Business Process Automation: What It Is and How It Can Benefit Your Business

You’re drowning in paperwork, emails pile up faster than you can answer them, and simple tasks take forever to complete. It’s a familiar story to many business owners. The constant battle against inefficiency and administrative overload can leave you feeling swamped and trapped in an endless loop of busyness without real progress. Let’s face it: manual processes are a productivity black hole, which can and should be combatted with business process automation (BPA).  

Nine out of ten IT decision-makers report that their organization plans to augment automation investments within the next two years. Why? Because 91% of those business leaders who implemented business process automation software experienced strong ROI, and 95% of them obtained operational efficiency. Sounds impressive, right? It’s worth noting that many automation efforts start with RPA services as a springboard for broader BPA initiatives. So, the real question is: how much time and money can your business save with automation? If that’s what you want to find out, this guide is for you. Here, you’ll learn about the benefits and examples of BPA, as well as how to implement BPA solutions proficiently.  

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What is Business Process Automation?

While process automation might seem like a modern concept, it’s actually been quietly revolutionizing businesses for decades. From the first automatic flour mills in the 18th century to assembly lines and computer systems in offices, the desire for efficiency has always been a human constant. Today, business automation has become supercharged and smart.

We can define BPA, meaning business process automation, as the strategic application of state-of-the-art technologies to handle routine business operations with minimal human intervention. Given that every business process consists of a series of workflows and tasks, BPA aims to automate every step possible to make the whole process more effective, measurable, and predictable. 

Your next read: IT Process Automation

What Business Processes Should Be Automated?

Most companies automate just chunks of their business process and seamlessly link the automated parts to subsequent human-led tasks. Meanwhile, truly forward-thinking companies automate entire processes from start to finish. Yet, some tasks simply aren’t suited for automation. So, how to determine which operations are best for automation? Here are a few tips on which tasks to target first:

1. Repetitive and Routine Tasks

The most obvious candidates for automation are tasks that your business relies on daily to operate and don’t require complex decision-making:

• Data entry. Entering information into databases or spreadsheets takes plenty of time and is susceptible to errors. BPA can handle these fast and with laser focus.
• Invoice processing. Automated invoice generation, sending, and processing can save loads of time and minimize the chances of human error.
• Scheduling. Appointment scheduling and meeting coordination tackled by business process automation tools streamlines communication and reduces scheduling conflicts.

2. Tasks with High Volume and Frequency

Focus on tasks that occur frequently and involve large amounts of data. The more often a task is performed, the greater the efficiency gains from automating it. Examples include:

• Customer support tickets. Automatic categorization and support ticket routing will accelerate response times and resolutions.
• Order processing. Order fulfillment with automated receipt and shipping processes can significantly speed up operations and enhance customer satisfaction.

3. Data Related Processes

Processes that deal with data will greatly benefit from automation. Business process automation tools can perform tasks such as data collection, analysis, and reporting better and more efficiently than your staff.

4. Bottlenecks in Your Workflow  

Do specific processes cause delays or hold up progress? Automating workflows that have these bottlenecks can expedite operations and reduce operational costs.

5. Tasks with Predictable Outcomes  

Processes with well-defined steps and predictable outcomes are ideal for automation, as business process automation solutions can easily execute them without constant human oversight.

“Start with repetitive, high-volume tasks and areas with frequent delays. Automate where predictability and data handling are key. This way, you turn inefficiencies into opportunities for sustainable growth and innovation.” 

Business Process Automation (BPA) Examples

With the wide array of process automation solutions available today and the multitude of processes it can automate, the concept of BPA can seem somewhat vague. To give you a better idea of what the applications of process automation look like, we have highlighted several real-world examples:

Employee Onboarding 

Every organization has its onboarding process, yet it typically involves some tasks and information forms integral to employee onboarding. Sending welcome emails, distributing company policies, setting up IT accounts, and a number of other related tasks can be automated with business process automation software. This frees up HR professionals to focus on mentorship and team introductions, while new employees will have a smoother integration.

Customer Support

Frustrated customers waiting on hold? BPA solutions in the form of chatbots can fix that.  Chatbots can answer basic inquiries 24/7 and automatically route complex issues to human agents if they can’t handle them. On top of that, BPA can also generate invoices, send order confirmations, and track deliveries to keep customers informed and reduce the burden on your support team.

Inventory Management 

Keeping track of inventory manually is a recipe for disaster. Business process management solutions can help with tasks like stock level monitoring, purchase order generation when supplies run low, future demand prediction based on sales trends, and much more. So, with BPA for inventory management, you always have the right products in stock, which minimizes lost sales and optimizes your inventory management process.

Benefits of Business Process Automation

BPA minimizes reliance on spreadsheets and cuts out repetitive tasks, but it’s far more than a way to save time and repurpose it for more value-added activities. Once you implement business process management software, you start to realize multiple benefits like:

• Increased Efficiency and Productivity

Boosting efficiency is a top motivator for businesses to embrace automation. When you automate routine, low-value tasks, the time and effort required to complete the whole process are reduced several times. Even partial automation frees your employees’ time to be used in more value-added ways and delivers noticeable results. 

Adidas, the sportswear giant, embraced BPA with an agile approach, standardizing processes for departments like supply chain and marketing. This led to a remarkable 60% improvement in operational efficiency and a two-thirds reduction in time to market.

Battling mountains of paperwork for Requests for Approvals (RFA), Audi Japan implemented BPA. A streamlined, digital RFA process and a 75% reduction in processing time for the finance department, which saves 60 hours per week, are rather impressive outcomes. BPA’s success spurred the automation of six more processes, which boosted overall efficiency.

• Error Reduction and Quality Control

Human error happens, but it often comes at a high cost. Consider the seemingly straightforward data entry task, where a single typo can have ripple effects. For example, a data entry error by a Canada Revenue Agency official led to a $CAD 283 million discrepancy in the financial report of one of the country’s largest charitable foundations. 

Business process automation tools minimize this risk by streamlining mundane tasks that, when performed daily, become monotonous, and that’s why they are more likely prone to mistakes. Data entry, order processing, or complex calculations become automated workflows, which ensures consistency in your product or service delivery.

• Scalability and Flexibility

One of the main benefits of BPA is the standardization of processes or, in simple terms, a uniform approach to how work is performed. Standardized processes enhance overall business performance, reduce error, and, most importantly, are easier to scale. When processes consistently follow the same workflows, data, and sequence, you’ll find it much simpler to reproduce and scale up to higher volumes.

E-commerce behemoth Amazon uses automated warehouse systems that scale effortlessly during peak seasons like Black Friday. With the help of business process management solutions, the company is able to handle increased order volumes while maintaining the same accuracy and speed. Another well-known service, Airbnb, implemented scalable automation for customer support and booking processes to manage its global operations. They have been able to easily manage the influx of users as they expanded into new markets.

• Enhanced Customer Satisfaction

Exceptional customer care is no longer a unique selling point, it’s a standard business must follow to keep customers loyal. Today’s consumers expect prompt responses to their inquiries and information requests from companies. BPA solution offers just that and gives access to the information they seek when they need it most. Seamless interactions with your company increase the likelihood of turning first-time buyers into loyal, repeat customers. 

Key Technologies Driving Business Process Automation

BPA has undergone a radical transformation and evolved from simple robotic tasks to complex systems powered by Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML). To understand what types of automation are there and how much they can impact your business, you should know the different technologies behind business process automation.

Robotic Process Automation (RPA)

Robotic Process Automation, or shortly RPA, is one of the most widespread and effective methods for automating processes that lets organizations streamline those repetitive tasks with minimal investment and technical expertise. RPA in healthcare, for example, has become a powerful tool for streamlining administrative tasks and freeing up precious time for medical professionals. Report generation, scheduling, customer service responses, and any high-volume, rule-based activity that doesn’t require human judgment are well performed by RPA. These projects are easy to start and can be scaled up or down depending on the workload.

Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning

Business process automation software with a dash of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) is the recipe for smart automation. BPA solutions enhanced with AI’s capabilities execute processes with exceptional accuracy, and the likelihood of errors is reduced to a minimum. AI-driven automation tools can learn from past interactions, make decisions, and get used to new situations, which makes them ideal for:

• Predictive maintenance. Having data on equipment status, AI can predict failures and schedule maintenance to avoid major breakdowns.
• Customer insights. The AI analysis of customer data will identify trends and customer preferences, which lets companies create more personalized marketing strategies.
• Fraud detection. Working in the background, AI-based BPA tools continuously monitor transactions to detect and prevent fraudulent activities.
• Supply chain optimization. With AI, you can forecast demand, optimize inventory levels, and manage logistics masterfully.
• Pricing adjustments. AI can perform analysis of market conditions, competitor actions, and customer behavior to help you adjust prices accordingly.

Supporting your BPA strategy with AI development services will help you unlock even greater levels of automation, efficiency, and innovation within your organization.

Workflow Automation Tools

Workflow automation software is the glue that holds everything together. These tools create a visual map of your processes, which allows you to easily design, automate, and manage workflows. With this software, each step in a process is performed in the right order and on schedule. Due to their intuitive drag-and-drop interfaces, workflow automation tools let you design complex sequences and easily connect different tasks and applications. Workflow automation works especially well for project management, HR onboarding, and compliance reporting, where coordination and timing are critical.

Integration Platforms

Businesses usually have many systems to keep operations running smoothly long before they implement business process automation solutions. For process automation to bring the desired results, it must integrate with your systems smoothly. This ensures effortless data flow across all your critical business applications (CRM, ERP) and smooth communication between different platforms. BPA providers continuously strive to expand their list of connectors to ensure compatibility with the wide array of technologies used within organizations.

Implementation Strategies

To ensure the success of business process automation projects, companies should take a systematic approach. Here are some proven strategies we recommend to follow to implement BPA hassle-free.

Assess Business Needs and Readiness

Before anything else, you should analyze how the processes run now to find out which are redundant, inefficient, or prone to errors. Basically, the main criteria for the ideal tasks for automation – they should be repetitive, rule-based, and easily standardized.  

There are two ways to determine those weak points within your organization: analyze data and talk to people. The combination of both is the wisest approach. So, data analytics will reveal where you have bottlenecks, error hotspots, and areas that eat more money than you expect. Also, consider process mapping techniques to visualize your workflows or leverage RPA feasibility analysis tools to identify the best candidates for automation. A conversation with your team can shed light on the root causes of identified inefficiencies and tell about other areas that data analytics and tools failed to discover, but that can be improved.

Develop an Implementation Plan

When you design a major change to a business process, it’s crucial to develop a comprehensive plan that considers every aspect of the transformation. This plan should:

• Have clear objectives. Clearly define what you aim to achieve with the change, such as increased efficiency, cost reduction, or improved customer satisfaction.
• Involve stakeholders. To ensure a smooth transition and address any concerns, engage all relevant stakeholders from different departments, including employees, management, and customers.
• Map current processes. Document existing workflows to understand the baseline and identify areas for improvement.
• Assess resources. Evaluate the resources (technology, budget, and personnel) needed to implement the changes.
• Define a timeline. Create a realistic timeline that outlines each phase of the BPA implementation.
• Include employee training program. Generally, providers of business process automation services offer training to help companies prepare all their team members for the transition to new processes and tools.

Monitor and Evaluate

Automation is a journey, not a destination. To be sure business process automation tools continue to deliver value to your company, you should track the right metrics to measure the impact of automation on factors like efficiency, accuracy, and, most importantly, customer satisfaction. Some metrics to track:

• Efficiency gains: Measure the time and cost savings achieved through automation.
• Error reduction: Track the decrease in errors and their impact on overall quality.
• User feedback: Collect feedback from employees and customers to identify areas for improvement.  

Don’t be afraid to adapt and refine your automated workflows based on data and feedback. Embrace a culture of continuous improvement, which means constantly monitoring and evaluating your processes. This way, you’ll ensure your BPA initiatives remain on track and deliver long-term benefits for your business.

Best Practices for Business Process Automation

Any change in the organization is difficult, but the right strategy can smoothen the journey and deliver a windfall of benefits. Here are some best practices to ensure your BPA journey is a seamless and successful one:

1. Don’t automate for the sake of automation. Identify the best candidates for automation with a methodical approach. Look for repetitive, high-volume, yet low-value tasks that can save your staff time.
2. Align your BPA plan with your company’s strategic vision. Ask yourself how automation helps achieve your long-term goals.
3. Select the automation tools that best suit your needs. This could be BPA software, business process management software, CRM, or HR software, depending on the nature of the process you’re automating.
4. Appoint dedicated individuals within your organization who would be responsible for overseeing the implementation and management of BPA. They will manage the automation project and connect various departments to ensure seamless integration and cooperation.
5. Before hitting “go,” create a visual map of your optimized workflow. This map should clearly define the sequence of tasks and interactions between the people responsible for completing them. 
6. Educate your staff on how the new automated workflow works and what their role will be within it. Provide training on how to use BPA solutions in the best way and what will change in their workflows so that they feel confident and in control of the new processes.
7. Keep the documentation of your automated processes clear and detailed so that all team members can easily understand and follow the procedures. An additional benefit of concise documentation is that it simplifies the onboarding process for new hires and facilitates smooth handoffs in the future. 

“Successful BPA implementation requires a focus on both technology and people. Choose the right business process automation tools, but don’t forget the human element. Invest in training and communication to ensure your team is onboard and empowered to thrive in the new automated landscape.” 

Our Case Study

We want to share one of our client’s success stories, which shows how business process automation can transform a company’s operations. 

Automating Business Processes for a Leading Footwear Producer

Seeking a solution to automate data collection and streamline production tracking, Dago, a leading producer of rubber footwear in Lviv, Ukraine, turned to Relevant Software.

The Challenge

Workers recorded production data on paper forms, which were then manually aggregated and compared with sales orders. This process was inefficient and lacked real-time visibility into production performance.

Solution

Relevant implemented a comprehensive BPA solution that transformed Dago’s production tracking system. The solution consisted of:

• Ruggedized tablets: These tablets were mounted directly onto production machines, allowing workers to enter data in real time.
• Custom software: Relevant developed custom software that captured production data, including quantity, type of footwear, and any defects.
• Data integration: The software integrated with Dago’s existing sales order system enables real-time comparison of production output to sales demand.

Results

The automation of Dago’s production tracking system delivered significant benefits, including:

• Increased productivity. Real-time data collection and analysis let Dago identify and address production bottlenecks, which noticeably increased overall productivity.
• Reduced costs. By automating data collection and minimizing manual errors, Dago considerably reduced labor costs and improved the accuracy of production reporting.
• Enhanced decision-making. Real-time visibility into production data empowered Dago’s management team to make informed decisions about resource allocation, inventory management, and production planning.

Automating Business Processes with Relevant

Confidence in business process automation is high, and it’s surely here to stay. 9 out of 10 IT decision-makers plan to increase automation spending within the next 24 months. And it’s understandably why—automation promises incredible efficiency gains, cost reductions, and improved accuracy. When you get rid of mundane and error-prone tasks performed manually, you and your team can spend more time on strategic initiatives and exceptional customer service. 

Simply developing business process automation software doesn’t ensure success. You’ll need a well-thought-out implementation strategy and a reliable software development company to support your efforts. By partnering with Relevant, you gain access to vast expertise in product development and a team dedicated to helping you achieve your automation goals. As a company that offers business process automation services, we can help you with:

• Strategic planning: We work with you to identify the right processes for automation for maximum impact.
• Seamless implementation. Our experienced team handles the technical aspects with minimal disruptions to your business and ensures a smooth transition to your new automated workflows.
• Expert training & support. We provide training for your team to ensure they are fully equipped to use and manage the new automation tools. Training materials and workshops, as well as our support team, ready to answer your questions or issues that arise post-implementation, which will let your team start working with new systems faster and more confidently.
• Ongoing optimization. We don’t disappear after launch. Relevant Software offers ongoing support and helps you continuously refine your workflows for sustained efficiency gains.

By partnering with Relevant Software, you gain a trusted advisor dedicated to your long-term success. Contact us to discuss your unique automation needs!