Process automation is a technology tool that automates some or all of the more common, repeatable administrative processes in an organization. It’s valued for its ability to free-up employee time for more important tasks.
Essentially every business has adopted some form of process automation with tools such as a CRM or ERP. With investments in these important systems, organizations have automated some process, but not all of them.
“Not everything that can be handled through process automation within a business has been done,” says Brian Brock, Solutions Sales Engineer at Blue Technologies, Inc. “Organizations tend to be piecemeal with technology — some things are done manually, some are automated. Organizations have lots of room to improve and stay ahead of the curve.”
And now with cloud technology advancing considerably, organizations can expand their process automation capabilities and reach.
Smart Business spoke with Brock about how cloud technology coupled with process automation is helping organizations achieve more than ever.
How does cloud technology and process automation help?
In the past, when an organization wanted to automate business processes and connect across systems, the solution to do that had to be installed on a server on the premise. Now, a lot of organizations have moved to the cloud, greatly increasing their storage but also leveraging cloud tools that can connect across systems, and create more efficient workflows and approval processes. It means processes that automatically generate notifications when documents need to be reviewed and approved, or build a queue that houses documents rather than have them manually shuffled around the office waiting for review. It means a formalizing rules and practices.
This, however, can meet with reticence from organizations because often people are reluctant to change their ways. But the best process automation tools are customized to match the needs of a particular organization to further facilitate their business process, rather than disrupt an existing process by attempting to substitute another.
New tools have come out recently that have simplified processes such as form creation. These forms will generate documents from the inputs given and then route them to where they need to go, or use them to populate a database or an Excel sheet.
Further, because enterprise software suites are based in the cloud, organizations don’t need to invest in as much hardware. That simplifies the experience and lowers the barrier to entry as these services don’t require an on-site technical staff to maintain.
Why don’t all organizations adopt this technology?
The challenge that a lot of organizations have with looking at process to automate is that they are married to the processes that they currently have, even if they’re manual, so there’s always some hesitancy to change. That’s why working with a technical expert is important. They can review current processes and recommend technology to make improvements. Often that could mean just a few simple changes that trim minutes off of common processes, which ultimately saves a great deal of manual time. The power of process automation to handle repetitive tasks can make a big impact on organizations of any size in any industry.
The barrier to entry for cloud-based process automation is lower than it’s ever been. Cloud technology has simplified adoption and eliminated the hardware and IT requirements that accompany previous approaches. That’s made it possible for more businesses to take advantage of emerging technologies without massive investments upfront. Even smaller organizations with just a few people can recognize a significant difference and without much in terms of expense.
Who can help implement this technology?
Organizations should look to work with a provider that has local resources, does not offer services from just one brand, and has a technical staff — engineers who understand not just the available services, but also the organizational processes. Having such technical resources means they can look at a process and understand it, and also understand the technology, its limitations and its strengths, and how it can fit in and improve what the organization is trying to do.
INSIGHTS Technology is brought to you by Blue Technologies, Inc.
