Workflow automation: is your business ready?

Beata Green

Better productivity

When a business's workflow has been automated, job capacity increases, delivery times become shorter, and business operations are optimised. This reduced turnaround and fulfilment time benefit your business's productivity as a whole.

Foot in the door

While manual business processes can set you far behind the competition, automating your workflow can allow your business to stay competitive. Automation allows more margin to be leveraged, keeping you at par with your competition.

Higher speed

Another benefit to automating your workflow comes in the form of increased speed. More work can be completed in a shorter amount of time.

Higher volume

Self-service automation tools allow the customer to have control over one or more parts of the process. Automation streamlines customer services processes as well, allowing them to find their own solution from a knowledge base or communication with other customers.

Fewer errors

Unlike manual data process, workflow automation can assist with the identification and elimination of potential errors before they occur.

Waste reduction

Be in time or materials, automated workflows eliminate waste, as there is no need to redo a project or fix projects. This also translates to tighter completion times for projects, as well as tighter control of costs.

A focused team

When automated workflow takes over the common and time-consuming tasks of your staff, they are better able to focus on the customer. As well, the streamlining of these repetitive processes results in your customer service reps having more time to spend with customers.

An expansion of company capability

When all parts of the workflow are automated, an increased capacity is the result. As well, the capabilities of a company can expand due to workflow automation, meaning higher potential revenue.

Types of workflow automation software

There is a piece of software available for several business processes.

CRM software

Customer relationship management software can not only assist you with the management of customer issues and questions, but it can also assist with the management of customer interaction and data. CRM can also automate sales, support and marketing, in addition to allowing access to business information and management of relationships with partners, vendors and employees.

There are many beneficial CRM products on the market. The best are those that are scalable, allowing them to grow with your business. Insightly CRM is just one of many useful products for small businesses.

Accounts Payable Software

Probably the biggest impact of workflow automation software has occurred in the accounts payable departments. This software has given more control to accountants and CFOs, letting them know almost instantly where each asset, obligation, receivable and penny is at any given time.

Invoicing systems have allowed collaboration of any number of people to occur on any payable in real time. This means that anyone with an interest in the payable can access, and do so simultaneously, confirming, disputing, clarifying or explaining every aspect so that it's made clearer overall.

There are so many quality products on the market that allow for the automation of workflow, it can be difficult to choose the right one for your size and type of business. However, this can be made easier by identifying the particular needs of your business and then matching them to the features found in the researched software.