October 27, 2025
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Automation has become one of the most talked-about topics across government and industry alike—but according to George Kaczmarskyj, Principal for Government and Public Sector at EY, the real key to success isn’t rushing to automate everything. It’s about taking a thoughtful, process-first approach. In a recent episode of Fed Gov Today with Francis Rose, Kaczmarskyj shares how agencies can avoid common pitfalls and scale automation the right way.
Kaczmarskyj begins by addressing a simple but powerful principle: “Don’t automate a mess.” He explains that in the early days of automation, many organizations were so eager to use new tools that they applied them to inefficient or outdated processes. The result? Faster execution of broken systems. Instead, he says, agencies should start by stepping back to ask whether a process still makes sense. “We have to evaluate if a process exists for the right reasons and whether it’s still valid,” he notes. Only after reviewing, simplifying, and updating a process should automation begin.
Kaczmarskyj draws on examples like the State Department’s passport renewal modernization, where eliminating unnecessary steps led to faster service and better results. He also highlights lessons from the private sector, recalling a bank’s effort to automate its credit card dispute process. Instead of simply automating an existing system, the bank first analyzed why certain steps were so costly and changed its policies. That shift reduced costs and created long-term savings—proving that process redesign delivers
Once the foundation is right, the next challenge is scale. Kaczmarskyj describes this as “embedding automation into the fabric of the organization.” He outlines several factors for success: defining what automation means for your agency, establishing clear methods to identify automation opportunities, and balancing top-down strategy with bottom-up input. A top-down approach aligns automation with mission priorities, while a bottom-up approach empowers employees to suggest improvements that make their jobs easier and more effective. The best organizations, he says, do both.
Technology choices also matter. With dozens of automation tools now available, agencies need a structured “solution architecture” to determine the right technology for each process. Whether that’s robotic process automation (RPA), custom code, or a data fix at the source, the key is to make informed, deliberate decisions. Kaczmarskyj recommends forming cross-functional teams—process experts, architects, and data specialists—to guide these choices and prevent technical debt.
But perhaps the most overlooked part of automation is what happens after deployment. Kaczmarskyj warns that agencies often focus on “day one”—launching an automated solution—without planning for “day two” and beyond. “You can’t set and forget it,” he says. Every automation still needs oversight, maintenance, and governance to remain effective over time. Without that structure, agencies risk losing control of their automated systems within a few years.