Automation can fix the mess but one thing is missing

With recent advancements in technology, business process automation (BPA) is now more important than ever before as it can be beneficial to data-driven businesses, facilitating long-term success.

Implementing process automation can help eliminate organizational bottlenecks that could potentially reduce efficiency. Furthermore, it also helps improve customer experience, employee engagement and overall profitability.

A recent study conducted by Gartner has shown that approximately 67 percent of companies use BPA solutions to improve end-to-end visibility across various organizational systems.

When BPA solutions are strategically implemented into your organization’s day-to-day operations, you will be able to overcome a wide variety of current market challenges while also future-proofing upcoming initiatives.

Challenges that process automation can address

Time-consuming data management processes

Most businesses still transfer data manually from one department to another in the form of files, emails and documents. Data volumes are typically large and compiling them in a single operation is a time-consuming and inefficient process.

Also, as your organization’s historical data continues to accumulate an increasing amount of human errors over time, the cost of addressing them can be impractical and expensive. One of the best ways to eliminate manual processes is through BPA solutions.

They can allow your business to collect, store, analyze and manage large amounts of unstructured data in one centralized data repository. These tools can help significantly expedite data analysis and consequent decision-making processes.

Integration issues with legacy systems

Many modern businesses still use a single complex data environment in which many disparate enterprise applications operate. This can result in a substantial number of complexities as your company grows in scale.

Process automation tools can help your business integrate new enterprise applications and existing legacy systems using a single enterprise interface. They act as an effective method to ensure that critical processes operate proficiently. BPA tools also ensure that data is easily shared throughout your organization by eliminating compatibility issues.

Errors due to manual business processes

Various repetitive business processes such as customer service, budget allocation and monitoring compliance with regulatory guidelines can often result in a wide variety of errors if performed manually. Furthermore, the cost of rectifying them typically results in a substantial amount of rework and loss of profitability.

Process automation can help your business almost eliminate the risk of error in day-to-day business operations without resulting in decreased efficiency. Furthermore, implementing process automation tools can empower employees to work on higher level, more intellectually stimulating workflows.

Where process automation can go wrong

Although most organizations adopt process automation with the right intentions, it can often fail if not done properly. While automation can help streamline a wide variety of different business processes, it is crucial to have a clear and concise understanding of the purpose of automating a process. A multidimensional approach to process automation can help any organization get a head start in launching and optimizing automation strategies.

Getting into process automation without defining its goals would lead to a risk of failure, hence resulting in a waste of scarce resources, time and effort. Furthermore, many businesses typically believe that all business processes can and must be automated if possible.

Certain business processes may also still require a certain level of human involvement such as user experience testing and managerial decision-making processes. Process automation is typically utilized for processes that are time-consuming, repetitive and routine.

How to ensure successful process automation initiatives

While automation has a few challenges, they can be easily reversed. Before automating, all the processes that complement the target workflow should be mapped out. This helps identify where the inputs and outputs come from and go.

At the beginning of the automation process, the organization can track the links between both the target workflow and other people, teams and processes. While process automation initiatives may be slightly difficult to implement, the benefits significantly outweigh the additional research and analysis required to ensure their success.

Before automating a business process, your organization should:

• Clearly outline which processes complement your target workflow.
• Define goals and objectives for a process automation initiative.
• List out the potential processes that can be automated.
• Calculate the existing processes’ performance before automating.

Once the processes are automated, organizations should monitor their performance for continuous improvement.

Process automation can have a wide variety of benefits for your business over time such as increased efficiency, reduced risk of error and improved employee engagement. Therefore, implementing BPA into your organization’s day-to-day processes and workflows can be transformative for addressing various frequent challenges.

This will be true as long as your business understands the right way to undergo process transformation, workflows and projects.

What is your approach in implementing process automation? Let us know by leaving a comment below.