How to implement process automation in 3 steps

An Economist survey has found that in the US alone,

61% of organisations are already making extensive use of automation technology.

The same survey found that

69% of respondents cite A.I. and automation software as a high or essential priority.

It’s not just business owners who are excited about the benefits of automated processes. Research has found that

97% of workers believe that automation can help their organizations increase productivity and reduce human error.

There are a lot of good reasons to automate business processes. Many employees spend hundreds of hours carrying out repetitive manual tasks, which are often prone to human error. This costs businesses money, hinders the quality of their output, and reduces their capacity to work on other areas of the business.

Automation can drastically reduce the amount of time, money, and resources spent on these tasks, making it possible for businesses to dedicate more time on improving their business and the quality of their products.

Though the rise of automation is an exciting prospect for almost every industry, some businesses are feeling overwhelmed and unsure of how to begin. These simple, actionable steps will help you navigate the hype and make the best possible start to your automation journey.

Preparing for Implementation

Before jumping into your automation project, it’s important to consider your approach to maximize your project’s chances for success. Here are a few tips to keep in mind before you embark on your automation journey: 

• Do your research: make sure to research where automation could have a high impact on the business to grab the attention of stakeholders.
• It’s not a Swiss army knife solution: cognitive technologies like Intelligent Process Automation are designed for specific purposes, so don’t expect it to fit in all areas of your business, or expect it to automate every human-based process. 

• Manage employee expectations: Engage your employees from the beginning and be transparent about the project objectives to avoid any misunderstandings.
• Create a new process flow: when you implement automation technology, there is a shift from human centric to machine-centric processes. Your existing rules and guidelines may need to change to fit this new flow. 
• Prepare an innovation program: Begin with a quick prototype to secure stakeholder buy-in, supplying your own data to provide a maturity estimate and the viability of your example.

Following these simple tips will prepare your business for a successful automation project when it comes to implementation. 

Three Steps to Successfully Automate Your Business

When implementing your first automation project, it’s important to remain predictable and methodical in your approach. By sticking to a clear and structured approach, you can better ensure that your Process Automation or Intelligent Process Automation projects are a success.

There are three steps to this approach:

Map and Measure

You must first find a way to identify what processes can be automated within your business.  A good automation partner will help you to do this. 

Carrying out structured process mapping will show you how to identify process automation opportunities within your organisation and prioritize which task(s) automation will offer the most value to your business. This will help you gain a clearer understanding of the existing processes in place and the systems driving them, as well as the human interactions needed to perform these tasks. 

The map and measure stage will also highlight which interfaces are central to the process, such as APIs, media files, emails etc.. Using all this information and working with your partner, a roadmap should be created that includes the timings, costs, and the estimated process automation ROI. 

Delivery

This will allow you to determine which steps should be implemented next. 

During the delivery process, it’s important to determine which type of automation your business requires. If it requires the automation of a simple manual task, Process Automation may be the best solution. But if it requires decision making at certain stages along the chain, you would need to transform it into an Intelligent Process Automation project. 

Either way, having access to key data is vital to the success of the project, as this drives both the actions and decisions the solution will automate.

Maintain 

Once the automation project has been completed and deployed, it is critical to ensure continual maintenance and improvements. Data is always changing and processes evolve, which means that the Intelligent Automation solution must be tweaked and improved so that it can continue to streamline processes in the long term. 

Having the right partner to help you automate your processes is key to executing these steps successfully. They will be able to help you identify which processes can and should be automated, and they’ll be there to ensure that your automation solution reaches its true value potential. With our experience in automation software,  we can support your business throughout the automation journey. Get in touch if you’re looking for a partner to guide you throughout the entire automation journey. 

Are you ready to automate your business?

Whether your task requires Process Automation or Intelligent Process Automation to best streamline your processes, these three steps will guide you on your way to successful implementation. 

Ready to learn more about where Intelligent Process Automation could take your business? Download our free eBook below to find out how to get started.