Workflow automation is the use of digital tools to manage and automate tasks within a business workflow, simplifying repetitive and low-value tasks. This increases efficiency and reduces errors, making it essential for today’s businesses.
In this article, we will explore in detail what workflow automation is and why it is important for today’s businesses.
What is workflow automation?
Workflow automation uses business process management (BPM) software to automate tasks in a workflow. This includes sending notifications, assigning tasks, managing documents and processing data to simplify processes, reduce costs and improve efficiency. This involves three main components: activities, business rules and participants.
Activities are the actions that must be performed, while business rules are the instructions that determine the workflow – e.g. the sequence of activities, conditions or iterations. Finally, participants are the people or systems that take part in the workflow activities, such as employees who process customer service requests.
Why is workflow automation important?
Workflow automation is important for today’s businesses because it offers numerous benefits in efficiency, productivity and quality of work. Implementing workflow automation enables companies to reduce costs, increase employee productivity and improve the customer experience.
Firstly, workflow automation improves business efficiency. Repetitive and low-value tasks are automated, freeing employees from manual and repetitive work.
This allows workers to focus on more essential and high-value tasks that require their full attention and expertise. In addition, workflow automation reduces the risk of human error, improving overall quality and reducing the risk of customer complaints.
Secondly, workflow automation reduces business costs. The automation of repetitive tasks saves companies time and money. For example, if a company has to process hundreds of invoices every month, automating this task can reduce the time needed to complete it and, consequently, the cost. In addition, workflow automation allows companies to avoid hiring additional staff.
Finally, workflow automation improves the customer experience, allowing companies to respond quickly to requests and increasing customer satisfaction. Workflow automation can be used, for example, to automate responses to customers or to ensure that requests are processed in an efficient and timely manner.
In addition to the benefits mentioned above, workflow automation can bring many other benefits to companies, including:
- Increased employee productivity: as we said, employees can focus on high-value tasks instead of spending time on repetitive, low-value tasks.
- Improved process visibility: workflow automation allows companies to monitor workflow in real-time and identify any inefficiencies or problems.
- Increased flexibility: workflow automation enables companies to adapt quickly to changes in business needs.
- Increased regulatory compliance: workflow automation can help companies comply with industry standards and regulations.
Concrete examples of the benefits of workflow automation
Workflow automation can simplify the approval process for documents, requests and other workflows requiring multiple parties’ approval. Using workflow automation, companies can reduce the time to complete the approval process, eliminate the need for physical workbooks or emails, and ensure that all parties involved are informed of the approval status in real-time.
In addition, automation can also cover the employee onboarding process, greatly simplifying the integration of new employees into the company. This is because workflow automation can automate the creation of accounts, provision of equipment and work materials, training, and signing of documents.
Workflow automation can also simplify the expense management process by automating the processing of reimbursement requests, facilitating document verification and reconciliation with the company budget, thus helping employees to manage expenses more efficiently. This can obviously reduce the risk of errors and increase the transparency of business costs.
In which areas is workflow automation most useful?
Workflow automation can benefit any business sector with repetitive and routine processes. However, there are some areas where workflow automation can bring greater benefits:
- Quality: workflow automation can standardize processes related to product and system quality, such as approving supplier procedures, handling non-conformities, and issuing certificates or inspection notifications.
- Finance: workflow automation can simplify expense management, accounting, invoicing and reconciliation of financial transactions.
- Marketing: workflow automation can facilitate the creation of marketing campaigns, content management, social media distribution and event planning.
- Production: workflow automation can optimize production planning, inventory management, product tracking and transmitting instructions to the workforce.
- Customer service: workflow automation can facilitate the handling of support tickets, the management of customer requests and communication with customers.
How to implement workflow automation?
To implement workflow automation, a few steps must be followed. First, it is vital to identify the process you want to automate and the activities involved. Next, it is necessary to establish the business rules that determine the workflow and the priority criteria. Once the activities and business rules have been defined, a workflow automation tool can be selected.
Once the tool has been selected, the workflow can be configured according to the activities and business rules. Testing the workflow and making necessary changes are crucial to ensure it works properly.
How NotifyMe can help
Are you ready to take the first steps to improve business process optimization? NotifyMe is a company of the Horizon Group. We specialize in innovation, quality control and digitalization for the oil and gas, energy and manufacturing industries: our software solutions focus on how people use and share data in the workplace.
NotifyMe focuses on automating collaboration processes between employees, customers and suppliers. We have developed a software platform to simplify collaboration in the supply chain using automated workflows.
