Hi Everyone! Glad to have you on board. Thank you for clicking this read. In this post today, I’ll cover Real Life Examples of Workflow Automation.
Workflow automation is a talk of mainstream conversation. Many employees use this process in their organizations but they are not aware of this term. Workflow automation is a process used to automate manual and repetitive time-consuming tasks. It requires a series of tasks that need to be completed in a sequential manner where the process goes from start to finish with a definite goal in mind. For instance, onboarding new clients and approving leave requests are susceptible to errors when done manually. However, with workflow automation software, these tasks are done automatically without human intervention, leaving no room for mistakes or failure.
In this digital transformation stage, it is almost impossible to handle the influx of data manually. This is where digital technology comes to rescue you. With workflow automation, you can streamline business processes in a way that requires less time and hard work and guarantee optimal results.
We’ve compiled 7 real-life examples that use workflow automation to bring value to your business where you can automate routine tasks, allowing you to pay careful attention to the business objectives that matter.
Expense reports are a hassle. You require these reports to reimburse the money employees pay out of their pocket. Companies need to ensure their finances and expenditures are in check to make sure they don’t go out of budget anytime soon.
When employees spend money on travel or any business purpose outside the company premises, they feel uncomfortable finding all those receipts to submit as proof of purchase. And for the finance department, this process is painful since they need to do a lot of physical paperwork and fill spreadsheets to reimburse money to the employee.
Solution? Workflow automation.
With workflow automation tool, creating expense reports are like a walk in the park. Employees can use this tool on their smartphones. All they need to do is click the image of the receipt and upload it in the app, and send it to the manager for approval. The manager can check the details at a glance and can immediately approve it and send it to the finance department for reimbursement.
The first impression is the last impression. So make it count. If new hires experience a positive onboarding process, they are more likely to stick with the company.
Manual filling of personal information and compliance documents is prone to mistakes that will leave a negative first impression on the new hires. This situation can be avoided with workflow automation.
Incorporating workflow automation software in hiring new candidates will make the process smooth and accurate, putting both executives and new team members on the same page. This way the manager you will work under can overview your background at a glance and assign tasks to as best of your capabilities.
No matter the organization, assigning new tasks to the individuals takes time and requires deliberate effort. It is very challenging to manually keep the record of tasks assigned to each individual. This is where workflow automation comes in handy.
For instance, Flokzu is a workflow process management software that you can use to visually create the outline of each task to be completed. Moreover, it comes with a reporting system that lets you know about the pending task when it is completed and automatically assigns the new task to the relevant team member.
Traditional handling of leave requests is outdated. You can’t consistently keep in check whether the company is working with a full labor force. If handled manually, you always need to enter the time when an employee is away, which is a painful and tedious job. Workflow automation makes this process effortless.
Once the manager approves your leave request, the workflow automation software will automatically monitor the time when the employee is away and make it sync with the payroll. So, the time-off duration will automatically be deducted from your paycheck at the end of the month. This way manager can keep the record of employees working in the company at the same time and those away, making sure the required number of employees are present in the organization.
Data procurement is a fundamental component of your business growth. It helps you make an educated decision around the calculated data to handle business operations efficiently. With the deep insights into the raw materials entering the manufacturing department, you can find areas of improvement immediately.
When handled manually, data procurement can lead to data loss, more time spent and reduced productivity from the labor workforce. However, automated systems, on the other hand, help you monitor data on a single screen and allow the manager to efficiently revisit the strategic decisions and improvise on them for better results.
Impeccable customer support is the prime pillar of any agency. You want to turn customers into recurring customers, which is only possible when their queries are handled and requests are answered immediately. The main purpose of any customer support is to bridge the communication gap between customers and the agency so they keep coming back for what you have to offer.
And with workflow automation, you can bridge this gap and delight the customers with consistent and reliable processes from ticket creation to ticket closure. When you submit the ticket, your request is transferred to the relevant department which might involve getting back and forth between departments until you get the email when the issue is resolved. Some companies use online chatbots where the queries of customers are handled immediately without any delay. Know that when repetitive and mundane activities are automated, team members can pay attention to value-added endeavors.
Invoice generation is necessary to balance the books of any organization. According to reports, one accountant can process 5 invoices per hour manually and charge $19.24/hour. In conclusion, one invoice costs $4 to manually process it.
With workflow automation software this cost can be significantly reduced. You can, for instance, subscribe to invoice generation software QuickBooks ($12.50/month) and can generate scores of invoices at a low cost.
If you integrate a payment platform like PayPal with an invoice generation tool like QuickBooks; whenever you buy anything, the system will cut money from the former and an automatic electronic invoice will be generated in the latter.
Workflow automation is an effective way to manage complex business tasks. But while this process is in practice, it doesn’t mean you have to adapt it anyway. What’s working for other companies might not work for you. For instance, tasks that are not repetitive and time-consuming, you might prefer doing them manually since it may require more time and budget to put them on an automated system. Similarly, the tasks like system failure or hacking, when this occurs you instantly need human involvement. Make sure you do your due diligence before incorporating workflow automation into your business, so you can reap more benefits than your competitors.
That’s all for today. Hope you’ve enjoyed reading this article. Feel free to share your valuable feedback and suggestions to improve our content. If you have any questions, ask me in the section below. I’d love to help you the best way I can. Thank you for reading this article.
Hi Friends! Hope you’re well today. I welcome you on board. In this post, I’ll walk you through How Workflow Automation Can Benefit Small Businesses?
Reduce the possibility of human error, save time and improve efficiency – The main goal of workflow automation. If your employees spend a lot of time on mundane and repetitive tasks, it’s a high time to invest in workflow automation. Especially if your business is small and you are in the early stages to leave a footprint in the competitive market. You can’t afford to hire scores of employees to do predictable tasks that you can automate with workflow automation. For instance, follow-up emails and sales calls, finance approval and invoice generation, and onboarding new employees, you can automate these tasks without having to worry about hiring someone to handle them manually.
Curious to know how workflow automation can benefit small businesses?
Keep reading.
Before we proceed further, we’ll cover what workflow automation is?
Workflow automation is the process to automate manual repetitive tasks to improve efficiency and reduce human error. When you apply technology to business operations, you can effortlessly translate the manual handling of processes into automation. This way employees can spend more time on value-added tasks that require a human touch and brainstorming.
What’s more, with workflow automation you can monitor employees’ performance and can immediately apply tweaks to revisit your strategic decisions. Plus, you don’t need a technical IT team to streamline processes, improve reporting and integrate two or more apps. Apps like Zapier do it for you. It involves creating Zaps that is creating links between business tools. For instance, it can integrate a website, CRM software, and messaging app to improve productivity and bridge the communication gap between customers and the agency.
The following are the core benefits of incorporating automation into your business.
Chasing down people across departments is so frustrating, especially when you don’t know the current status of the file. With workflow automation, you can monitor the workflows online and get an instant alert to set priorities. This improves the productivity of the employees, allowing them to be better prepared for the pending tasks.
Employees are the backbone of any industry. But you need to keep your budget in check while getting employees on board. You can significantly reduce the cost of labor workload if you automate some of your business processes. For instance, freeing employees from doing predictable and mundane tasks will help you invest in the things that involve human input.
When employees are free from manual tasks such as data entry, form filling, and invoice generation, they will find more time for brainstorming and get creative on the tasks that require innovation and emotion. The potential to apply intelligence, sensitivity, and expertise on the product level allows companies to deeply connect with the customers and deal with their questions and queries with deliberate intention.
When the pandemic hit, the demand for remote work increased more than ever before. Not everyone can manage to do an in-house job in a time of crisis. Companies that know how to manage the workforce remotely can effectively capitalize on the given resources. With workflow automation, you can seamlessly connect employees from different parts of the world. For instance, Google Drive, and DropBox allow the companies to share files across departments, and tools like Loom allow them to have full visibility of the teams.
What tasks do we need to automate? The answer is simple: Tasks that are repetitive and require approvals and smooth communication. Following are the five tasks that you can automate in your business.
At times employees have to spend money on the best of money for business purposes. Companies can’t instantly pay those employees who pay out of their pocket. And when they apply for reimbursements, they come across a hassle process especially when reimbursements are handled manually.
To effectively handle such scenarios, automation is the solution. Incorporating workflow automation prevents employees to chase hectic approvals and make regular visits to the finance office. Automation makes this process straightforward. Employees simply upload the receipts on the software which instantly gets connected with the manager for approval. Once the manager grants approval, receipts move to the finance department and they release the money spent by the employees.
First impression is the last impression especially when it comes to onboarding new hires. The seamless onboarding process tells a lot about employees if they are going to stick with the company for a longer time.
Tasks like updating new hires, documents approval, and follow-ups can be automated before candidates even join the company. Plus, you can effortlessly communicate and assign them the tasks so they are better prepared when they embrace the new role. Automation removes the tedious paperwork and mundane approvals, allowing both employer and employees to come on the same page without the need to back and forth face to face interaction.
Every organization deals with the influx of leave requests regularly. If organizations still use traditional ways to approve requests, they might already know it’s a tedious process. At times manager feels difficulty in managing the required number of employees in the company. One employee might want the same day off already applied by another employee. If handled manually, it is very challenging to keep the record of employees with days off or those who want particular time away from the company.
Workflow automation removes this uncertainty and makes sure the company doesn’t go understaffed. Automation software tracks and keeps the record of the time of those away and the manager can instantly approve the leave requests by scanning everything on the single screen. Software is stuffed with an online form to let employees know which days are available or unavailable that automatically limits two employees requesting the same days off.
No matter the type and size of your business, data procurement is a critical part of every business. It is a process that consists of a series of functions required to obtain goods and services from the vendor and keep a record of how these services and goods are used to achieve business goals. The effective use of the procumbent function directly influences the cost-saving objectives of the agency. Yes, by analyzing the data you can revisit decisions if you need to change vendors and suppliers. Data procurement goes beyond the purchase of goods and services. For instance, it also includes a better understanding of the performance of all business units, supplier performance, risk and compliance management, and contract utilization.
Manual processing of data procurement often leads to compromised risks like operational risks, delivery risks, and potential frauds. Moreover, inaccuracy and inefficiency are other issues that result from the manual handling of data. However, with automation procurement software these issues can be avoided. Automating vendor management and purchase orders guarantee enhanced compliance and greater productivity.
Invoice generation is an integral part of any business. Effective invoice generation builds trust and allows clients to stay in touch with your business and keep coming back for what you have to offer. If you create invoices manually, you might need to generate an invoice every time to request payment from the client. However, with workflow automation this process becomes transparent, preventing you from entering information every single time to request the next payment. A smart automation solution comes with automation of data entry, matching prices, transferring digital payments, managing purchase orders, and more. Generating digital invoices is crucial for businesses to keep up with the modern trends and compete with rival brands.
When you start a small business, you need employees to keep it up and running.
However, it’s probable in the early stage of your business you’re tight on budget.
To combat this, a smart automation solution is key.
No advanced automation solutions are required. Some vendors offer low-cost solutions that perfectly fit your budget.
From vacation requests and invoice generation to data procurement and onboarding new hires, you can automate workflows for your business growth.
Know that not every business task requires automation, since some mission-critical tasks like system failure and hacking demand instant human involvement to run a business without delays.
That’s all for today. Hope you’ve enjoyed reading this article. If you have any questions, you can ask me in the section below. You are most welcome to share your experience of incorporating workflow automation into your business. Thank you for reading the article.
Running a business is not an easy job. It requires a lot of deliberate effort and careful attention to run business processes successfully. Some tasks involved are repetitive and time-consuming, making it difficult for you to do them manually. This is where workflow automation comes in handy that doesn’t require human intervention and can be used to effectively manage and execute business processes.
Curious to know about Top 10 workflow automation software?
Scroll on.
Workflow is a process that requires a lot of steps to be completed in a sequential manner. The process goes from start to finish and normally involves people or systems.
Workflow automation software is a tool used by most businesses to automate repetitive and time-consuming tasks. This tool is usually employed to improve employees’ efficiency, reduce errors and increase revenue. From lead management, sales, and marketing, to finance and accounting, this tool is used to automate manual processes. Some software come with flexible customization options, allowing you to develop and modify workflows as per the business needs.
Mainly two types of software are used: no-code tools and low-code tools.
No-code tools come in simple drag-and-drop and flow chart settings that you can use with no coding skills or technical expertise while low-code tools, on the other hand, require a little bit of technical knowledge to get a hands-on experience of them. But don’t worry, you don’t require a software degree to use them, if you pay careful attention, you can learn them yourself on the go.
Listed below are the top 10 workflow automation software used by organizations.
Zapier is a user-friendly automation tool that helps you automate business processes. It comes with thousands of pre-crafted templates that you can customize based on your business needs. Building a zap is just one click away. Plus, you can add tailor-made workflow logic and multiple steps to automate tasks that would otherwise be completed manually.
Nintex is an intelligent no-code workflow automation tool that helps you easily optimize and manage processes. Trusted by more than 10,000 organizations, Nintex allows you to create result-driven workflows with a workflow cloud which means your data is managed and stored over the internet. Setting you free from creating and managing in-house data centers. Automate the manual, repetitive, and time-consuming tasks with just a few clicks.
Kissflow is a market leader in workflow automation that allows users to develop workflows with the visual builder. Integrated with a sleek interface and drag-and-drop settings, Kissflow helps companies to speed up the workflow processes from all-in-one workflow automation software. Moreover, the notification alert option gives you a deep insight into the performance of complex workflow automation processes.
Integrify is a user-friendly workflow automation software that facilitates in building file approval workflow and custom documents. Plus, it incorporates a visual drag-and-drop builder that lets you visualize the workflows as you develop them. Its form builder allows you to monitor workflow automation, giving you an insight into inefficiencies so you can find areas for improvement.
Flokzu is a workflow automation software that allows you to develop visual workflow models with a visual builder. It is a cloud-based process management tool that features a real-time reporting dashboard allowing you to get a hold of each stage your process is in, so you can make educated decisions for your future outcome. Gives you notification of each pending task, and as the pending task is completed, it automatically assigns a new task to the user.
Trusted by over 30,000 organizations from small enterprises to Fortune 500, automate.io is a process management automation software designed for industries where you can create simple workflows or sync data between two different apps. You can sequentially automate tasks in different business processes including lead management, sales outreach, content marketing, social media marketing, and more.
Processmaker is a low-code automation tool used to create approval-based workflows with ease. A notification alert system allows you to get real-time reporting about the tasks to be created so you know exactly what’s happening inside each process. Industries that can benefit from this tool include healthcare, insurance, banking, higher education, manufacturing, and telecom.
IFTTT stands for If This, Then That. It’s a powerful tool that works on conditional statements (called Applets) and executes processes when these conditions are met. It is mainly used to connect apps and allow services and devices to work together. Most popular applets are used in building a smart home environment. For instance, turning on the device with your voice, powering the security system upon leaving your home, and determining the temperature using the weather.
Trusted by over 152,000 customers worldwide, Monday is an open-source automation tool to streamline your everyday tasks. Build and customize workflows to improve the collaboration and productivity of your team. Stay connected with real-time notifications, so you know the performance of each task completed.
Asana is a project management software designed to remotely manage teams and assign tasks with one integrated platform. You can collaborate and build strategic project plans from anywhere. The notification alert feature gives you an insight into when the task is completed and what’s new on the table. Allows you to automate routine work so you can pay attention to what matters and adds value to your team.
Workflow automation is critical for business growth. When repetitive and manual tasks are automated, you can improve the productivity of your team by paying attention to the actual business objectives. Using technology to your advantage is the best way to excel and grow in this digital transformation stage and leave a footprint in the competitive market.
That’s all for today. Hope you’ve enjoyed reading this article. If you have any questions, you can ask me in the section below. I’ll help you according to the best of my knowledge. Share your experience if you have used any workflow automation software before. Thank you for reading this post.
Hi Guys! Hope you’re well today. I welcome you on board. In this post, I’ll walk you through Introduction to Workflow Automation.
Workflow automation is a critical part to run a successful business. It is used to improve the efficiency and productivity of the business to provide a better user experience, reduce errors and increase revenue. Workflow automation is the process of automating a set of repeatable tasks to achieve a certain goal within the software or app you use.
Confused?
Don’t be.
We’ll touch on this further in the article.
Curious to know more about workflow automation, its benefits, how to choose workflow automation software, and how it can help your business?
Keep reading.
Before we get into the nitty-gritty of workflow automation we must know what workflow is.
Every business is based on a predefined process. It’s the set of activities including manual tasks like creating reports, data transfer, collaborating within the company and more… all these tasks are performed to fulfill the business needs. Workflow guarantees all these processes are planned and executed in a sequential manner by the people or systems to achieve a certain goal.
Know that a workflow image can be a simple flowchart diagram representing a set of activities to reach the desired goal.
And automation is the process that repeats itself without human intervention. It works on WHEN and THEN rules. For instance, when the temperature falls below 30 C, then turn on the AC.
Simply put, workflow automation is automating the workflow – it involves incorporating the automated software system within the company to monitor and control business processes. The software is used to perform a repeated set of steps consecutively to do a certain task. In this process the work goes from start to finish without human involvement, eliminating the manual steps and ensuring the error-free work on time.
The workflow automation you can implement in the business processes includes sales and marketing, human resource, lead management, and more. This way businessmen can pay careful attention to the more important tasks rather than worrying about properly executing the workflow within the software.
The key benefits of workflow automation include:
Choosing the right workflow automation software is a bit tricky. It depends on the workflow processes you want to manage within a business.
There are two types of software used in workflow automation: no-code tool and low-code tool.
The no-code tool works better for the beginner with no technical expertise. Some of these tools come with a drag and drop feature, allowing you to easily customize the workflow for your business process at hand. The low-code tool, on the other hand, requires coding skills to put into practice. Low-code tool doesn’t mean you have to be a tech-geek to get a hold of it. And you don’t require any software degree either, you can learn it easily if you put a deliberate effort and attention.
Other things you must consider while choosing the right tool include:
The tool comes with easy to handle user interface UI which means you can learn it yourself, if it requires technical support at every step, you better skip it.
The tool must be economical and scalable so you can modify it as per the business processes.
The tool must be compatible with your apps. What may fit for other businesses might not work for your business. If everyone is buying it doesn’t mean you also have to buy it. Keep your business processes in mind before choosing the right tool.
Workflow automation sets you free from doing manual repetitive tasks and automates your business processes to improve efficiency and productivity.
Following are the key areas of your business you can automate with workflow automation:
Invoice generation is a crucial task to create a document to bill your clients. When done manually, mistakes are obvious. But with workflow automation, you can automate the invoice generation process to bypass the multiple manual processes. You can use workflow automation software to create the invoice to bill the client month after month for a definite amount. Plus, you can keep a record of the invoices you create for a particular client.
Onboarding new candidates is overwhelming at times. It requires a lot of brainstorming, resources, workforce, and time. However, with workflow automation, this process can be straightforward without the involvement of repeated manual processes. Workflow automation software allows the new candidates to list their information and submit it directly to the HR department. It removes the need for manual tests and check-ups to reach the hiring manager, effortlessly bridging the gap between the company and new candidates.
Quality leads form the basis of any business growth. Manual lead management requires a lot of data filtering and manual follow-ups that slow down the process of reaching potential clients.
Workflow automation allows the companies to discard the low-quality leads, and automate the process to turn the visitors into customers. Moreover, it allows the sales team to streamline the sales funnel process, stuff CRM with the required information, direct new leads to the sales manager, and effectively deliver the products to the customers.
Manual handling of staff expenses is a tedious job. But workflow automation is here to rescue you. At times you spend money on the behest of the company. If you want to have approved those expenses from the company, first you need to write the email to the manager who will approve it and then send it to the accounting department. Everything will be documented in a report before the accounts department refund the money to the employees. However, workflow automation software can simplify this and other manual processes including creating reports, managing travel tickets, approving leave and vacation requests and producing purchase orders, and more.
A workflow automation software is an important tool for your business growth.
Using this tool, redundant tasks are eliminated and repetitive and manual tasks are put on auto-pilot.
Whether or not should you pick the automated workflow software for your business is a tricky question and unfortunately, there is no simple formula to figure this out. However, the business processes that can use automation to drive value include time-bound activities, manual repetitive tasks, lead management, customer support and data entry jobs, and more.
Keep two things in mind while picking the right tool: it meets your business's core objectives and it should be economical.
That’s all about the Introduction to Workflow Automation. If you have any questions in mind, you may ask me in the comment section below. I’ll help you to resolve your query. Keep sharing your feedback and suggestions to help us improve the quality of our content. Thank you for reading this article.
As you'll learn in this article, there are various benefits of automating the workflows that can help you achieve higher levels of success!
Workflow automation uses technology to improve or replace manual work tasks. Automation can save time and money by reducing or eliminating the need for human intervention in repetitive or time-consuming tasks and thus reducing workforce management.
Most businesses can benefit from workflow automation in some way. Some common areas where companies typically automate their workflows include:
There are many ways in which automation can help employees work more productively. Here are just a few:
One of the most important benefits of automation is saving employees time. When tasks are automated, employees no longer have to complete those tasks manually. This allows employees to focus on more critical tasks and projects, leading to higher productivity levels.
By automating their workflows, businesses can help their employees to become more productive. When employees can focus on essential and relevant tasks, they can produce better results. Additionally, employees who can complete tasks quickly and efficiently will feel more satisfied with their job, leading to increased productivity in the long run.
Businesses that automate their workflows can save money by reducing or eliminating the need for human intervention in repetitive or time-consuming tasks. Automation can also help businesses to become more efficient, which can lead to cost savings in the long run.
When businesses can reduce the time to complete tasks, they can do more in less time. This can decrease labor costs, as companies no longer need as many employees to complete the same number of tasks.
Additionally, companies that automate their workflows can often improve their efficiency, leading to a decrease in overhead costs.
Overall, many benefits of automation can help businesses save money and become more productive.
Workflow automation can help improve communication between employees. When tasks are automated, employees no longer have to rely on email or other forms of communication to share information. This can lead to a more efficient and productive workplace, as employees will communicate more easily and quickly.
Additionally, businesses that automate their workflows can improve communication between departments. When departments can work together more effectively, they can achieve better results. Automation can help to break down the barriers between departments and allow them to work together more efficiently.
Furthermore, organizations that automate their processes can enhance communication between employees. Employees are less likely to make errors when they can communicate more effectively.
Automation might assist staff in breaking down barriers and working together more effectively. This may lead to a drop in the number of workplace administrative mistakes.
Overall, automation can help businesses reduce or eliminate administrative errors made in the workplace. This can lead to a more efficient and productive workplace.
When businesses automate their workflows, they are often able to collect data that is actionable. This means that the data can be used to make decisions and take action. When businesses have actionable data, they can improve their operations and become more successful.
Businesses that automate their workflows can collect data from a variety of sources. This data can include information from sensors, social media, or financial data. When this data is processed and organized, businesses can make better decisions about running their company.
Actionable data can help businesses improve several areas, including sales, marketing, and operations. By having access to actionable data, companies can make changes that will enhance their bottom line. Additionally, businesses can use actionable data to create a more successful long-term strategy.
Overall, businesses that automate their workflows can collect data that is actionable. This data can be used to make decisions and take action, which can help companies to improve their operations and become more successful.
Task management is an integral part of any business. When tasks are managed efficiently, companies can achieve better results. Automation can help improve task and project management workflows in several ways.
When tasks are automated, employees can complete them more quickly and efficiently. This can decrease the time it takes to complete tasks, which can free up employees' time to work on other projects.
When it comes to getting started with workflow automation, there are a few things you need to consider. Here are a few tips:
The future of workflow automation is very promising. With the help of technology, businesses will automate more and more processes, making the workplace more efficient and productive. Additionally, automating repetitive and time-consuming tasks will free employees to focus on higher-level work requiring creative thinking and problem-solving skills.
As workflow automation becomes more commonplace, organizations will need to invest in tools and training to ensure that they effectively use these new technologies.
In conclusion, there are many benefits of employee productivity through workflow automation. Automation can speed up tasks, eliminate errors, and improve communication between employees. By automating your workflows, you can help your team work more efficiently and productively, which will lead to a more successful business!