Automation of business processes

To overcome these challenges, we recommend automating your business processes. Automating recurring and manual tasks allows you to save time, reduce costs and increase efficiency. But which processes are suitable for automation? In this article, we would like to help you identify processes with automation potential.

Process automation refers to the transformation of manual or digital processes into automated workflows with the help of software and technologies. The aim is to save time and costs in the execution of processes. 

A benefit analysis can help to decide whether automation makes sense. Frequently repeated work steps are good candidates for automation. More complex processes can also be automated, but require more effort.

There are five characteristics that processes should have in order to be successfully automated. The processes should be at least partially performed manually and therefore still contain automation potential. Consistency and regularity of the processes, as well as rule-basis are crucial so that the automated processes can follow a clear structure. Homogeneous, i.e. standardized input with a low number of variants and a high volume of repeated work steps are also crucial in order to fully exploit the scalability and efficiency of automation.

Operational business processes are the daily, routine procedures and activities within a company that contribute directly to value creation and the achievement of corporate goals. These include, for example, processes such as invoicing, warehouse management or purchasing. 

Examples of automation: Payment reminders and incoming payment monitoring, automatic stock monitoring, automatic order proposals

Administrative and support processes are the processes within a company that do not directly contribute to value creation or the production of the main products or services, but are nevertheless necessary to maintain operations and achieve business objectives. They support operational business processes and ensure that the company runs smoothly. Personnel management, approval processes, capacity planning or onboarding fall into this category. 

Examples of automation: Automated recording of working hours, vacation requests and payroll accounting, automatic approval of requests and orders, planning of shifts and assignments, induction of new employees

Customer-oriented processes focus on improving customer relationships and satisfaction, while growth-oriented processes aim to drive company growth and business expansion. Marketing and sales have various processes where it is worth investing in automation.

Examples of automation: Automated answering machines and chatbots, automated social media posts, automated lead generation

By automating business processes, companies can reduce their administrative costs and increase employee productivity and satisfaction. Manual sources of error are minimized, paperwork is reduced and data protection is improved. With data that is always up-to-date and meaningful, processes can be designed more efficiently, workflows can be scaled easily and business structures can be made more agile and resilient. This leads to faster cycle times, improved compliance and greater collaboration across the organization, ultimately improving customer service quality and response times.