Apart from decreasing employee productivity, creativity, and morale, mind-numbing manual tasks also waste your company’s time and resources.

Fortunately, you can implement various tools to automate routine manual processes and reduce human error. Above all, these technologies help your employees focus on more meaningful aspects of their jobs.

That is what we call workflow automation. It is available across various industries, from retail to construction. Most importantly, you can use it in many departments, including marketing, finances, HR, sales, and customer service.

Here is how to successfully implement workflow automation.

Identify the Tasks that Should Be Automated

You can use workflow automation in any business scenario.

Here are some of the numerous use cases of workflow automation tools.

Digital Marketing

Some of the most repetitive and daunting marketing tasks, such as publishing social media content or sending emails, can now be automated with the help of a marketing automation tool. You can automate a wide range of marketing tasks, from welcoming a new customer to your company to scheduling social media content.

Logistics

Workflow automation plays a fundamental role in the logistics sector. Advanced technologies go far beyond tracking driver behaviour or utilizing GPS data. According to an IoT company in Australia, Novel IOT apps deliver customized insights based on various data sources. Real-time data enhances decision-making and reduces asset and personnel risks. That means companies across various industries do not need to worry about administrative tasks. Instead, they can focus on building strategies for more efficient utilization of their fleet.

Sales Automation

Sales representatives are in charge of massive amounts of data. However, keep in mind that their primary job is selling products, not entering customer information.

That is where sales workflow automation steps in. You can use a wide range of customer relationship management (CRM) tools, such as Salesforce or Zoho. By investing in automated CRM tools, you can streamline various tasks. For example, they can automatically remove a lead from your newsletter list if they stop opening emails, create tasks for sales managers once a user requests a call, or update customer information.

Business Operations

Effective business processes are the core of your company’s success. As such, they can be automated to minimize instances of labour-intensive data entry. Some of these tasks include managing permissions for new team members, assigning tasks to employees via task management tools, automatically generating reports, etc.

Consider which Tasks You Should Not Automate

Popular trends in technology, such as AI, have revolutionized the business landscape. However, there are still certain aspects of your business that do not require automation.

For example, these could be business operations that require strong decision making and critical thinking. Humans are still better at making business decisions.

Certain processes also require a human touch and, as such, should not be entirely automated. For example, chatbots provide instant, 24-hour feedback to all customers, irrespective of their location. However, when looking for answers to more complex questions, most consumers will rely on in-person communication with your staff.

A Brief Roadmap to Workflow Automation

Here are a few simple tips on how to implement workflow automation:

• Perform thorough audits of your business processes to identify the ones that should be automated. You can use a process map to simplify the process.

• Make sure you set workflow automation goals. What do you expect to achieve by automating your business processes? Make sure your goals are timely and measurable so that you can effectively measure the effectiveness of your workflow automation strategy.

• Choose the right workflow automation tool. That depends on the type of business operations you want to automate, as well as your business industry. For example, businesses in logistics and construction will focus on fleet automation systems, while sales representatives may seek automated CRM solutions. Make sure the tool is easily scalable and user-friendly, as well as that it integrates with your existing tool stack.

• Provide continued employee training and make sure they understand the purpose of new tools. Most importantly, involve your employees in the workflow automation process. Seek their feedback and optimize your new strategy on the run.

• Monitor and measure the effectiveness of your workflow automation processes. Based on your workflow automation goals, set the right KPIs and metrics. Keep in mind that your workflow automation processes change as your business grows. Only by monitoring workflow performance can you keep your tools aligned with your business requirements.

Over to You

Workflow automation is essential for businesses that want to stay competitive in the long run. Technologies, such as artificial intelligence or automation, enhance the decision-making process in real-time and drive business success faster. Most importantly, they contribute to your bottom line and employee satisfaction. With workflow automation, employees can focus on business processes that require innovation and critical thinking.

What are your thoughts on workflow automation?