they’re interested in tools that would make tasks such as making payments, invoicing and filling out forms easier. Knowing this, decision-makers should collaborate with employees to determine where emerging technologies would be the most impactful and feasible.
Test thoroughly
Any new technology should be ready to pull its own weight before being incorporated into daily operations. That means ironing out issues or bugs ahead of time so employees won’t have to expend time and aggravation finding workarounds, losing productivity and morale in the process.
Start small
Even if you test a technology exhaustively, actual use might look different than it did in a controlled test environment. In preparation for glitches, bugs and implementation issues, incorporate the new technology in increments so that any challenges don't bring your entire company to a standstill.
Honor the humans
Some tasks are still best undertaken by humans. In the accounting field, for example, while technologies like AI and automation have taken over some of the more rote duties of the profession, this “will instead make accountants' advisory and analytical duties more prominent,” according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Emerging technologies should free up human workers for the tasks they’re best at, not try to supplant them in those tasks.
Gravity Software: Easy to implement, easy to integrate
At Gravity Software, we’re constantly introducing new features that incorporate emerging technology, including AI-powered invoice processing and options to enable faster global payment processing. At the same time, we understand the importance of seamless integration and a holistic, thoughtful approach.
Our software is built on the Microsoft Power Platform, so users have the benefit of working within many familiar applications, including Excel, Outlook, and Microsoft Power BI. You have the flexibility to create your own workflows using Microsoft Power Automate without a developer, while at the same time enjoy the peace of mind that comes with Microsoft’s robust cybersecurity protections.
Our software implementation process is simple and straightforward, led by highly responsive professional consultants so your team can confidently begin using it faster.
Schedule a demo to see how you can start automating manual accounting processes like accounts payable and reporting while giving your team more time for strategic activities.
Gravity Software
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