Business is becoming increasingly complicated. Companies are using “hyper-automation” to manage its resource-intensive complexity, according to Gartner. Process automation is one reason Gartner expects the automation software business to reach $1 trillion by 2026.
Businesses need the greatest tools to increase profitability and optimise operations amid tough competition and digital transformation to grow market share, satisfy stakeholders, and stay relevant. This makes process automation more important than ever.
It is one of the finest ways to reduce costs, risk, and speed up growth. This post will explain process automation, give examples, and show you how to use it in your organisation.
Defining Process Automation
Business process automation (BPA) improves operational efficiency and lowers costs via technology. PA streamlines the three main elements affecting an organization’s efficiency if done right.
Three main factors are:
Centralizing information: Critical data can be organised, logged, and used to inform future company projects after centralization. Centralised data is easier to access because it’s not siloed in apps with varied admin permissions. Centralised data reduces procurement fraud and improves visibility.
Automating as many processes as possible: Automating as many operations as feasible reduces end-to-end resource requirements. Repetitive jobs don’t require expertise. Automation frees up hours, expertise, and labour expenses for higher-return work.
Human input minimization: An organization’s greatest asset is its workforce. It lets you focus employees’ time, energy, and skills on business tasks and projects that advance the company.
Minimizing the need for human input: Robotic process automation (RPA) helps automate several processes. RPA software and technology are quickly replacing manual processes with artificial intelligence and natural language processing. Robotic process automation includes automotive assembly lines, call centres, and claims administration.
Types of Process automation
What process automation exists? This list is too long, but here are some process automation essentials for most companies.
Automating accounting
Every firm, basic or complex, has accounting. Accounting for transactions, interacting with payment processors, controlling merchant fees, and keeping clear records can all be automated as transactions become more digital.
You can automate internal transaction processes since larger organisations have more sophisticated procurement demands. A good solution can automate procurement tasks including buying software, maintaining contracts, renewing licences, and managing suppliers.
Automation of accounting processes makes the job of a finance team or firm finance manager easier, but it does not eliminate the necessity for one. It improves accuracy and frees up time for high-return, low-cost business activities.
Market automation
Marketing can quickly drain resources if not careful. Many marketing companies can automate customer nurturing and acquisition with PA.
SaaS, social media, and our growing dependence on the digital world allow organisations to automate advertising buying, email marketing, customer acquisition, and billing.
Marketing automation is essential for startups and existing enterprises striving to grow their market share in today’s industry.
Automating customer support
Poor customer service will drive over half of Americans away. To offset one unfavourable customer experience, it takes 12 positive ones. That hardly scratches the surface of customer support’s relevance.
Automation can improve this department. Businesses can reduce customer dissatisfaction by automating personalised call operations and data collecting to meet client needs faster and easier.
IT asset management automation
Software and hardware life cycles are difficult to track. Manual methods are slow and error-prone.
IT asset management automation gives you organization-wide software and hardware visibility. It boosts visibility, lowers costs, controls licences, and records usage to maximise ROI. An automated IT asset management solution optimises the IT supply chain by reducing costs and enhancing efficiency.
Teams can track hardware updates with a powerful IT asset management solution. Built-in standardisation tools optimise processes for cost savings.
Automating HR
Do not skimp on automation in human resources. Prospecting, posting jobs, interviewing, reviewing applicants, and headhunting are time-consuming. Multi-step HR processes are closely linked to a company’s profit margin.
You may automate the offer letter process, look through hundreds or thousands of resumes, and manage an updated talent pool with a complete HR management solution.
Payroll, benefits, offboarding, contracts, training, and tax data can be automated. Organisations can avoid costly mistakes while managing personnel, following employment rules, and staying compliant by automating HR procedures.
Examples of Process automation
Process automation is everywhere if you look. Simple process automation includes gumball dispensers and vending machines. They automate transactions, centralise operations, and eliminate human input to dispense commodities.
Sure, cheeky examples. However, they show how basic technology may change processes. Examples of business process automation:
- Purchase management software-integrated customer support tickets
- Employee onboarding automation
- Job applications via applicant management systems
- Logging incoming reports via automated data routing and file transfers across applications.
- Parsing, cleaning, and updating unstructured data in real time with APIs
Three process automation methods
Utilise native platform automation
Many modern software platforms offer no-code or low-code workflow automation. This will be most corporate executives’ preferred process automation method.
Suppose you wish to automate accounts payable in your AP tool. The platform’s inherent automation can automate:
- Create and approve purchase orders
- Vendor ordering
- Receiving and paying invoices
Customise API connections
Zapier or Pipedream can automate difficult business processes by building unique tool integrations.
This is great for automating data entry and updating data across platforms in real time.
Zapier can connect your accounts payable platform to your accounting and bookkeeping software to automatically reflect and reconcile incoming invoice payments.
Get a process automation tool.
Dedicated process automation technologies are needed for complicated automation use cases.
Popular software platforms include:
- Kissflow
- Process Maker
- Nintex
- Appian
Teams can construct complicated, advanced-process automation rules that maximise corporate efficiency using these platforms’ natural interfaces with other software applications.
Implementing process automation
Implementing a process automation workflow in your company involves three steps.
1. Determine bottlenecks and objectives
Not every corporate process or endeavour can be automated. Skills and decision-making will always be needed. Continue identifying process bottlenecks to see which can be automated.
Use the following criteria to discover automatable tasks or processes:
- The task demands regular analytics and reporting.
- The technique doesn’t involve creativity or profound thought.
- The process involves transferring data between applications and requires continual monitoring.
- It must be done frequently.
- The process is scheduled.
You can create goals after identifying jobs and processes to automate. Set targets based on what you want to optimise.
Maybe cost reduction is your main goal. Maybe you wish to maximise all your processes’ hourly output. Maybe your goal is both. Once you know what metric you want to solve for and utilise to measure performance, you can audit the tools you require.
2. Assess and implement appropriate software.
Select automation tools to complete the task. How you manage your firm determines a purchase procedure. As automation needs and bottlenecks are discovered, process automation solution features become clearer.
You know to look for and demo SaaS management solutions that simplify licence renewals and expense control. Maybe you want machine-learning to improve your automated procedures. The top enterprise-grade process automation platforms should be investigated next.
Complex internal processes reveal how customisable your SaaS management solution needs to be. A process automation solution for smaller teams may not provide granular insight into application functionality.
3. Evaluate, replicate
More iterations bring all processes closer to maximum optimisation. As technology improves and your firm grows, optimality will vary.
Thus, periodically monitoring, measuring, and repeating process automation activities is recommended. You’ll maximise resource value and minimise waste.
Process automation benefits
Using process automation effectively has many benefits, including:
- Reduce operational costs
- Reduce resource use
- Remove bottlenecks
- Loss minimization
- Production acceleration
- Standardising processes for auditability
- Earning faster investment returns
