No one enjoys filing paperwork or entering data into spreadsheets. However, these small, repetitive tasks are what keep the gears in a business turning. With the advent of technology, the to-do list has only gone longer, and there’s not enough time to do everything. Recurring tasks like these take up 60% of a team’s total work hours.
New, evolving technology comes with challenges, but it also has its feats. Business process optimization has enabled us to streamline menial tasks. This gives us time to focus on the things that matter more.
In this article, we uncover seven common business process automation examples. Read on to discover more and why you should start using them, too.
Business Process Automation Examples:
1. Purchasing Orders
The order management process is the same regardless of your industry. Employees spend hours filling out manual order forms and then shipping them out. Sales order automation can streamline this process, making it easier for employees and customers.
This can free up your workforce, allowing your team to focus their energy on more important tasks. Automating sales procurement can also streamline inventory management. If you connect the order process with your inventory, you’ll get real-time updates on your stock.
This means your employees and buyers don’t have to worry about whether an item is in stock. Automation apps also track every step of the order process. This enables you to let buyers know when you’re ready to ship their order and when they should receive it.
You can even pull the information into a customer database, so return buyers will have easier transactions in the future.
2. Employee Onboarding
Welcoming a new member to the team is always exciting, but it can often feel like a huge rush. New hires are expected to complete 54 tasks on average during the onboarding process. As a company owner, you want to give your employees a good experience, especially new hires.
Onboarding automation can make the whole process easier for everyone involved. When a new employee starts, they’ll have a ton of questions concerning new applications and equipment.
Automation prepares the tools they need so they can hit the ground running on their first day. This also reduces security risks that could result from human error.
3. File Transfers
The age of filing cabinets and stacks of paper is now long forgotten. Many businesses have adopted digital media to store and write up files. However, you can take this a step further by automating file transfers.
Standard platforms like Gmail and Outlook are good, but they aren’t perfect. There’s also a lot of room for error, like forgetting to add an attachment to an email.
File transfer automation allows you to establish a more consistent workflow. This saves time and enables you to execute projects to your preference. This can also be of tremendous help when you need to transfer large files or file sets.
The most crucial thing to remember is to have encryption enabled. This secures your transfers and reduces the risk of confidential leaks.
4. Email Automation
How many hours a day do you spend answering emails? How many of those emails are irrelevant to your core responsibilities? This is where email automation comes in.
If someone contacts you about something irrelevant to your position, you can direct them to the proper avenues in an automated response. Email automation can also enhance your marketing strategy.
Email automation uses a set of predefined rules to trigger responses. You can even personalize your messages to make the customer experience more positive. You can also use this tool to reach out to customers who might be losing interest.
For example, a buyer who abandoned their cart or doesn’t interact as much with your brand. Email automation can help with promoting new products and business growth.
5. Data Entry
It would be a dream to live in a world where no one has to fill out forms. While we’re still far from that reality, data entry automation makes this somewhat more possible. Many data automation software can extract and convert data into the proper format.
Any information from PDFs, emails, documents, and images can be translated into a CSV or XML. Data entry automation allows you to conserve your workforce for more crucial tasks. Data entry software also offers more accuracy, reducing time lost on errors like typos.
It’s also capable of handling large volumes of data. Your employees will also be a lot happier saving time on such menial tasks.
6. Customer Service
Customer service is a crucial channel in nurturing customer relationships. However, if you don’t have the budget for a team dedicated to customer service, this can be difficult to manage. There are also times when a potential buyer will reach out to you outside of office hours.
Customer service automation can help fill those gaps and even provide 24/7 support. Automation allows you to make responses based on centralized data. This means that there’s less room for error or miscommunication.
7. Communication
Communication is the foundation for success in relationships, especially in business. From entry-level hires to managers, each team member must be up-to-date to keep a business productive. Unfortunately, emailing team members individually can take up too much time.
There’s also a high risk of miscommunication or accidentally overlapping meetings. Using an automated communication system can help you avoid this.
You can set up meeting reminders and email alerts to ensure everyone is up-to-speed. This also helps with clients who need follow-ups after availing of your services. Automated communication channels also help template messages, saving time.
The best part about this type of software is that it acts as a central hub for all types of communication. If this sounds like something you need, check out iMBrace.
Learning the Seven Best Business Process Automation Examples
Growing your business means making a few adjustments. Business automation can help you and your employees put out your best work. These business process automation examples are only the beginning of what you can do to make your company more efficient.
If you want to learn more, check out our other blog posts! We have more great business tips for you to discover.
