Automated Business Process: Best Practices & Tips

Automated business processes don’t just help a business to perform better, they can also aid in cultivating better working environments for employees. 90% of employees feel burdened by repetitive tasks that could be automated with ease. 

We’re going to look at how business process automation software can save your business time and money, improve collaboration, decrease compliance risk, and even support a happier workforce. 

By knowing what processes are best to automate and how to choose the best process automation software, you’ll have all you need to get going. 

Coming Up

What is Process Automation?

Process automation utilizes software and technology to minimize manual and repetitive work done by humans. Process automation leverages a range of tools, including: robotic process automation (RPA), artificial intelligence (AI), business rules, and intelligent document processing (IDP), to name a few. 

What is Business Process Automation (BPA)?

A business process refers to a set of activities that take place in order to achieve business goals. Business process automation is the application of software to execute said processes, with minimal to no human intervention. 

Since business processes tend to take place across multiple business divisions, such as HR, finance, and sales (for example), business process automation can help to enable collaboration and communication between departments. As a result, you can reduce bottlenecks and key person dependencies. 

What are Business Process Automation Examples?

Let’s take a look at some business process automation examples so you can see how versatile this type of software is and the positive impact it has on companies: 

1. Invoice Processing

Keeping track of invoices tends to be a cumbersome responsibility, especially as transaction volume and partnerships grow. 

With business process automation, you can invoice automatically, track payments, and even send reminders to ensure timely collection of the accounts you are owed. 

2. Employee Onboarding

Onboarding employees is exciting for both the employer and employee, but it comes with a lot of steps. Given the repetitive nature of the process, as well as the hope for it to be standardized, it is very well-suited for business process automation. 

Digitizing each step along the way makes it a more painless process for employers and employees alike. 

3. Account Reconciliation

As a finance professional, you know all too well the importance of the month-end close process, as well as the pivotal role the account reconciliation plays. 

Having to manually collect data and statements to then perform transaction matching by hand can take days or even weeks. Process automation streamlines the entire reconciliation process with utmost accuracy, speed, and efficiency. 

Why Automate Business Processes?

With the amount of reasons as to why you should automate business processes, it’s probably easier to list the reasons why you shouldn’t (spoiler alert: there aren’t any!). 

So, we’ll stick to the point and showcase the array of benefits that come along with business process automation services, namely:

1. Greater Efficiency

Automated processes means that you can complete critical processes without delays. This equates to getting more done with less resources and time, thereby enhancing productivity and efficiency. 

In the same vein, your finance team gets to free up some time to focus on high-level and strategic tasks, rather than being bogged down completing manual, redundant, and tedious tasks. 

2. Digital Transformation

Digital transformation is a large goal to achieve in one swoop. That’s why it’s best to take small steps along the way. With automated business processes, you have a straightforward path to begin with proven and likely immediate ROI. 

3. Increased Transparency

Using software increases visibility on behalf of management, executives, and key stakeholders. Along with improved transparency, there is also greater clarity provided to your team as they know what to expect regarding tasks involved in a process and the right order of operations. 

What Business Processes Should You Automate?

It’s probably the case that your business deals with a lot of processes on a daily basis, so it’s natural to wonder where the right place to begin is. Luckily, when it comes to automated business processes, there are some key factors that make a process ripe for automation. 

Look for processes that are:

• High in task volume 
• Time-sensitive in nature 
• Impact other processes 
• Involve multiple people 
• Make use of audit trails 

Take these processes as a good starting point: 

• Sales orders
• Data aggregation 
• Invoicing 
• Payroll 
• Lead nurturing
• Call center processes 
• Expense management 

What are the Benefits of Business Process Automation Tools?

Getting started using automation tools is typically that “hard” part because once you make the jump to implement your chosen solution, you’ll question why you didn’t do it sooner. 

The benefits of business process automation tools are plenty:

• You’ll notice that your business processes are streamlined. 
• You won’t have to worry about delays or missing deadlines. 
• You can say goodbye to key person dependencies. 
• Your performance reports will improve as you directly reduce human errors. 
• You may notice cost savings. 
• Your team will become more valuable as they are able to apply human thought to responsibilities, as opposed to feeling burned out from repetition. 

What are the Challenges of Business Process Automation?

Before implementing business process automation, keep in mind these considerations (they may guise themselves as challenges, but if you are prepared, they are easy to overcome):

• Pushback: Often the greatest barrier to deploying business process automation software tends to be people. Employees may feel fearful of change or threatened by the new addition. Proper change management and communication can help clear the air. 

• Lack of documentation: Before automating a process, it’s necessary to sufficiently document the process’ steps. 

• Scalability: Be mindful of where you hope your business will be in the future. Rather than simply looking at needs today, choose an automated business process software that is scalable. 

What are the Features of Business Process Automation Tools?

When searching for the perfect business process automation tool, keep in mind these key features you’ll want to have: 

• Integration: Naturally, you’ll want your newest tool to work well with your existing tech stack. This way, you won’t have to worry about lost or outdated data from clouding the functionality. 

• Reporting and Analytics: Top-tier business process automation software can transform raw data into valuable insights and provide analysis for decision-makers. 

• Task scheduling: Make use of predefined rules to schedule tasks in advance. 

• Process monitoring: Gain access to the process’ performance and status in real-time, supporting transparency and internal control. 

• Templates: Find software that works with drag-and-drop functionality (no coding necessary) and/or provides pre-built templates that are designed workflows. 

What are Best Practice Tips for Business Process Automation?

Making your automation journey a success requires planning and attention. With proper management, it is easy to achieve. 

Here are some of our top best practices when you implement business process automation: 

1. Define Goals

Start by defining business goals and the reason for the automated business processes. Not only does this help to select the right tools and communicate with your team accordingly, but it will also lay the groundwork for what metrics to track to ensure the plan is going as desired. 

2. Have Patience

Results may not be clear right away. Since you will start automating in small batches with one process to begin with, the impact may not be as large as you may have imagined. Patience is key. 

3. Train Accordingly

Make sure that your team is up-to-speed on how to use the software and what is expected of them. With the adjustment period, it will be crucial that they feel comfortable using the technology so that they are aligned with doing so. 

4. Choose the Right Tool 

Some people in your organization will be really comfortable using business process automation software, whereas others may feel like it’s a foreign language. The best case scenario is to choose a user friendly tool with an intuitive interface. 

5. Monitor Continuously

Process automation is a long-term approach. It requires consistent monitoring and updates as needed. 

Wrap Up 

With an automated business process, business owners, executives, employees, and customers all experience benefits. You can expect increased productivity, reduced errors, smoother collaboration, and happier customers and employees! 

Gone are the days where your team has to be manually shuffling paper, sourcing data, and performing calculations. Try business process automation software to drive greater  success and ease the workload on your teams.