The Pandemic has shown that Enterprises can bring drastic changes in a short span of time. There is always this question as to how did Enterprises scale up their digital transformation efforts in such a short time? And in some sense we owe it to automation and the advancement of technology. The pandemic has led many business leaders to think creatively and accelerate digital transformation in the organizations to deliver solutions faster than ever before.
Many enterprises started to adopt various Rapid automation techniques such as Robotic Process Automation (RPA), Artificial intelligence (AI), Business Process Automation (BPA), etc. to meet the growing needs of the consumer and clients. These automation techniques have saved a lot of time for businesses and enterprises that spent previous minutes of production involving the boring repetitive manual tasks that are now completed with the help of computers. Let’s dig a little deeper into Business Process Automation and understand how it is helping businesses become more efficient.
What is Business Process Automation?
Before we get into the details of how we can make the systems more effective and our processes more efficient. Let us clearly define what Business Process Automation(BPA) is.
Gartner defines Business Process Automation as the automation of complex business processes and functions beyond conventional data processing and record-keeping. It involves running core business processes that are event driven, and often critical in nature as opposed to running simple data maintenance tasks.
BPA accelerates the way a business functions across different departments and teams to get the work done faster and efficiently. It assists greatly in streamlining the various processes involved in any organization, be it onboarding an employee, planning a marketing campaign, managing vendor payments, etc. BPA gets a lot of the boring repetitive tasks done in no time using custom designed rules and actions, and the best part is that it gets the work done as and when expected without any dependence on human resources.
Business Process Automation Examples
Here are a few helpful use cases which businesses and enterprises can implement to manage the business process in their organizations more efficiently.
Recruitment
There is a lot of paperwork and repetitive mundane tasks involved in the recruitment process in any organization. Right from posting about the job to finally hiring the desired candidate there is a lot that goes on.
Recruitment process Example – The paperwork involving the recruitment process is quite a lengthy process. Unless we learn to automate certain simple tasks like auto populating application data and disqualifying candidates who don’t meet the set standard; we cannot make the process more efficient. While the sample process above may not be the ideal automation process, we’d like to leave you with ways to think about automating certain tasks to make it easy for everyone.
Temporary Entry/Exit Access
When an employee forgets his keycard to enter the office building or infrastructure. The security team ensures that there is a thorough filing of paperwork to issue a temporary keycard to provide the right access areas on it. Here is snippet of the process.
Access Key example – if you forget your access key, it becomes a tedious task to get a temporary key again. But if the process was automated with an app on the phone. There’s nothing like it. You can save precious minutes of the day and escape the frustration of not being able to get things done on time by automating the process of temporary keycards using a mobile app. Forgetting the keycard at your desk and going back for it, all of these can be avoided if we streamline and automate the entry and exit to the office premises.
Managing Vendor Payments
Many times organizations and enterprises rely on vendors to accomplish some tasks that they are not an expert in or need additional hands on deck for. This could be organizing a welcome kit, or getting a birthday gift delivered to an employee, etc. While the tasks get completed as expected, the payments sometimes become a hiccup as the approvals become a roadblock.
Vendor Payment Example – Dealing with the finance team can sometimes be a challenge. And going back and forth between the managers and finance team for approvals could be a time consuming task when you want to just get the work done and want to skip drafting emails every time you have to place a request from vendors. Developing an automation tool that everyone can use makes it easy for everyone.
Key considerations to implement Business Process Automation
Implementing Business Process Automation (BPA) is not just about deploying technology—it’s about transforming workflows in a way that aligns with business goals. Here’s an in-depth look at the key considerations to ensure a successful BPA implementation:
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Analyze Processes Thoroughly
Before automating any process, it is crucial to understand the existing workflows in detail. Skipping this step can lead to automating inefficiencies or overlooking critical dependencies.
Why It Matters: Automation is only as effective as the process it optimizes. Without identifying redundancies or inefficiencies, you risk replicating or exacerbating problems.
How to Do It:
- Map out the end-to-end workflow for the targeted process.
- Identify pain points, bottlenecks, and repetitive tasks.
- Consult stakeholders who interact with the process to gather insights.
- Use process visualization tools like flowcharts or workflow diagrams to ensure clarity.
Example: In a recruitment process, analyzing workflows might reveal delays caused by manual resume screening, which can be replaced by an automated filtering system.
2. Identify Tasks to Automate
Not every task in a business process is suitable for automation. The goal is to identify areas where automation will deliver the most value.
How to Identify Tasks:
- Look for repetitive, time-consuming tasks that don’t require critical thinking or human judgment.
- Target tasks prone to human error.
- Evaluate tasks that are currently dependent on manual approvals or paperwork.
Tip: Break down large processes into smaller components to identify micro-tasks that can be automated.
Example: In vendor payment management, automating the approval workflow between departments can significantly reduce delays.
3. Outline Objectives
Automation without a clear objective often results in underutilized tools or wasted effort. Establishing goals ensures alignment with organizational priorities and provides a roadmap for implementation.
What to Define:
- Specific outcomes: What do you want to achieve? (e.g., reduced processing time, increased accuracy, or cost savings).
- KPIs: Establish measurable indicators such as turnaround time, error rates, or employee satisfaction.
- Automation scope: Define the boundaries of the automation (e.g., automating only repetitive tasks or extending automation to reporting).
Example: For onboarding, the objective could be to reduce the time to onboard a new employee from five days to two by automating document collection and task assignment.
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Change Management
Even the most well-designed automation systems can fail if teams are not aligned with the changes. Effective communication and training are crucial for successful adoption.
Steps for Change Management:
- Engage Stakeholders Early: Involve team members in the decision-making process to get buy-in.
- Communicate Benefits: Clearly explain how automation will ease workloads and improve productivity.
- Provide Training: Offer hands-on training sessions to help employees understand and use the new tools effectively.
- Monitor Feedback: Collect feedback from users to address concerns and improve the system.
Tip: Establish a “change champion” within teams—someone who can advocate for the benefits of automation and help others adapt.
Example: When automating access management, ensure security teams understand the system’s functionality and provide training to employees on how to use mobile-based temporary access cards.
Measure Effectiveness
Once BPA is implemented, it’s important to evaluate its success. This ensures the system delivers on its promises and provides a basis for continuous improvement.
Metrics to Track:
- Task Completion Time: Measure how much time is saved post-automation.
- Accuracy Rates: Compare error rates before and after automation.
- Employee Satisfaction: Conduct surveys to assess how automation has impacted morale and workload.
- Cost Savings: Calculate the ROI of the automation system by comparing costs before and after implementation.
6. Continuous Improvement:
Automation systems should evolve with business needs. Periodically review the system’s performance and tweak processes or tools to ensure optimal results.
Example: For a vendor payment automation system, track metrics like payment processing time and vendor feedback. If issues persist, refine approval workflows or add new automation features.
Conclusion
Implementing Business Process Automation involves more than just adopting technology—it requires a structured approach to analyzing processes, defining goals, and managing change effectively. By addressing these considerations, businesses can unlock the full potential of BPA, streamlining workflows, boosting productivity, and driving growth.
