As your business grows, it's common for bottlenecks to arise. That’s why
‘business process automation’ is crucial for removing or minimizing bottlenecks to help your business and employees flourish. By implementing automation technology, your company can better serve customers, improve employee output, and boost profits.
See how automation can resolve common bottlenecks for more efficient and effective operations.
What is Business Process Automation?
Business process automation (BPA) is the use of technology to perform recurring tasks or processes in a business to replace manual effort. Essentially, it reduces or removes small but time-consuming tasks that are required for your business to function and be successful.
BPA turns these tasks (e.g. record keeping, appointment making, and data reporting) into a seamless, automatic process that needs little involvement from employees.
Benefits of business process automation include:
- Reduced costs
- Increased speed and efficiency
- Elimination of bottlenecks or delays
- Increased service quality
- Improved service delivery
- Enhanced sales and marketing
It’s crucial to note that BPA isn’t the same thing as ‘business process management’ (BPM), which is the larger discipline of researching, measuring, analyzing, and improving the management of complex organization-wide processes. BPM is more about big-picture strategy whereas BPA handles the details.
Common Bottlenecks BPA Can Resolve
From small businesses to large corporations, everyone is looking for ways to streamline processes and reduce costs. But what are the most common bottlenecks that BPA can resolve? Take a look!
Manual data entry
One of the most time-consuming tasks in any business is manual data entry. It can lead to errors, delays, and a backlog of work. Business process automation can help streamline data entry by automating the process, saving time and reducing errors.
Confusing processes
Not only do confusing processes take longer for new employees to learn, but they also decrease overall employee efficiency. Use automation to optimize your processes so it's easier to train employees and lower the chances of error.
Too many processes
Even if the processes are relatively simple and quick, having too many of them still takes up valuable employee time and decreases work output. Perform an audit of your processes to see which can be eliminated or streamlined with BPA software.
Understaffing
Although hiring more employees isn’t always feasible, continually increasing an employee’s workload isn’t optimal either. Help your employees accomplish more in less time by providing the right automation tools.
Miscommunication
Whether it’s not replying to emails or returning phone calls in a timely manner, every miscommunication or delay can cost you a customer. Set up
automated emails and reminders to ensure customers and leads receive prompt communication.
Outdated systems/technology
Slow speed, glitches, and outages hinder employee performance, signaling a desperately needed improvement to your
systems. Make your business more agile by upgrading your automation technology.
Inefficient onboarding
Having a seamless onboarding experience for new customers and employees is essential for building rapport and increasing efficiency. BPA can help streamline the onboarding process by sending out welcome emails, setting up accounts, and assigning tasks.
Inventory management
Proper inventory management is essential for operations, but things can fall through the cracks if your company relies on manual processes or outdated technologies. With BPA, you can automate inventory tracking, ordering, and restocking to help ensure effective management and avoid stockouts.
Level Up Your Business with Automation
By implementing BPA, your employees will have more time to focus on important tasks that require a human touch, like providing
exceptional customer service. Additionally, your business will be more cost-efficient, streamlined, and error-proof, which are key to igniting growth.
Editor's Note: This post was originally published in January 2020 and has been updated for accuracy and comprehensiveness.