It is pretty common that a lot of companies want to automate business processes. It allows them increase their employee productivity, optimize the workflow in the departments and of course increase profits. Reducing the effort that employees spend on performing various tasks leads to an optimization of time and all activities in general.
However, when a decision to automate the workflow is made and all the necessary resources become available for this process, the company faces the following important questions: what are the exact processes which should be automated? How to choose the best option among all the possible ones?
Will it be just CRM, or any other programme? Maybe the best solution would be developing an independent mobile or web application to optimize the business processes?
Here, we will discuss in detail the cases where application development for business process automation will be particularly effective for a company’s productivity.
So, what is business process automation (BPA)? Business Process Automation stands for the technologies designed as a tool for the execution of tasks in general. Such solution can be applied to various operations and forms of the company: sales, marketing, personnel management, management and many others.
Thus, the purpose of the UPS is not only to automate business processes, but also to optimize and improve the management of workflows.
Business automation is the partial or complete transfer of stereotypical operations and business tasks under the control of a specialized information system, or software and hardware complex. As a result – the release of human and financial resources to increase productivity and efficiency of strategic management.
Automation is usually conducted in two directions:
- Automation of core business processes: for example, sales management or customer service. In this case, it is carried out to directly increase sales, the number of products and increase the profitability of the business as a whole.
- Automation of supporting processes, such as accounting, reporting, record keeping. Such automation does not directly affect the increase in revenues, but it helps to reduce the time and costs of conducting routine work.
Will this business process automation solution deliver results?
1. Repetitive tasks and processes
BPA is always a good opportunity to simplify daily or repetitive tasks. An example would be an application for tracking time, managing supply chains, purchasing, shipping, as well as for billing, payment processing, etc.
By automating such processes, you not only optimize the time of your employees and reduce the chances of mistakes, but also reduce human involvement in various operations.
2. Document management
Implementing solutions for automating business processes can also relate to document management: from the processing of various orders and requests to budget approval, etc.
Imagine, for example, a mobile application that supports electronic inquiries, signatures, provides access to the documentation and archives it. This solution, implemented in your company, will help you improve the efficiency of all departments.
3. Difficult decision making
Business process automation solutions can also be effective to simplify and speed up the adoption of certain decisions. The integration of programs and products for BPA is of particular importance for banks, financial and insurance companies.
Automating such operations as checking and issuing a loan, approving the budget and financial analysis will increase the efficiency of the company’s business processes.
Developing mobile or web applications for solving such problems can be an excellent option. Imagine, for example, a web application that instantly provides an employee with all the necessary information about the client (his financial capabilities, etc.) and determines whether that person is desirable for issuing a loan or not, and also shows interest rates, loan amount, and t .d
Or an application that detects suspicious actions and signs of fraud and takes all necessary measures: automatically notifies the security system, blocks cards (if necessary), etc.
4. Research
The ABP solution can also automate such research operations as processing big data, analyzing financial risks, collecting and processing medical reports and reports, researching climate, etc.
Automation and optimization of such tasks is a great advantage for companies, which allows them to reduce staff costs and minimize risks and mistakes.
5. Employee self-service portals
Employee self-service portals give employees the opportunity to acquire and develop the necessary skills. There is no need to create special conditions for their training, you only need to implement such a portal in your company.
In this case, the development of mobile and web applications is ideal as a solution for automating business processes. For example, an application that offers diversified online courses, different tasks, selecting them individually for each, records the results, tracks progress, sends assessments to the manager, and all this without special teachers.
6. Marketing activities
You can also use solutions for automating business processes (for example, developing mobile and web applications, implementing CRM, etc.) to optimize and simplify various marketing activities.
A great example would be a mobile application that allows you to run and control advertising campaigns, lead generation, content management. You can incorporate into your product a feature that will allow you to receive and analyze real-time data directly from your smartphone. Sounds good, isn’t it?
With the help of such an ABP solution, you can (as one of the possibilities) see the results in real time, automatically distribute potential customers, launch email campaigns and much more.
7. Optimized communication process
Automated workflow involves an automated communication process. You can implement a solution that provides all employees with an information panel that allows them to see all requests, messages, comments, notes, as well as create various discussions, etc. Such a product automates communication and makes it more transparent and convenient.
8. Sales Process
Companies related to sales, first of all, should consider their automation. The basis of success lies in profit, which is achieved through effective sales. Therefore, their automation will help you increase revenue.
You can optimize all stages of the sale / conclusion of the transaction. For example, instant processing of incoming requests, management of discounts and promotions, recording telephone calls, signing documents and contracts, after-sales support, etc.
Automation of the sales process is a key factor for business development. Therefore, if you have not yet implemented a solution to accelerate and optimize it, you should consider this opportunity to increase the company’s profits.
The main objectives of business automation are the following:
- effective support for the operational activities of the enterprise, organization of accounting and control;
- preparation of any documents for partners, including invoices, invoices, reconciliation reports and business proposals;
- quick receipt of status reports in the company for any period of time;
- optimization of personnel costs, increasing the efficiency of working time by freeing employees from routine work;
- minimizing the negative impact of the “human factor” on the most important business processes;
- secure storage of information;
- improving customer service.
Automation of business processes can significantly improve the quality of management in a company and the quality of its product. For the enterprise as a whole, it provides a number of significant advantages, among which are:
- Increase the speed of information processing and solving repetitive tasks.
- Increasing the transparency of the business and its technology.
- Increased coordination of staff actions and the quality of their work.
- The ability to control large amounts of information.
- Automation of manual labor.
- Reducing the number of errors and improving control accuracy. Parallel solution of several tasks.
- Fast decision making in stereotypical situations.
As a result of automating business process management, the head of the enterprise receives more information for analyzing business processes in the form of detailed analytical reports and has the ability to manage the company qualitatively, taking into account external and internal indicators.
The priorities in the business field tend to change due to various economic and other reasons. The main trends of the current season include the following:
- The use of cloud technologies. The main difference of this automation method is the absence of the own server in the company. Such systems are very popular with small businesses, as they cost much less than the traditional version.
- Active automation of marketing tools: introduction of CRM-systems, contextual advertising automation systems and BI-systems.
- Technology development of machine-to-machine interaction. The emerging M2M trend – Machine to Machine – implies minimal human participation in those processes where this is possible, since the increasing complexity of business processes and equipment does not always allow a person to adequately assess and respond to changing situations.
- The use of big data tools. Another trend in the development of business process automation is a focus on big data and related business intelligence. Demanded by large companies, as for processing large data requires specialized expensive equipment. Analyze data in real time. Business automation systems will evolve towards real-time transaction processing, leading to fully synchronized operations.
How to choose a software for my business automation product?
When choosing software for business process automation, you can go two ways:
- using a typical product;
- development and implementation of individual software.
A standard product will cost the company less, and it is also somewhat easier to implement. But we must not forget that not every typical software can be converted to the individual characteristics of an enterprise, since in a number of programs the possibility of additional settings is limited or even excluded.
The same problem exists with cloud services. In order to choose the right program, it is important to answer a number of very serious questions: What business processes are planned to be automated? Will the functionality of a program correspond to the tasks assigned to it? Is it possible to customize for a specific business practice? Is it possible to quickly change the system without stopping operation in the event of a change in business processes or business conditions? How easy is the system to use? Is it possible to integrate the system with existing services or automation programs? Who and how will provide technical support?
Since it is almost impossible to independently answer these questions on one’s own, it is advisable to get advice from vendor companies (software developers), like ZenBit Tech. In addition, you should talk with your business colleagues, because their experience sometimes helps to make a choice.
However, it is important to understand that opinions in the business community can be very subjective, due to the specifics of the industry, the size of the enterprise, limited experience in owning various ERP systems and, consequently, the inability to see the whole picture and compare all the products to your conditions.
We are always ready to answer all your questions and help you choose the best option specifically for your project. Our company offers high-quality mobile and web application development services for automating business processes, helping our clients solve their problems and achieve success.
