With business activities increasingly driven by technology, it is normal for more managers to seek to understand the advantages of process automation and the best ways to implement the methodology.
As a result, there has been a significant increase in the search for strategies such as RPA, or “robotic process automation,” and other solutions—which are expected to grow to $12 billion by 2030, according to Statista’s forecast.
In a scenario of growth for this strategy, in order to remain competitive, your company needs to know the advantages of process automation, understand the impact of the discipline on your workflow, and, above all, how to apply it.
If you want to understand more about the topic, keep reading. In the following paragraphs, we explain what process automation is and how the process helps you improve the productivity and profitability of your business.
What is process automation?
Process automation is defined as the process of performing certain bureaucratic and repetitive activities automatically. To do this, specific programs are used, which, in addition to the execution itself, keep a complete record of the actions performed, those responsible for the steps, and their duration.
Currently, automation in work processes has an impact on companies in all niches and in countless sectors, thanks to its versatility, the possibility of integration between teams, and much more aligned communication between different areas.
For example: a company that produces furniture can, with process automation:
- receive the order;
- start production and request delivery of raw materials;
- update inventory records;
- notify the people involved in the project;
- collect data on the duration of the process;
- finalize production and forward the product to the dispatch department for shipment to the customer.
All of this occurs automatically, using specific tools configured by management with rules on production and key information. This makes it possible to identify and correct errors whenever possible, before they cause damage to the business.
The impacts of automation on the work process
Just from the example above, it is clear how one of the main advantages of process automation is its impact on the organization, right?
After all, with the right tools, the team defines and monitors the comings and goings of activities efficiently and focused on the company’s main objective.
And there’s more! See other aspects that benefit from process automation.
Profit maximization
Automation allows a company to operate 24 hours a day, without the need for breaks, as is the case with activities performed by human employees.
With the execution flow, in addition to reducing investment in labor costs, there is an exponential increase in your business’s revenue.
Reduction in the time required to perform activities
Imagine that an employee takes 10 minutes to perform a chain of activities such as the one presented above (receiving the demand, highlighting the raw material, updating inventory, producing, communicating with other responsible parties, identifying possible failures, and finally delivering the product). With automation, this time is reduced considerably.
This is because, thanks to the tools and advantages of process automation, upon receiving the demand, the program responsible already requests the raw material, updates the inventory, notifies the people involved, and begins preparing the product in a matter of seconds.
Reduction in errors
Process automation tools work based on rules predefined by management: what, when, and how to do, which indicators to monitor, which people to notify, which procedures to prioritize.
This ensures standardized procedures, with minimal chances of errors.
In addition, sophisticated tools, such as RPA, can even perform data analysis to make decision-making more assertive and secure.
Improvement in delivery quality
Because it is based on strict rules, one of the great advantages of process automation is improved delivery quality. This is mainly due to the standardization of activities.
In addition, execution is much faster, which allows the “extra” time previously used to manually perform error-prone activities to be better utilized by the teams involved in the demand.
Possibility of reallocating resources
When process automation begins to perform certain activities within a company, the employees who were previously responsible for these tasks become strategic assets. They can then be moved to areas where their efforts can be better utilized.
It is also possible to redirect financial resources. If you had a machine rented for a certain activity that has become automated, for example, there are savings in value—which can be invested in another aspect that is more profitable for your business.
The advantages of process automation
In addition to promoting a more organized workflow, with possibilities for improvements and new growth opportunities, process automation has specific advantages, such as:
- ease of access and circulation of information between sectors;
- reduction in production costs (both in terms of time and financial resources);
- more agile and effective management;
- identification of new opportunities for improvements in workflow;
- reduction of bottlenecks and errors;
- increased competitiveness.
All of this, of course, in addition to helping to increase productivity efficiently. However, to enjoy the benefits of process automation, it is necessary to understand not only its necessity, but also how to implement the methodology.
How to implement process automation
The first step in learning how to implement process automation is to clearly identify and define your needs and goals. Knowing which activities and sectors benefit most from automation can be a promising start to digital transformation in your business.
To do this, develop process mapping. This is a visual and educational guide with all the information about your business activities. It is from this data that you make the automation and improvements necessary to optimize your workflow.
With it, you can also identify opportunities for growth and any flaws or redundant and unnecessary processes that cause losses and delays to the business as a whole.
That is why it is essential to have a complete management and automation platform capable of organizing activities, monitoring the execution time of each one, and offering valuable insights into the tools that can help you the most.
With this and other strategic data at hand, you can ensure a successful partnership for a much more productive and organized future for your company.
This article was written by Lecom, a leading company in Intelligent Process Management, offering the market a BPMS (Business Process Management Suite or System) platform to automate, execute, improve, and manage processes.