Automation of business processes: reasons and benefits

Eventually, any company decides to automate business processes. There are many reasons for this. However, the most important among them is the optimization and acceleration of all internal processes. We live in an era of technology, so using it means being competitive and successful.

Main reasons to automate your business

• You will reduce the time spent on repetitive processes.
• You will have the opportunity to maintain a unified customer base.
• Your employees will make fewer mistakes.
• All data is structured and accessible.
• You will improve digital transformation by leaving paper-based processes behind.
• You will adhere to your established business logic.

Key benefits of BPA

With the help of automation, you will:

• streamline the work of employees and the distribution of tasks. You will have an automated management system (CRM, ERM, PM, etc.), where everyone will see what tasks they have and when they need them to be done;
• minimize the human factor in business processes. This includes forgotten data, procrastination with simple tasks, clients that have not been entered into the database, etc.;
• lessen the turnaround time and costs for insignificant interventions;
• secure your data from cyber-attacks or illegal access. With an automated control system, you will enter all actions into the system and, if something happens, you will be able to track them. Of course, automation does not solve all security problems, but it makes life much easier.

What processes can be automated

Today it is impossible to automate all processes. Your employees still should manage certain tasks. Among them are search for new employees, their management, company culture, communication with customers, etc. Not only machines should participate here, but also there should be a certain level of socialization.

The following processes are automated:

• Management processes – part of the strategic management of employees and the firm;
• Operational processes – all processes that affect the work of the company (marketing, technical support, sales, production of services/goods, development, and others);
• Supporting processes – processes that are related to system administration, logistics, accounting reports, and accounting, etc.
• Tasks with a high level of human involvement

What are the systems/tools for the automation of business processes?

The automation system helps to turn monotonous manual work into automatic, making such work technological and advanced. The system includes software and hardware (servers, terminals, cash registers, VDS, cards, etc.). They correspond to its group of processes.

1. Management processes – ERP and CRM systems for analytics and management. The director has unlimited access to company data, the right to assign and reassign tasks, and deep analytics.
2. Operational processes – ERP and CRM systems for management, WMS, ECM, and CAD systems. Such systems exist in a single data system or are integrated with each other.
3. Supporting processes – special software that works either separately or in conjunction with operational processes.
4. Tasks with a high level of the human factor – specialized programs for finding and managing employees, chats, portals, and more. Their main task is to facilitate work and simplify communication between employees.

TechExpert automation solutions and services

TechExpert offers the following solutions and services to automate business processes:

• Predictive system
  Solution includes demand forecast, promo modelling, replenishment, pricing management
• Document management system
  We offer unified space, optimization, standardization, simplification, acceleration
• Corporate Web portals
  Solution works with creating a staff directory and archiving a CV database, processing applications for recruitment, vacation and business trips, schedule management staff absences, employee development and training, internal communications, etc.

Potential automation problems

There is no 100% guarantee that the implementation of business process automation will go smoothly. Problems can arise from: deadlines; budget; adaptation of business processes to system standards; your employees, who may not understand how it works and why it is needed.

You can avoid such risks with careful planning and consultation with professionals. They will analyze the compatibility of your business processes and the automation system and tell you what has to be corrected. TechExpert specialists are ready to provide you with extensive support – contact us.
 

How to understand if automation is effective

Typically, each organization can have its metrics to measure the effectiveness of automation. Try to align the metrics before you decide to automate so you can assess the changes.

Companies have three periods for the automation system to pay off without possible bankruptcy and other problems:

• 1 year – an optimistic scenario;
• 2 years – a more realistic scenario;
• 3 years or more – negative scenario.

They are relative, thus should not always be relied upon. Remember, you have distinctive automation goals, turnover and software costs. Look for these metrics instead. Your BPA can be considered successful if:

• The time that is spent on the process and tasks has been significantly reduced;
• Trade period – when the sales cycle has decreased;
• KPI indicators – when you compare the volume and quality of employees’ work, you can track the effectiveness and, if necessary, adjust tasks to improve the result in an automated management system, for example, CRM;
• The number of dissatisfied comments and calls to the technical support team – automation has reduced the number of negative reviews because the presence of the human factor has decreased.

In addition to them, you can pay attention to the usual indicators like the cost of automation itself concerning the turnover, net profit, and revenue of the company. They will be useful, both before the introduction of automation, and during its use.
 

Business automation cases

Over the years, the TechExpert team has launched many successful projects to automate business processes. Among them: