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Business process automation is becoming more interesting for entrepreneurs each day. The possibile optimization of all business processes is awfully attractive, isn’t it? But we’ll talk about business automation complex as a part of Custom Software Solution. This is a big component that is able to level up your businesses speed and productivity. In this article we’ll look on it more closely and will describe the benefits that your business can get from this process.
This article is the first one in the C. S. S. for business series in our blog. From this particular series, you’ll get to know more about how a custom software solution can benefit your company and what business problems this software can solve.
What is business process automation (BPA)
The business automation process is even more than process - it’s a strategy. It stands for using the technologies to optimize work processes in the company and make its workflow more efficient. In general, it helps your business to move towards the main goal with optimal resource usage. This may include customer relations management (CRM) or enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems and even more than this.
With the business automation, you will have an opportunity to track every little issue, malfunction, or change in the workflow which, in turn, improves the management level. Thus everything will be in your hands - from customer relations management to work processes standardization.
The most common misconception about business process optimization is that it’s connected only to complex information technology tasks. Because of this entrepreneur often think that their business has no need for BPA whatsoever. But this isn’t true, and business process automation is about making everything better - even advertisements or mass emailing. Every little thing is addressed by a different type of BPA so let’s take a look at the most popular ones.
- basic automation - it’s a process of creating a central server to store all the important info and maintain it. Tool for mass emailing is a perfect example. You have all your data in one place and this improves both the speed of work and its comfort;
- process automation - it helps your business achieve consistency and build more effective tasks management. This type of BPA is controlled by custom software or off-the-shelf tools;
- integration automation - this almost innovative method makes machines observe humans’ work and then imitate it to better organize the workflow. For example, you can repetitively perform actions in customer service and then the software will repeat it by itself. This will leave you more data to analyze, not to mention how high this process speed will be;
- artificial intelligence automation - speaking of innovations - here’s one! Business automation software, build on an AI, will make all decisions by itself based on what it had analyzed or learned. In the enterprise, this system can significantly improve supply chain management or resource planning by advising you on the optimal solutions or preventing mistakes.
Now when you know more of business process automation, let’s take a look at some statistics over here.
Firstly we have to say that your company will save 40% to 75% of expenses, as most of the companies that use business process automation (according to Forbes). Second - just take a glance over these impressive statistics.
Thus, according to Statista in 2021 business automation market share will grow to 12.7 billion $. And this means only one thing - BPA will never cease to be in fashion.
What advantages will you get from business process automation?
Business process automation will help you get a more streamlined workflow as well as cut costs where you need it most. This way BPA provides you with more optimized business solutions that you could never get without using it. Let’s take a closer look at what benefits you can get from automating business processes.
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Cutting costs and financial departments optimization
This considered the main reason to choose business process automation among businessmen. If routine work is done by people you always have a possibility of human errors. Business process automation is the one thing that helps you fight it. Besides, everything that has been done by your staff now can be done by the custom software, hence giving your people time for more important and complicated tasks. Optimizing the financial departments operating is through more effective planning and more accurate calculations. Custom software for BPA that is made for your business needs exclusively is more than able to do it.
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Better reporting
All your project data becomes easily accessible and streamlined which helps you organize your workflow better. You’ll have automated reports, which affects your business workflow and effectiveness. Having everything at the reach of your hand allows you to understand the weaknesses and strengths of your business so that you can decide which process needs more attention. And this is how custom software helps increase workflow smoothness in general. Besides, you’ll have less paperwork. And you know how paperwork can sometimes be confusing and create pitfalls in your company’s work.
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Reducing mistakes and malfunction on the workflow
We’ve already pointed out human errors that can occur in the business process. But you aren’t safe from other mistakes you can have in your business. For example, the supply chain. It is a lottery - will you win this time and not lose your cargo? BPA can help you optimize this process; if any trouble happens on the road you will be able to track it and nullify immediately. Otherwise, you don’t have to monitor the supply chain - the automated system will do it for you. Custom software for business automation is a unique solution for each process of your company, which helps the workflow go uninterrupted.
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Customer service and management improving
Your client called you again to ask about your open hours? No need to be pissed off about it. Now you have the CRM system that’ll answer the million of typical questions for you. Customer service, management, and communication can be done automatically without your intervention. You’ll be notified when you’re needed, but meanwhile, you can focus on more important tasks. This is what custom software for business process automation can do to your business - improve the exact thing need.
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Better data processing
Automated data processing is simply quicker and this is a major win. But if it is not convincing for you - getting automated data processing reduces mistakes and lets you detect even the littlest malfunctions before they interrupt your business workflow. Custom software is to enhance the data processing in your business processes because it works with your business specialty directly.
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Business process tracking improvement
We’ve already mentioned it above. Thanks to the business process automation you’ll have an opportunity to track every process in your company, therefore, improving its effectiveness. For example, you can enhance resource planning and get better solutions on what to use and when optimizing the spendings. Custom software is tracking each business process based on its specifications so that you can be sure it's done right.
Now that you know the benefits of BPA let’s take a bit of our time to investigate what business processes can be automated.
- Customer service
- Document management
- Resource planning
- Financial management
- Supply chain management
- System updates
Yet, in reality, if you feel like your business needs something to work more smoothly - you shouldn't have any doubts. BPA can help you on many levels but remember that this is a part of much more complex custom software solution.
How can you understand that your company needs business process automation?
Before starting the business process automation you must understand whether your company really needs it, and it is only natural. So we’re offering you a list of red flags that shows the importance of BPA.
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.1 The customer service has gotten worse
If you see that you can no longer manage the customer service because your company has expanded and you have more clients - that is definitely a sign. You won’t be able to maintain effective work without customer service, as much as you won’t be able to keep this process stable without the BPA. Business process automation is keeping your clients close thus it helps you build trust for your company and make your regular clients more satisfied with the services you provide.
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.2 Your business became slow
The speed of business workflow is a crucial factor that affects your competitive advantage. If your client can get something quicker from others - they’ll turn to them. So to hold your market position and scale your business you need to automate your business processes. This way your company will work synchronically as a clock and all processes will have a better connection. If this is what you’re looking for - BPA is a solution you need right now.
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.3 Your business processes have way too many steps
Too complicated business processes are not as effective as simpler ones. You need way too many resources, both time and financial, to make everything work and it might not even pay off in the long run. Business process automation is one option to make it all worthwhile. Maintaining better resource planning and management can help you keep your business continuous in every circumstance. By the way, have we already told you that it increases your company’s work processes speed? And in addition, you’ll be able to focus on something more important that one more step in your workflow.
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.4 You spend more than you thought you would
This is also about resource planning. When you do it manually, something might slip out of your sight Moreover, sometimes you have mistakes and malfunctions that occur in your business work processes, which always means that you need to spend even more on its fixing. Having BPA that is fittable to your business needs can optimize your resources, and as we said above - companies that have automated business processes already see the result in much more effective resource spendings.
As you can see in the graph below, the cost reduction with business process automation is the main win. You can save from 30% of your costs with BPA.
So now you see how custom software solutions for business automation can change your company’s work processes. But what if you still do not know which solution is better between custom and off-the-shelf products? Do you need something that will be unique and made specifically for your business? Or maybe something that is cheaper and quicker to get?
- the off-the-shelf solution goes with an already implemented number of features that might be necessary for your business (50/50 though, nobody is sure that it will be those functions you need)
- a custom solution will be developed in order to optimize your business and it will have those features you want most (but the development will take more time and resources to create and implement)
In conclusion, we need to say that it is important to have IT-partner that will help you choose wisely the exact solution you need. The business process automation is something that holds your full attention and trust to your software development partner - you want to be sure when to implement it in a company’s workflow.
Our custom software solution service will provide you with everything you need and more, so don’t delay.
And always remember that if you’re having doubts - MassMedia Group specialists are always ready to help you make the right decision!
