IT Process Automation

Process automation uses technology to automate complex business processes. It typically has three functions: automating processes, centralizing information, and reducing the requirement for input from people. It is designed to remove bottlenecks, reduce errors and loss of data, all while increasing transparency, communication across departments, and speed of processing.

The five basic steps remain the same for building IT process automation

1. Identify Tasks and Process That Can Be Automated

Not every task can be automated. There are some easy wins though, where some processes can easily be automated with existing software. Think about tasks within an organization that:

• Are repetitive

• Are time sensitive

• Include a number of people and pieces

• Need auditing or compliance trails

• Impact other processes and systems within the business

• Are rule based, standardized

• Have the potential for high return on investment

Find these tasks and create a process map that shows the current system.

2. Set Your Organizational Goals

Unless you have a firm idea of where you want to go, your changes may not result in any positive, lasting change. The organization needs to decide what their goals are, and how automation will help to achieve them. Also it’s important to plan how success will be measured: less customer complaints, a drop in turnaround time, an increase in profitability?

Once you have clarified your goals, decision making becomes a lot easier, as every choice simply becomes is this taking us closer to our goals, or further away?

3. Choose the Right Tools

This is where research is required to find the best solutions. This could benefit from involving professionals who have had experience in creating successful process automation systems. The ideal system is simple and easy to understand, with intuitive interfaces and great usability. It should be scalable, with flexibility for future growth and change within the organization. It should also integrate with existing software and tooling, be able to communicate with other programs, and have a system to deal with data.

4. Change Management

This is arguably the most important step in transitioning to the new automation. Getting the buy-in of staff and training employees in the use of the software helps to ensure it is used effectively and with a positive attitude.

Involving the team with the planning process, getting a feedback loop that is open to change from both sides, and ongoing education all help to transition smoothly to the new process.

5. Measure and Monitor

Your new process, and the tools used, are not intended to be static. As the business needs change, so should the system. Continually monitor key performance indicators, and if performance drops, assess the process and re-evaluate needs that are vital to system longevity.

Benefits of Process Automation

With such a bespoke, holistic solution, process automation should deliver a raft of positives for any organization that implements it correctly.

Transparency in Management

The day to day business operations can quickly become all that management notices; the overarching strategy and process can get lost in the minutiae of running the organization. Sitting down, going over process workflows, and implementing process automation allows owners to truly see and understand the business. Clearly defined systems allow for deeper insights into the business and possibility for greater improvements in the future.

Improve Productivity

Business process automation continues to be the key to improving productivity for organizations. RPA alone has helped to improve productivity in businesses by 86 percent. Removing bottlenecks, taking manual, time-consuming tasks away from people, and seamlessly integrating everything into one automated workflow increases productivity dramatically for companies.

Increase Compliance

Whether with internal policy and standards or external governing bodies and agencies, process automation systems increase compliance. As all processes automatically happen, there are no cutting corners, no missed steps, and no forgotten steps in a process. If a business has governance, risk, or compliance concerns, process automation should be a vital part of their day-to-day operations.

Reduce Costs

One of the most attractive benefits of process automation is a reduction in costs. Businesses have reported a reduction of costs of 59 percent, which allows businesses to create more income, reinvest in the business, or grow. Return on investment was reportedly achieved in less than 12 months.

This is due a range of factors:

• Increased processing speed

• Less bottlenecks and delays

• Less errors

• Freeing up time for staff to perform other tasks

Better Utilization of Staff

While staff are busy with tedious, repetitive tasks, they are not being used to their full potential. By removing these tasks and allocating employees to more valuable and interesting parts of the business, they will be more satisfied, increasing positive business outcomes.

Less Errors

Errors can be disruptive and create problems within a business. While getting an order wrong or having an incorrect address are problems that can be resolved, it takes up valuable time. If those problems start to affect customers, it can negatively impact the entire business, contribute to churn, and create more work for staff in the long term. Automation means much less capacity for errors.