The Basics of Business Process Automation
To support a company’s dynamic and ever-expanding business, adopting various solutions over the course of operation becomes necessary. As the complexity of the company’s processes and systems grows, the efficiency and productivity of the organisation is put to a test.
With automation, companies can seek to reduce the time spent on repetitive manual processes and tasks, hence freeing the time of employees to focus on value-adding activities.
What is Business Process Automation?
Business Process Automation (BPA) is the practice of using technology to automate complex business processes and workflows. Automation allows process tasks to be executed effectively by eliminating manual dependency. Aside from saving time, BPA can also help to reduce overall costs, improve efficiency, and optimise process performance to enable better customer experience.
If you are thinking of embracing digital transformation for your business, BPA is the way to go. It automates your complex processes with a digital medium such as software applications and integration tools to enhance overall productivity.
What is the difference between Business Process Automation and Robotic Process Automation?
Both have a similar purpose, and that is to execute business functions more effectively through automation.
BPA was first introduced to the technology market and can implement Robotic Process Automation (RPA) within its system. RPA is the process of streamlining individual tasks with the help of software robots, while BPA focuses on streamlining the business processes.
What are the benefits of Business Process Automation?
Repetitive processes are ideal for BPA, which significantly reduces the time spent on them. When automated, repetitive tasks such as invoice processing can be executed more effectively.
Human errors are inevitable, especially with manual tasks. Although you cannot replace human intelligence and detailed insight, BPA can minimise these errors with little supervision.
What are the use cases of Business Process Automation?
Human Resource Management
Sometimes, human resource (HR) management work can be overwhelming and manual processing can potentially cause errors. BPA makes HR processes more efficient and increases the productivity of your company. With solutions like Microsoft 365 Sharepoint Online and Microsoft Power Automate, you can simplify the employee onboarding process, securely store employee information, update employees about policy changes, manage leave and attendance, conveniently manage the recruitment process and more.
Logistics Management
Managing vehicles and goods can be tedious and time consuming and usually requires a bespoke solution to meet the needs. Hence an easy-to-use low code platform such as ReportNOW comes in to simplify this process. Offered by Canon, ReportNOW can be configured to serve as a Truck Docking System which allows you to register vehicle information by scanning a QR code, view the queuing process on display screens and mobile devices, and the vehicles will proceed to the docking bay as assigned and verified by the system. Likewise, ReportNOW can also be configured as an Inventory System which allows you to record incoming goods and their storage locations, request for fulfilment and dispatch of goods, and generate reports with real-time information displayed on the system dashboard. This ability for a single tool to fit multiple business needs makes it a strong business tool for your business.
Customer Service Excellence
Customer service is the centrepiece of your customer experience and is associated with your company’s branding, which is why it needs to be treated seriously . BPA can simplify and automate these tasks to ensure speedy solutions to your customers. You can automate the sorting of customer queries into categories, assign queries to respective customer service reps, and set auto-responders to customer emails and messages. Furthermore, customers today connect across multiple customer engagement channels - websites, email, social media, mobile apps and more, while expecting a consistent customer experience across channels. OpenText has solutions which can help to provide a holistic view of each individual customer and their interactions with your company.
Automation of Document Processing
Automating data extraction and entry is a smart move for businesses looking to build efficient processes and enable optimum employee productivity. RPA can help you process documents, enter data into your system, and sort data into categories, files and formats as directed. UiPath’s Document Understanding powered by Artificial Intelligence (AI) is one of the solutions recommended by Canon for efficient document classification and data extraction. It can help you process everyday documents such as contracts, invoices, and onboarding papers automatically—increasing productivity and mitigating the risk of human error.
Want to get started on your business’ digital transformation journey? We offer a wide selection of automation solutions. Speak to our Canon consultants to find out more.
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