"An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure." - Benjamin Franklin
"An ounce of business process automation, a pound of business perfection." - Sunil Jagani, Simtekway President and Chief Technology Officer
The rise of business automation has been a key trend in the corporate world for several years now, and it has become increasingly prevalent in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Businesses across the globe are investing in automation technology to optimize their business processes and achieve greater productivity with a streamlined workforce. The benefits of automation are numerous, and it is no surprise that businesses are beginning to incorporate it into their ERP and custom CRM solution to manage their limited time and decision cycles more effectively.
Profitable businesses have a high rate of customer satisfaction
Profitable businesses have a high rate of customer satisfaction, and the two are often directly correlated. When customers are satisfied with the products or services they receive, they are more likely to return and recommend the business to others. This can lead to increased revenue and profitability for the business.
However, achieving high levels of customer satisfaction is not always easy. It requires consistent and precise execution of daily processes with the least amount of overhead. When businesses fail to execute processes consistently or delegate them to the wrong people, problems can arise. These problems can lead to delays, errors, and dissatisfied customers.
In the daily rush to meet deadlines, business owners, managers, and C-level executives often overlook the need to define repeated process steps. Instead of rushing onward, they should stop and ask themselves, "how can I automate this?" By automating repeated processes, businesses can achieve greater efficiency, productivity, and consistency.
How Can Automation Help?
Business process automation can help in several ways, including:
# Identify the Tasks
When a business is looking to improve its efficiency and productivity, the answer is not always to hire additional employees. Instead, the first step should be to identify the repeatable tasks that can be automated. By automating these tasks, businesses can achieve greater efficiency and productivity, ultimately leading to increased profitability.
The process of identifying repeatable tasks can be a challenge, especially for businesses that are not accustomed to using automation technology. However, there are several strategies that businesses can use to identify these tasks. One approach is to conduct a process audit, where a team of employees examines each step of a process and identifies areas where automation could be beneficial.
Once a business pattern has been defined and repeatable tasks have been identified, today's technologies can help automate them. Automation technologies, such as chatbots, email automation, and supply chain management software, can help to streamline processes and reduce the workload on employees. This can lead to increased consistency, ultimately leading to higher levels of customer satisfaction and profitability.
Ounces of automation can start to yield pounds of efficiency. Business process automation solutions help businesses achieve greater efficiency and productivity, leading to increased profitability.
# Automate and Prosper
Business process automation can lead to increased efficiency and productivity, allowing employees to work more efficiently and effectively. When tasks and priorities are being managed by automated systems, it becomes easier for business owners and executives to keep on top of them, freeing them up to focus on more strategic and creative work.
Automation can also lead to increased customer satisfaction and profitability. By automating repeated tasks, businesses can reduce the workload on employees, freeing them up to focus on more valuable and strategic work. This can lead to greater efficiency, productivity, and consistency, ultimately leading to higher levels of customer satisfaction and profitability.
In addition, automation can also help businesses to scale and grow more easily. As a business expands, its processes become more complex and time-consuming. Automation can help businesses to manage this complexity more effectively and ensure that their operations remain streamlined and efficient.
By automating repetitive tasks, employees can focus on more strategic work, which can lead to a greater sense of purpose and job satisfaction. In addition, automation can help to reduce the number of errors and mistakes, leading to a more positive work environment.
# Improve Customer Service
Improved customer service is a key benefit of automation technology. By using automated systems, businesses can respond to customer queries more quickly and efficiently, leading to greater customer satisfaction and loyalty.
Automated systems can also be used to automate the customer service process, allowing businesses to respond to customer queries more quickly and efficiently. For example, businesses can use email automation tools to automatically respond to customer emails with pre-written templates. This can help to reduce response times and ensure that customers receive a timely response to their queries.
In addition, automated customer service systems can provide businesses with valuable data and insights into customer behaviour. For example, businesses can use data analytics tools to analyze customer queries and identify common issues or trends. This can help businesses to identify areas for improvement and make data-driven decisions to improve the customer experience.
# Improve Decision Making
Improved decision-making is another important benefit of automation technology. Automation can be used to analyze large datasets and identify patterns and trends that would be difficult or impossible for humans to detect. This can help businesses to make more informed decisions and improve their overall performance.
Machine learning algorithms can be trained to recognize patterns and trends in data, allowing businesses to identify areas for improvement or opportunities for growth. For example, businesses can use machine learning algorithms to analyze customer data and identify customer segments that are most likely to purchase a particular product or service. This can help businesses to target their marketing efforts more effectively and improve their overall sales performance.
In addition, automation can be used to monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) and provide real-time insights into business performance. For example, businesses can use automation tools to monitor website traffic and track conversion rates, providing insights into customer behaviour and preferences.
An example of how automation can streamline workflow processes
Recently, a company with a growing business and large workforce came to Simtekway to explore software options that would help their organization work more effectively. They wanted a secure, intranet-based collaboration and a project management platform. The company’s multiple departments needed to collaborate and yet have separate management.
Simtekway customized Microsoft's SharePoint for this company. A collaboration portal connected multiple departments, allowing them to interact and collaborate as needed. Many company processes also were automated. Among these was the company requires that employees sign out whenever they left the building. The process was fully automated. Users were prompted to sign out and when they did not, both the person and the HR department received an automatic notification. When machines begin to handle many internal processes such as this, the company begins to operate with streamlined efficiency. And, you can begin to see how ounces of automation lead to pounds of business perfection.
