Automation Alone Isn’t a Strategy: Why Human Oversight Still Wins

Automation is incredible.

Deduction software can flag patterns. AI can route claims. Portals can submit disputes. But automation without oversight? That’s a strategy built on assumptions.

What AI Misses

Let’s take a real-world example. A high-growth personal care brand automates deduction review with a well-known platform. The result? Impressive efficiency. But three months in, recovery is 30% lower than forecasted.

Why?

• The tool miscategorized 20% of compliance fines

• It failed to escalate aging disputes on time

• It didn’t account for new policies rolled out mid-quarter

In other words, it was fast. But blind.

The Role of Human Audit Teams

At HRG, our auditors:

• Spot deduction patterns software can’t

• Interpret vague retailer logic

• Build relationships with retailer reps

• Push for exception handling and policy clarification

We love automation. We use it ourselves. But it only works when paired with experience.

The future is blended: automation for speed, humans for insight. And recovery? It lives where those two meet.

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