The Ultimate Guide to Process Automation

What is process automation?

Process automation is the use of technology to automate business processes to sequentially transition from one task to the next with minimal human intervention. It finds global application across functions and organizations.

Given how rapidly customer demands are growing, it is critical to automate processes in order to stay relevant and profitable.

What are the steps involved in process automation?

If you’re considering process automation to enhance business operations, here are the typical steps to follow.

Understand historical data:

Start by identifying processes that need automation. Once you know what you wish to automate, you can delve into past performance. Seek to understand who are the stakeholders, what efficiency levels have been in the past, what are some common bottlenecks and errors encountered, what is the scope of improvement, and so on.

Define automation goals:

Once you have a solid understanding of the process, you are in a good position to begin defining goals for automation. In the absence of well-defined goals, process automation will lack direction and become a waste of time and resources.

Identify the right solution:

The right business process management solution is critical to automating processes. As the cliché goes, it can make or break the entire effort. Align your choices to your organization’s automation requirements.

Map out the process:

Process mapping or visual representation of the process is key to bringing clarity and transparency to the workflow. Every task, performer, and timeline needs to be included.

Incorporate needs of the team:

Tailor data to the end users’ requirements rather than bombarding them with irrelevant information. Identify key players and ensure that their automation needs are being addressed.

Establish KPIs:

Identify relevant key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure progress of processes. The chosen KPIs must be aligned to the goals defined in the beginning.

Test the automation:

Before rolling out the automation, test run it to check for loopholes and errors. Record small details that go awry and make the necessary changes.

Go live and monitor process:

Take the automation live. Customize your dashboard to monitor progress in real-time.

Document everything:

A key facilitator of process enhancement is documentation. Ensure that every single detail in the process automation exercise is recorded for future reference and analysis.

Why you should automate your business processes?

Process automation enhances operations, finances, and stakeholder satisfaction. Some of the many compelling reasons to automate business processes include

Standardized and streamlined processes
Greater time and cost savings
Better allocation of resources
Improved customer experience
Improved compliance to regulations and standards
Higher employee satisfaction
Improved visibility into process performance

Business Process Automation (BPA) Use-Cases

Business process automation is used as workflow logistics for various process across divisions within an organization such as human resource, sales, finance, management, operations, IT, etc. It has removed the hassles of manually processing tasks that typically lead to unnecessary delays and inevitable human errors.

Business process automation (BPA) is often applied to organizational tasks that are repetitive in nature and doesn’t require human intervention to a deep level. Take employee onboarding as an example. It can be a daunting task for an HR personnel of a hiring organization, especially if physical paperwork is involved. The HR person may have multiple onboardings going on at the same time and struggle with coordinating with separate departments.

Business process automation software can easily overcome these challenges and streamline the whole process with little to no room for errors. The organisation should first set up a conducive environment to apply automation into the process, like keeping the new joinee’s digital files and personal information in the same place so they do not need to be redone for every department. An automated process will ensure candidates get the appropriate technology, are added as users to important software, have their workstation setup, and give important contact information, all before the joinee arrives on the first day. Different people are notified automatically when they need to act on a certain task.

A host of other departments can adopt business process automation to their process to ease process cycles that are complicated in nature. Automating business processes can speed up services, improve inventory management, manage invoice orders, and keep a tab on supply-chain management.

Must-have features in process automation software

The success of process automation effort hinges on the right BPA software. Here are some important features you need to look out for when considering your options.

No-code, intuitive interface
Process flexibility and ease of adding parallel branches
Visual dashboards with SLA status indicators
In-depth reporting and analytics capability
Easy integration with existing applications in use
Role-based access control
Cloud-based hosting
Customizable notifications

The perfect BPM solution

If you’re considering BPM software, Kissflow can fulfill your process automation needs efficiently. Workflows, no matter how complex, can be automated in a matter of 15 minutes. Kissflow provides valuable insights into processes with powerful analytics and reporting. It also scales effortlessly along with your business.