Five Proven Strategies To Automate Business Processes

The world is moving faster and society expects results quicker. We read in micro pieces and look for answers sooner within a text. That is why more businesses are looking for proven strategies to automate business processes. Such processes are a way of improving and increasing the flexibility and speed of task completion.

Since the industrial revolution around 1800, we have endeavoured to improve operations and automate manual and mundane business processes. This never-ending cycle of smart Business Process Automation (BPA) has inevitably spilled over into the digital world.

Areas such as Customer Relationship Management (CRM) and Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), or even general internal logistics requirements, all rely on and benefit from some form of business process automation system.

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Coming up in this article, we will look at the working of a business process by identifying what it is, and the merits of incorporating this into a business. We will identify what aspects of a business process can be automated as well as those that cannot. The benefits of BPA are shared along with our five strategies for Business Process Automation.

What is Business Process Automation? (BPA)

What is Business Process Automation? Well, it is the use of technology to improve the efficiency and flexibility of a business in answer to the continually changing demands of the marketplace. Processes are considered as the actions and activities used to enable your business to achieve targets or reach its goals.

These could be as simple as generating email responses or coordinating multi-level logistical workflow approvals.

We believe by incorporating BPA, with professional help from our business process automation consultants, it is possible to reduce operating costs and the time required to complete the more time-consuming tasks.

A typical BPA will contain the following features

Clarity of information is part of the process as the system enables easier and immediate access to real-time data. Automation of activities that are suitable that are identified as a drain on individual or multiple processes. Manual interaction is limited in a bid to improve efficiency. With an increased level of internal communications, the company will experience better understanding from staff and a sense of internal promotion.

In our experience, we have found that typically, a BPA will work with both structured data (information collected from itemised input such as name and address), and unstructured data (from social media or random customer actions). Depending on business requirements, it can be predetermined where and how these forms of data are collected and used.

At Go Wombat, we pride ourselves on our professionalism and expertise in Business Process Automation consulting.

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To BPA or not BPA, that is the question

Why should your business processes be automated? There are many reasons a business should consider introducing BPA.

Improved Management

The automation of business processes can provide the opportunity to access data at specific points and observe changes. It offers clarity of workflows and enables process improvements. It also provides training opportunities for new and existing employees.

Long-term Transformation

Observing the speed at which the industry is changing can sometimes feel overwhelming. The transformation into the increasingly digital world can be made easier by introducing BPA. The move into automated processes will have a definitive knock-on effect on any future business.

Increased staff satisfaction

Removing the more monotonous activities and speeding up a process will provide a more worker-friendly environment. The process will cause increased productivity, worker satisfaction, and reduced turnover. Workers will concentrate on more important and potentially more intellectually challenging tasks.

What parts of a business can be automated?

There are many areas of business that can and should be automated. However, there are specific ways a business should look at using BPA.

Transforming a business through unique apps by automating those repetitive tasks that cause a reduction in production or slow other processes. The ability to gather and manage multiple data files, as well as connect and possibly integrate services.

Although BPA could seem like the answer to all your prayers, there are some questions to ask prior to implementation to ensure the correct decision is made. These questions are related to the type of process you are aiming at.

Processes suited for potential automation include

Aspects of a business suitable for automation

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Five strategies for Business Process Automation

Before any automation can be introduced, it is a good idea to ask questions about your business and those involved. For example, do employees understand and want to enter this process of automation? Do they really understand the implications of such a transformation? Are we ready for such a change as a company and individuals? Have the business goals been identified sufficiently to benefit from any alteration and improvement?

If answers to these types of questions are positive, the following steps can be taken.

Identify the business aspect in need of improvement

Using the list as a guide we look for areas of our business that create effects on other aspects. There may be areas that are time-sensitive or highly repetitive, both of which can have huge implications within the daily process. There are also areas of a business that can be a drain on human resources such as involving many people for a single process or taking care of information of multiple people. Many of such activities require proof of action or create audit trails.

Identify the area(s) of your business that need transformation. There may be bottlenecks or specific points which place stress or delays on other stages.

Create a Process Map

A process map helps identify and isolate potential problem areas. The activity of identifying potential problem areas is made so much easier with a process map. A map will enable you to identify areas that could benefit from streamlining.

Outline Business Goals

If you can identify your goals, you will identify those aspects likely to affect them. If this is possible then you can assess the improvement and levels of development.

There are various means of determining what are your current goals, such as SWOT analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats). By assessing your business and identifying areas in need of support, it is possible to see how this process of automation will benefit your business. Once you have worked out what to do, it is also vital to understand how you will assess and measure success?

Identify the Most Suitable Tools

This aspect needs to be considered carefully, and listening to your Business Process Automation Consulting experts is paramount at this point of the process. Qualities that should be considered are ease of use, simple to understand, flexibility, system scalability, and last but not least, seamless integration.

Change Management

Informed staff are more likely to be interested and motivated for any developments within a business. Staff will feel involved in the decision-making process and are more likely to develop a sense of ownership within the change process.

Arrange training for staff. Those who will work with the technology on a routine daily basis need detailed training. In doing this, a business helps create an open culture, one able to accept change. Regular updates are important as too are acknowledgements of staff worth. Informing team members that they are important despite the automation process, can have far-reaching benefits, let them know it. Providing continued education through open communications and workshops is a great way to smooth the transition.

Monitor and Measure

Defining desired results or standards enables a business to measure KPIs. These KPIs provide a means of observation and a level of assessment. The ability to measure success is only possible if initial standards or levels are recorded and used as a baseline. Consistency is important in the observation, assessment, and recording of standards.

What are the benefits of Business Process Automation?

Accelerate Your Business Processes

All processes included within the Automation are instantly sped up.

Notifications and documents are created, sent, and received faster. Reminders are automatically generated and act to reduce late payments or missed appointments.

Procedures are Standardised Resulting in Reduction of Errors

It is widely agreed that automated data entry reduces errors and speeds up processing times.

Time and Costs are Reduced

If procedures and errors are reduced, so too are the costs of labour and time. It almost goes without saying that this is nearly always the bottom line in a business.

Process Visibility and Clarity

Due to vastly improved data gathering, analytics, and reporting systems, BPA promotes visibility and clarity.

Improved visibility and clarity within a company allows all involved to observe and identify what is working and what is not.

Better and more informed strategic decisions are possible because of the improved detailed insights. This provides an opportunity for further streamlining.

Mobility & Scalability

With the correct tools and guidance, as with Go Wombat, Business Process Automation can be seamless and natural. Our experienced and specialised designers create intuitive and responsive user interfaces.

As if without effort, the experience is purposeful. Forms are equally easy to use and navigate either desk-top or mobile versions. High demand periods are also considered during the design phase meaning a continual service level.

Greater Team Efficiency

We all know that administrative tasks take time, and we all hate them. By freeing up staff from those dreaded tasks, they can concentrate on the more productive elements of the business. For example, staff can be focused on more technical aspects rather than tracking down lost invoices or reports. This makes better use of their skills and improves their self-worth.

Better Customer Service

There was a time, not so long ago, that better customer care would be the exception. Nowadays, this is the norm and actually is expected. This has been improved with the new knowledge of how to automate business processes. Most customers, especially the younger generations, expect and demand excellent customer service. The thought of having to wait is a deal-breaker for many these days.

What aspects of a business shouldn’t be automated?

As there are specific aspects of businesses that could and should be automated, there is an equal number of business activities that should not be automated. The more complicated areas of business, as far as automation is concerned, should be far more specifically.

When a decision involves more human aspects such as how someone is feeling or thinking, the process is more difficult to automate. The human touch is often required to understand personal details and circumstances undetectable in a simple form. These unstructured situations often rely on empathy and not simply the collected data.

In Conclusion

Modern business process automation systems have undoubtedly improved almost all spheres of industry and commerce. At one point there seemed to be a cavernous void between what was expected and that offered to the customer. However, the future of business process automation looks healthy and stands to improve many more aspects of industries. As a society, we have placed tremendous demand on those businesses that are slow to comprehend the importance of such developments, yet they have no alternative but to innovate and automate.

At Go Wombat, we understand the need for and importance of Business Process Automation, and that is why we place such emphasis on the right people for the job. Our Business Process Automation consultants are experienced and specialised.

For a professional appraisal and understanding of your business process automation solution requirements, call us today.