What is Business Automation?
Business automation is the use of technology to automate manual, repetitive tasks so that employees and management can focus on critical tasks. Automating business processes minimizes costs, increases efficiency, and streamlines complex processes, making them simple.
Examples include:
Employee Onboarding
Although hiring employees may seem like a fuss-free process, it involves multiple tasks. Filling out employee information forms, setting up induction sessions, arranging training sessions, setting up bank accounts, collecting relevant documents, and assigning mentors are just a few of the activities involved. Purchase Orders Purchase order requests are recurring processes in most organisations. The requesting team fills out a form and sends it to the purchasing team. The approving authority then examines the request and rejects the request in case information is inadequate or if there are budgetary constraints. It is then sent back to the requesting team. If approved, a purchase order is created and copies are sent to the supplier as well as the inventory team.
Purchase Orders
Purchase order requests are recurring processes in most organisations. The requesting team fills out a form and sends it to the purchasing team. The approving authority then examines the request and rejects the request in case information is inadequate or if there are budgetary constraints. It is then sent back to the requesting team. If approved, a purchase order is created and copies are sent to the supplier as well as the inventory team.
Why Business Automation?
Here are some compelling reasons to automate your business processes.
Stepping Stone to Digital Transformation
Digital transformation can seem like a lofty overwhelming goal to organisations that aren’t on that path. Business process automation can be a stepping-stone to adopting that culture of continuous transformation. You can start with a few processes that are clearly in need of course correction and gradually work your way up.
Get More Clarity
Automating business processes demands a certain amount of clarity about the process right at the designing stage. If you don’t know the tasks involved and the people responsible for running the process, you can’t design and automate the workflow effectively. Further, process mapping can provide clarity to all employees and serve as a training resource as well. The insights you gain from analysing an automated process can clearly show you the gap between your business process as is and as it should ideally be.
Streamline Processes
One of the great outcomes of a process automation system is streamlined processes. Clear accountability, customisable notifications, valuable insights, and faster turnaround times make it easier to eliminate wasteful activities and focus on enhancing tasks that add value.
Get Compliance Records
With business process automation, every detail of a particular business process is recorded. This information can be presented to demonstrate compliance during audits.
Standardize Operations
When you automate a business process, you can expect a consistent standard of outcomes every time. Standardisation helps position your organisation as reliable, which in turn can help increase your customer base.
Increase Customer Satisfaction
Customer satisfaction is a key differentiator in any industry. Focusing on process and operational excellence helps you exceed customer expectations with ease. When you consistently meet promised standards, customers are more likely to develop a preference for your company.
What Business Processes Should You Automate?
Business process automation is not restricted to a handful of functions. Some factors that can indicate the need for automation include:
- High-volume of tasks
- Multiple people required to execute tasks
- Time-sensitive nature
- Significant impact on other processes and systems
- Need for compliance and audit trails
If an activity meets all the criteria listed above, it’s very likely you need to automate your business process. To give you a clearer picture, here are some commonly automated processes in organisations:
- E-mail and push notifications
- Helpdesk support
- Creating customer case studies
- Data aggregation and migration
- Backup and restoration
- Employee leave requests
- Procurement
- Call centre processes
- Sales orders
- Time and attendance tracking
- Payroll
- Invoicing
- Collections
- Product launches
- Lead nurturing
