7 Compelling Benefits of Business Process Automation
Like flossing, business process automation can be an easy habit to overlook. The benefits are clear, yet some late adopters hesitate to embrace this new routine. However, the reality is that each day without process automation is a day of lost efficiency - a luxury that CIOs and BTPs can't afford.
A 2018 Formstack report titled "The State of Workflow Automation" revealed startling statistics: managers squander an average of 8 hours weekly on manual unstructured data tasks. Even more shocking, 25 percent of respondents confessed to spending up to 20 hours weekly on these tasks.
According to a global survey by McKinsey in 2018, not only have 57 percent of respondents begun implementing business process automation, but they also plan on scaling these efforts further. The survey indicates a trend - larger organizations (40 percent) are trailblazers in automation implementation compared to their smaller counterparts (25 percent).
Where does your organization stand? Are you one of the reluctant few still pondering the impact of business process automation?
Delve into the compelling benefits that await your company with the adoption of automated business processes. This could be the game-changing strategy your organization needs. Prepare to be intrigued.
Benefits of business process automation
"The goal of automation is not to dehumanize operations but rather to reprioritize them such that the most effective elements of human creativity can shine at all levels of an organization.”
- Steve Smith, Forbes Councils Member
Here are the top 7 business process automation benefits.
1. Improved operational efficiency
Business process automation software brings about a host of operational benefits for organizations. To begin with, automated processes are largely hands-off, which means that you won’t need to personally ensure that one task in the process is progressing to the next.
Additionally, business process automation also facilitates the identification and correction of errors and bottlenecks in workflows. This contributes to higher process efficiency overall.
2. Reduced costs
When business processes are manually executed, there’s almost always a significant waste of resources. With business process automation, the cost of operations is minimized, thereby increasing profit margins. Resources are optimally utilized, and waste is eliminated. Automation also helps businesses manage vendor contracts efficiently and renegotiate terms favorably.
3. Document management
Maintaining data and documents can be a nightmare with manual or digitized processes. Having to move data manually can be time-consuming and heightens the chances of errors.
When automation is implemented, it streamlines document management completely, making it effortless. Data organization and retrieval are simplified. Confidential data can be secured with role-based access. Accurate information moves smoothly between processes, increasing employee productivity by leaps and bounds.
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4. Superior customer service
Automated business processes are in a unique position to boost customer experiences. First, BPA software helps meet service level agreements (SLAs) consistently. Products and services can be made available to customers in a timely manner. Quality levels are held steady thanks to standardization and greater efficiency.
Second, innovation in process automation, such as chatbots, allows companies to harness artificial intelligence to resolve customer cases quickly and accurately, heightening customer experiences.
5. Visibility and transparency
Automation improves the visibility of processes through customizable dashboards. Established key performance indicators (KPIs) can be tracked at a glance for multiple processes that are running. In-depth reports of process performance provide insights into areas that need improvement.
Automation also facilitates transparency in processes. This helps teams stay informed about task assignments and encourages accountability.
6. Greater compliance
Lack of compliance with industry and legal regulations can prove very costly for organizations everywhere. Process automation software can help businesses stay compliant with ease. Every time an automated process runs, the log records task performers’ names, details of tasks, and the timeline within which they were completed. These logs can prove helpful during business process trials and demonstrate compliance.
7. Improved employee morale
A significant advantage of business process automation is higher employee morale. Automation provides a friction-free environment for employees to get work done efficiently.
Approvals are faster, which means teams don’t need to spend time waiting and reminding managers. Transparency in processes helps high performers get the recognition they deserve. The bandwidth freed up by automation can motivate employees to innovate and improve the way work is done.
What business processes can I automate?
- Invoice Processing: Automation can help streamline creating, sending, tracking, and paying invoices, reducing manual errors and improving efficiency.
- Employee Onboarding: Automated workflows can guide new hires through the onboarding process, including filling out paperwork, completing training, and more.
- Customer Support: Automation can provide instant responses to common customer inquiries, route support tickets, and track interactions.
- Sales/CRM Process: Sales teams can use automation to manage leads, follow up with prospects, and maintain customer relationships.
- Social Media Management: Businesses can schedule posts, track engagement, and respond to comments automatically.
- Expense Reporting: Automation can simplify submitting, approving, and reimbursing expenses.
- Inventory Management: Automated systems can track inventory levels, send alerts when stock is low, and even reorder products.
- Scheduling Employee Shifts: Automation can make creating and adjusting employee schedules easier, reducing conflicts and improving communication.
- Approval Requests: Workflow automation can streamline the process of submitting and approving requests, such as time off, budget expenditures, etc.
- Vendor Management: Automating vendor selection, performance evaluation, and payment processes can save time and improve relationships.
- Payroll Processing: Payroll software can automate calculating pay, deducting taxes, and distributing paychecks.
- Bookkeeping and Accounting: Automation can be used for tasks like tracking expenses, reconciling transactions, and generating financial reports
How Damamax crushed chaos with BPM technology
Damamax, a telecommunications provider established in 2008, faced challenges with its IT infrastructure. Their system struggled to support complex workflows, and the team was overwhelmed with requests for workflow enhancements. The existing tools were complicated, and the system lagged significantly.
Damamax discovered Kissflow, a cloud-based Business Process Management (BPM) platform, in their quest for a solution. It was an immediate fit, offering easy-to-use features that boosted productivity and provided control over their processes. The COO found value in the productivity enhancement and the insightful reports generated by the platform.
Kissflow's customizable forms and centralized data repository provided Damamax with a clear view of its operations, enabling it to identify areas for improvement. This led to significant benefits, including saving the IT team from burnout, eliminating manual processes, and saving time, effort, and money.
Damamax has since expanded its workflow automation to include purchase requests, sales leads, and HR functions like leave requests, with many functions now being 100% automated. They continue to seek ways to improve productivity across their organization using Kissflow.
The Kissflow process edge
If you’re looking for the right process automation partner for your business, Kissflow can be the perfect choice. Kissflow is a low-code/no-code platform that can help you automate business processes in a matter of 15 minutes. The drag-and-drop form builders and visual workflows allow you to build processes of varying complexity effortlessly.
Powerful reporting and analytics features provide valuable insight that can guide your process improvement efforts. You can secure your data with role-based conditional access.
Kissflow can integrate easily with other software your organization uses. It is built to scale effortlessly so that you can focus on growing your business without distractions.
