Problems that generate more problems
When looking for the root cause of inefficiency within businesses, you can often trace everything back to processes that are still highly manual in nature.
Manual processes are prone to a variety of risks: they’re slow to execute; they can be boring and repetitive, which can lead to human errors creeping in; they soak up valuable human resource that could be better used elsewhere; and they’re difficult to adapt to changing circumstances or market conditions. Furthermore, they are difficult to integrate with other processes and systems, which hinders the ability to develop smooth, interconnected workflows across departments.
Without looking for ways to improve these manual processes, businesses can quickly face headwinds in several areas, including:
- Lack of competitiveness: inefficiency can lead to slow decision-making and sluggish implementation of new ideas, making it far harder to take first-mover advantage, especially in competitive industries where speed to market is crucial
- Higher costs: using up more time and resources than necessary can lead to greater expense in delivering products and services, whether through having to increase staffing, fix human errors or procure more materials and equipment
- Poor client and employee satisfaction: when delivery of products and services is slow and inconsistent, customers get dissatisfied and employees get frustrated, leading to revenue and brand damage all round. For staff, it can easily lead to burnout and stress that can impact productivity, employee morale, and ultimately talent retention and acquisition
Why process automation is the answer
The answer to these process problems is not to add staff or try and wholesale replace existing systems, but to leverage automation technologies, including Artificial Intelligence (AI) and low-code application development. In particular, the concept of Intelligent Automation (IA) - where process automation and AI come together - can help even more complicated tasks be automated quickly and cost-effectively, generating maximum efficiency.
This should come hand-in-hand with the use of low-code platforms to identify processes that are eligible candidates for automation. You can also use these platforms to manage your automations and get detailed insights into the extra efficiency they’re generating.
At Autaro, we have experience in automating countless business processes, and understand which types are best-suited to automation. Every business is different, of course, so what might be right for you may vary from other companies. But from our standpoint, there are five common and generally applicable use cases:
- Client onboarding: new customers and suppliers can get a smooth and stress-free experience by letting automation handle document verification, form submission and account set-up
- Sales order processing: sales orders often arrive by email, where staff will then manually transfer data to an ERP or accounts system. This type of work is low-value and high-cost, and can easily be automated with IT
- Billing: finance processes are also ideal for automation across the end-to-end invoice processing workflow, including receipt and data extraction, validations, approvals and payments. These can all reduce processing times and improve accuracy
- Customer service: customer support enquiries can be processed through automated ticketing systems. These can route enquiries to the right places, generate the right responses, and ensure that issues that need escalating are brought to the team’s attention for better response times and customer satisfaction
- Supply chain management: operations can be streamlined throughout the supply chain, including order processing, inventory management, demand forecasting, transportation logistics and more
In summary
If you aren’t sure where to start on your automation journey, then Autaro is here to help. Our comprehensive approach to service design can ensure you apply automation in the right places to enhance customer experiences and drive new efficiencies, all in the context of your specific business processes. Find out more on our unique approach to automation here.