Business efficiency and productivity are crucial for achieving sustainable growth and profitability. Unfortunately, Australia’s productivity trend has experienced a decline. Whilst multiple factors are at the cause of the issue, with this article we would like to address Business Process Automation (BPA) as a way to enhance productivity.
So, how can automated processes improve your efficiency and productivity? What are the tasks you could stop doing and start automating?
Read on or jump ahead to any subtopic below:
- Advantages of Automation in Business
- Streamlined Administrative Processes
- Reliable Chatbots + AI-Driven Customer Support
- Simplified Data Analysis and Reporting
- Optimised Inventory Management
- Finance-related Automated Processes
- Enhanced HR Processes
- Automation’s Role in Data Security and Risk Mitigation
- Unlock Your Future with Automated Operations
Advantages of Automating Business Processes
Business Process Automation is the use of technology to automate repetitive tasks and streamline complex business processes and functions. It can involve the integration of systems and applications, the reallocation of human resources, and incorporating decision-making logic into automated processes.
It is important to note that the burden of repetitive administrative tasks on employees’ productivity can have significant negative impacts on both individual employees and the organisation as a whole. This highlights the importance of automating and streamlining these processes wherever possible.
For this reason, BPA is often included as part of the overall digital transformation strategy of a business. Aside from accomplishing tasks faster and with less errors, automation can bring:
- Improved accuracy and more consistent outputs
- Lower labour costs and significant savings
- Increased time for more strategic tasks
- A competitive edge due to optimisation
Before we jump straight into some use cases of how you can use AI and automation to improve your business processes, it is important to know whether your organisation is ready for it. We recently published a checklist for business owners, give it a read.
Streamlined Administrative Processes
Automated operations can relieve the burden of repetitive administrative tasks.
- Speedy Data Entry
Stop the time-consuming copy/paste of information into a computer, like customer names, addresses, and orders. Start using automation tools to read the information from forms or emails, and automatically put it into the right place on your computer system. - Easy Appointment Scheduling
Stop managing your meetings or appointments manually, including finding a time that works for everyone. Start implementing workflows allowing for a quick look at everyone’s schedules, then finding available slots, and setting-up the appointment. - Better Document Management
Stop spending hours searching for a file or sorting through tons of documents — reports, contracts, invoices, you name it. Start organising your documents using an automated digital filing system so you can effortlessly manage files.
Reliable Chatbots + AI-Driven Customer Support
Deploying a chatbot and an AI-powered support platform can elevate your client interactions. Automation can handle routine enquiries, provide self-service options, and ensure prompt responses. Those can enhance the customer experience, improve customer satisfaction, and nurture deeper relationships.
Simplified Data Analysis and Reporting
Did you know you could start automating data analysis and reporting too? AI algorithms can help you process vast amounts of data swiftly and accurately, from financial statements to performance metrics. Bid farewell to manual spreadsheets and say hello to actionable insights.
Optimised Inventory Management
There is a way you can start automating your inventory management. Aside from monitoring stock levels, automation can also predict demand and optimise order fulfillment. You can then minimise excess inventory and reduce carrying costs, so your business becomes leaner and more profitable.
Car Fleet Automation Elevates User Experience
ONGC used to manage their car fleet manually. It involved juggling bookings, scattered service schedules, and maintenance across different departments. The inefficiency meant operational mayhem and frustration among our staff.
Using the Microsoft Power Platform, we developed a centralised platform integrated within Microsoft Teams in order to automate booking, data management, and service alerts. This streamlined process saved us 7+ hours per week, boosted efficiency, reduced errors, and enhanced our staff happiness, and you can’t put a price on that!
Finance-related Automated Processes
Reduce error by using automated processes to streamline your accounting and financial tasks. Enjoy seamless invoice generation, expense tracking, and financial reporting processes. You can improve your accuracy, ensure compliance, and your finance team can gain valuable time.
Enhanced HR Processes
You can have more efficient HR processes by automating processes like onboarding, leave requests, and performance evaluations. Your team will appreciate the streamlined experience, and you can reduce administrative overhead.
Automation’s Role in Data Security and Risk Mitigation
Implementing automated processes and artificial intelligence for your business can have significant positive impacts on cyber security and risk management. Here’s how:
- Reduced human error, which is a common cause of data breaches
- Strict access control, ensuring that only authorised persons can access sensitive information
- Consistent measures to protect data and mitigate risks of fraud, theft, hefty fines, and preventable penalties
- Real-time monitoring, which increases transparency and accountability
- Reduced insider threats, because of less employee exposure to sensitive data
- Faster breach detection, reducing the time required to detect security breaches
- Secure data processing, by setting up checks and inducing red flags recognised by an extensively trained AI
Unlock Your Future with Automated Operations
Forward-thinking business leaders are starting to embrace automated processes for their organisation as they understand that AI and automation are key drivers for growth.
For the same reasons, global tech leaders like Microsoft are innovating to provide businesses with the tools to succeed, such as Copilot.
As a long-time Microsoft partner and innovation enabler, ONGC has conducted a series of Copilot, AI and Automation discovery sessions for business leaders to understand best practices and how they can prepare their business for this next step. Due to the success of the session, it is now available OnDemand. Request for the FREE OnDemand recording of the intro session or book your one-to-one personalised chat with our experts.
