Modernize Your Work With Business Process Automation
By: Microsoft 365 Team
Published: October 10, 2019
It’s said that those who live in the past have no future, and the same can be said of organizations that refuse to embrace all that modern technology has to offer. Whether we like it or not, today’s business world is fast-paced, and it can often feel impossible to keep up with ever-changing trends. Add in the fact that customers expect immediate service and it’s enough to give anyone in business a major headache.
One way to stay current with technology—and the times—is business process automation. Business process automation software gives your organization the ability to automate time-intensive tasks, thereby optimizing operations and bringing a new level of efficiency to your company. In addition, process automation allows your employees to use their skills for the jobs they were hired to do instead of routine tasks that may take up valuable time.
What BPA software can do for you
A 2013 study released by CompTIA said that the five areas companies hoped BPA software would improve included bottlenecks that show things down (48 percent), duplication of work (46 percent), poor interaction between departments (39 percent), difficulty locating documents (33 percent), and lack of business process visibility (27 percent).
Specifically, business process automation can be used to streamline a variety of processes, including:
- Document management
- Workflow automation
- Task alerts via email
- Email marketing campaigns
- Thank you letters
- Payment reminders
- Document review and approval
- Management of employee requests
Once you’ve decided which processes to automate, you can customize your workflows by laying out the steps and configuring alerts and approvals that will model the actual processes that are usually carried out manually. Some popular areas of use include marketing, client management, and customer support.
Benefits of Business Process Automation
Aside from streamlining your processes, there are numerous benefits to implementing business process automation, including the following:
- Reduced costs. You can hire fewer people since there is less work to be completed.
- More efficient use of manpower. Managers, for example, can spend more time directing their employees and keeping an eye on important tasks instead of drowning in reviews, approvals, and requests.
- Improved collaboration. BPA software can be used to create a space where team members can share files and receive alerts when documents have been updated or changed, or assigned by one team member to another. This helps keep the whole team on the same page and improves communication as well.
- Improved customer support. It can be difficult for a company’s customer support team or help desk to keep track of all requests or questions without business process automation. Stop customers from falling through the cracks when you use BPA software for automatic ticket creation. This helps your customer service teams respond more quickly and efficiently, resulting in happier customers.
- Better overall job performance. The use of business process automation results in fewer manual errors and more focused work among employees.
- More satisfied employees. According to a 2015 report from the Society for Human Resource Management, 55 percent of employees rated it as “very important” to their job satisfaction that they had opportunities to use their skills and abilities. When you cut out the more menial tasks from employees’ job descriptions, they have time for the parts of the job they are skilled at.
Selecting the Right BPA Software
When choosing the perfect business process automation solution for your organization, it’s important to look at a variety of factors, including a price that fits your budget, a solution that integrates with your current applications, and a provider’s reputation and ability to offer you high-quality service. So what are you waiting for? Step into the future and modernize your work with business process automation.
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This artiucle was originally published by Mircosoft.com in their Growth Center. View orginial post here.