What is an Automated Maturity Assessment?

Organisations are always looking for ways to improve their processes and stay ahead of the competition. Particularly in today’s fast-paced business environment. A maturity assessment, which can help an organisation identify areas for improvement. Then provide a roadmap for achieving organisational goals, is one of the most effective ways to do this.

Maturity assessments have historically been performed manually. Which is a time-consuming and resource-intensive process. But, as technology has evolved the opportunity to build the assessment logic into a program is now available. Automated maturity assessments, give organisations a quick and efficient way to do this, at scale. Automating not only the assessment but also the analysis of the results. Best of all, with little or no human intervention.

What is an automated maturity assessment?

So, what is an automated maturity assessment exactly? An automated maturity assessment is a process of evaluating an organisation’s capabilities. This could be across a variety of areas, such as technology, processes, and people. The assessment is based on a maturity model developed by subject matter experts. The model outlines the various stages that an organisation can go through in a specific area to full maturity. Based on the results, a maturity roadmap can be generated to progress the organisation through the model.

Automated maturity assessments need special software that perform many tasks. This includes automating the data collection, analysis, and reporting processes. Data can be collected through a combination of surveys, interviews, and other data sources. The assessment results are then automatically generated based on the responses. Usually this is a report that can is used to guide the organisation on what to do next.

What are the advantages of automated maturity assessments?

Key advantages of automated maturity assessments are their speed, efficiency and scaleability. Assessments can analysed much faster than doing it manually. Data is centralised into a single database so that it can be analysed and used to identify macro trends. Organisations can increase their reach as the automation enables them to work with more organisations. The instant, automated, results back to respondents gives the respondent a key advantage too. With instant results the organisation can make quicker decisions to help progress their maturity.

Another key advantage of automated maturity assessments is their objectivity and consistency. The process is automated, based on pre-defined logic. This can reduce the risk of human error and bias. Your assessments results are more reliable and accurate.

What are the challenges?

Of course, automated maturity assessments, like any other tool, have limitations. One of the most difficult challenges is ensuring the accuracy and dependability of the data collected. You are at the mercy of the respondent. Inaccurate or biased data can lead to incorrect conclusions and recommendations.

Another challenge is determining which tool is best for your organisation. Almost all the tool available are self-service. You need to learn how to build the assessment, the report and ensure the logic is correct. This can be a steep learning curve which can be prone to errors and delays. We understand that technology is not everyone’s key skill, so we build and run the automated maturity assessments for you.

If you choose to go with a self service tool, make sure to check each tool. They differ in functionality and cost so make sure to choose the one that best meets the needs of your organisation.

Real-World Examples of Automated Maturity Assessments in Action

• The Maturity Institute in collaboration with Organizational Maturity Services LLC have built their OMINDEX Workforce and Law Firm Maturity Index assessments, both built on The Maturity Institute’s work on mature corporations, these automated assessments captures workforce perspectives on their own organisation’s maturity, using a core set of factors and questions from their OMINDEX® diagnostic.
• Diversity Works New Zealand utilised automated maturity assessments to develop out their AIM Insights,  a suite of assessment tools that have been designed to help assess DEI maturity against their AIM framework, automatically identify key gaps and opportunities, and create a roadmap for organisations to improve.
• Diversity Council Australia utilised automated maturity assessments to develop a tool that can scalably assess current capabilities of people around their Inclusive Recruitment Practices and provide automated personalised recommendations on areas for improvement. Also they developed a tool to provide a scalable way to gather feedback from multiple members of a project team, automatically aggregate and analyse the data from all participants and diagnose key systemic barriers locking CARM women middle managers out of leadership positions.

These are just a few real life examples of how automated maturity assessments have been used in the real world.

Implementation Tips

If you are wanting to create you own automated maturity assessment, you should consider:

• Clearly defining the goals and objectives of the assessment.
• Build out your maturity framework – our free How To Create a Maturity Assessment ebook can help
• Ensure that the assessment tool aligns with the your target audience’s needs and capabilities.
• Have a clear communications plan in place to launch the maturity assessment.
• Provide training and support to users to ensure they can use the tool effectively (if needed)
• Regularly review and update the assessment process to ensure its effectiveness.

Automated maturity assessments are a useful tool for organisations to scale their expertise. If you are helping to improve an organisations processes and capabilities manually, this is game changer. Automated assessments can help guide decision-making and planning processes. They provide quick, efficient, and objective insights into an organisation’s capabilities. But without the need to increase you staff.

Frequently Asked Questions

Question: How do automated maturity assessments compare in terms of cost to manual assessments, and what factors should be considered when determining the cost-effectiveness of automation?

Answer: The cost comparison between automated and manual assessments can vary based on several factors. While automated assessments may require an initial investment in software and training, they can often be more cost-effective in the long run due to their:

• Scalability: Automated assessments can be administered to a larger number of participants at a lower cost per assessment compared to manual assessments.
• Reduced labor costs: Automation eliminates the need for manual data collection, analysis, and report generation, reducing labor costs associated with manual assessments.

However, factors like the size and complexity of the organisation, the frequency of assessments, and the specific features required in the assessment tool can also influence the overall cost.

Question: Are there specific industries or types of organisations that benefit most from automated maturity assessments, and are there any common pitfalls or challenges they should be aware of when implementing this technology?

Answer: Automated maturity assessments can benefit a wide range of industries and organisations, particularly those operating in fast-paced environments where agility and efficiency are critical. However, common pitfalls and challenges include ensuring the accuracy and dependability of the data collected, as well as selecting the right tool for the organisation’s specific needs. Implementation challenges such as learning curve and potential errors in building the assessment and logic should also be considered.

Question: What are the typical timelines for building an automated maturity assessment, from initial setup to finalising the maturity assessment, and how can organisations ensure they are making the most of the speed and efficiency offered by automation?

Answer: The timeline for building an automated maturity assessment can vary depending on the complexity of the assessment, reporting logic and the availability of information. Most projects can take between 2-12 weeks from start to launch. To make sure organisations are making the most out of the speed and efficiency thats all about scale, ensuring that they have a clear communications plan to get people to take the assessment is key.