Process Automation in Business: Efficiency and Sustainability

What keeps today’s business leaders up at night? Mainly, the fact that competition is fiercer than ever, and the fast pace at which customer and market demands are changing and evolving could leave them behind or forgotten forever. This is where process automation comes into play.

Companies turn to process automation as a powerful tool to boost competitiveness and profitability. Currently, 45% of work activities can be automated. All areas of a company can benefit from this technology, which allows businesses to remain relevant and efficient.

The continuous need for people to perform complex, intensive tasks and avoid wasting time on mechanizable tasks led software developers to create the automation software used today. The number and scope of products have grown significantly, covering business automation, marketing automation, scheduling, console message management, backup and recovery, printing services, performance optimization, and more.

What is process automation? 

Process automation can be defined as the use of technologies aimed at executing tasks and processes with minimal human intervention, resulting in faster, more accurate, less costly, and more sustainable operations. Its main objective is to improve the workflow progression within an organization.

Activities or tasks performed only once are not ideal candidates for process automation. This technology is more suitable for repetitive tasks with formalized steps, sequences, and rules. Automation ensures that the business process is executed at all times, involving the right personnel, in the correct order, with the right information, and within a specific timeframe.

Core technologies for business process automation 

Solutions for robotic process automation (RPA) and workflow automation lie at the heart of any digital transformation. They are the most effective and widely used technologies today, as they enable the automation of most company tasks.

Robotic Process Automation (RPA)

RPA refers to bots and RPA tools integrated into business systems to automate and simplify various tasks and interactions. These are software and bots programmed to emulate and replicate human actions to complete repetitive business tasks. RPA software robots can navigate systems, read and enter data, and perform a wide range of rule-based tasks.

Workflow automation

Workflow automation is often used interchangeably with "RPA," but they are not the same. Workflow automation can be defined as the independent flow of tasks, documents, and information among all process-related activities, following defined business rules and for specific purposes.

Top 7 benefits of process automation

With the right tools, computerized process automation can be surprisingly easy and offer significant benefits. The main advantages include cost reduction, increased productivity, availability, reliability, and performance.

1. Cost reduction

Automation has many benefits, and this is one of the main ones. Business process automation software offers a smarter approach to containing and reducing costs. The biggest opportunity it presents is to enhance customer service while systematically reducing costs.

2. Time savings

All tasks within a company are important and cannot be skipped. However, not all of them need to be performed by a human. Process automation saves employees time by handling minor or routine tasks. This tool automates tasks that previously consumed a significant part of employees' workdays, allowing them to focus on more relevant or critical activities for their area.

3. Reduction of human error

With process automation, you don't have to worry about simple human errors that could snowball into major problems. You can process all your documentation, transfer data, and collect signatures immediately, securely, and reliably. Moreover, automation tools can send reminders if employees forget to complete a task. Additionally, product development testing can be automated.

4. Improved communication

Communication between departments or collaborators must be prioritized to achieve desired results. Process automation, through a network communication infrastructure, ensures the secure and immediate transmission of messages between employees, customers, and partners. This platform visualizes and organizes organizational decisions and records them, making them available and transparent whenever someone needs access.

5. Optimization of result quality

Since process automation is a fully digital initiative, it guarantees that each task is executed identically and unequivocally every time. Every good or service produced by the company will meet consistent quality standards, ensuring quality assurance at every stage and meeting expected customer satisfaction. Additionally, with machine learning and big data technologies embedded in automation activities, valuable insights can be obtained to increase efficiency and progressively improve quality.

6. Customer satisfaction

It’s a fact that today's customers take quality and speed for granted—these are the minimum expectations. Ensuring quality, security, and management processes facilitates adapting to demand and achieving customer satisfaction, building trust in your company to meet their needs. Furthermore, with automation tools like chatbots or customer relationship solutions, you can gain insights into customer behavior without manual verification, allowing for the launch of products and services that align with their problems and requirements.

7. Comprehensive management

One of the significant advantages of automation in companies is the ability to monitor and control every aspect of the business simultaneously. An IT manager can obtain real-time results in production, logistics, and distribution, enabling timely, data-driven decision-making. This allows attention to be focused on critical activities, thanks to the real-time information that process automation can generate.

The future is automatic

Process automation has become a trend, and companies must adapt to avoid being left behind in the market. Each organization has its priorities, but technology serves as the means to optimize many tasks and increase team productivity. When deciding how to automate a company's processes, incorporating specialized software becomes essential. Implementing control and process automation systems like knowledge bases, self-service tools, or omnichannel strategies is key to taking customer relationships to the next level. 

Achieving end-to-end process automation is an essential pillar of any successful digital transformation journey. As with all business transformation journeys, there’s no need to do everything at once. The first essential step is to be prepared to manage change and communicate clearly defined goals and milestones to the entire workforce.