Business Process Automation
Use technology to your advantage and stop manually doing repetitive tasks
What is Business process automation?
Business process automation is the use of technology to execute repetitive tasks or processes in an organization where manual labor can be eliminated. It is done to reduce costs, boost productivity, and streamline operations. Business process automation should not be confused with business process management, which is a broader discipline that entails the management of complex, enterprise-wide processes through various methodologies.
Business Process Automation Examples
Although hiring employees may appear to be a straightforward process, it actually involves a number of tasks. Filling out employee information forms, scheduling induction sessions, organizing training sessions, establishing bank accounts, collecting pertinent documents, and assigning mentors are a few of the tasks involved.
Without automation, the entire procedure can become quite disorganized, leading to:
- Lots of paperwork
- Missing out on some tasks
- Employee discontentment
- Low efficiency
The application of business process automation to employee onboarding will ensure smooth transitions from one task to the next, keep relevant employees informed, and provide visibility into the process’s status.
Requests for purchase orders are a recurring process in the majority of businesses. The requesting team submits a completed form to the purchasing team. The approving authority then reviews the request and denies it if the information is insufficient or there are budgetary constraints. The document is then returned to the requesting team. If approved, a purchase order is generated and sent to both the supplier and the inventory team.
Without automation, the following issues could crop up:
- Delayed PO approval
- Impacted productivity
- Incomplete records
- Errors in the PO
- Errors while taking delivery of the supplies
The automation of business processes can aid in enhancing accountability, transparency, and the accurate recording of data, which can be accessed by relevant stakeholders when necessary. In addition, it will retain all process-related communication within the workflow to make execution easier and more efficient.
Why Should You Automate Business Processes?
Standardize operations
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Get more clarity
During the designing phase, automation necessitates a certain level of process clarity. You cannot design and automate a workflow effectively if you are unaware of the tasks involved and the individuals responsible for running the process. In addition to providing clarity to all employees, process mapping can also serve as a training resource. The insights gained from analyzing an automated process can reveal the gap between the current state of your process and its ideal state.
Stepping stone to digital transformation
Digital transformation can appear daunting to organizations that have not yet embarked on this journey. The adoption of this culture of continuous transformation can be facilitated by automating business processes. Start with a few processes that are obviously in need of course correction and work your way up gradually.
Get compliance records
With business process automation, every process-specific detail is recorded. This information can be presented during audits to demonstrate compliance.
Streamline processes
Streamlined processes is one of the best outcomes of a process automation system. Clear accountability, customizable alerts, valuable insights, and quicker turnaround times make it simpler to eliminate inefficient activities and concentrate on enhancing tasks that add value.
Increase customer satisfaction
Customer satisfaction is an essential differentiator across all industries. Focusing on process and operational excellence enables you to easily surpass customer expectations. Customers are more likely to develop a preference for your organization if you consistently meet promised standards.
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 tasks
- Tasks time-sensitive in nature
- Significant impact on other processes and systems
- Need for compliance and audit trails
- Multiple people required to execute tasks
Commonly Automated Tasks Include:
- E-mail and push notifications
- Helpdesk support
- Creating customer case studies
- Data aggregation and migration
- Backup and restoration
- Employee leave requests
- Procurement
- Call center processes
- Sales orders
- Time and attendance tracking
- Payroll
- Invoicing
- Collections
- Product launches
- Lead nurturing
