Business analysts flagged process automation via workflow software as one of the top things companies could do in 2021 to improve their bottom lines. Analysts put this projection out there on business networks before the 2020 pandemic forced an uber-digital game plan on companies, many of whom weren’t ready for it. 

COVID has been the culprit—some would say the scapegoat—for whirlwind operational changes but, in some ways, the virus that made wearing masks an unwanted fashion statement also accelerated things that needed accelerating anyway. Things like automation. COVID cut the weight off corporate foot-dragging that stalled automation adoption. 

Automation has existed since the wheel was invented, making how we do things easier, faster, and better. We lean on technology to make human tasks minimal and machines optimal. We depend on automation to add value in spots that could use value. Spots like workflows. 

Workflow

A workflow is a sequence of tasks strung together to get something done (a process). Think of it as a flow chart that defines the steps in a project from A to B. “Workflows are the paths that describe how something goes from being undone to done, or raw to processed.”—Kissflow

Automation:

"The creation and application of technology to monitor and control the production and delivery of products and services.”—International Society of Automation

So workflow automation, then, is all of the tasks performed automatically to get something done. Many of the tasks we automate are repetitive and tedious, like manual data entry. In fact, data entry takes up 13 hours a week when done manually. We use technology to take over these mind-numbing tasks so we get those 13 hours back for higher-level stuff. Plus, machines don’t make mistakes like humans do. Workflow automation helps all departments work smarter.

In marketing, social media posts and sequence emails can be automated. In human resources, form field entries can be automated. In finance, reimbursements and approvals can be automated.

Workflow software is optimized with conditions, triggers, and dashboards. Workflows speed up the tasks that used to take the most time, getting things done without human direction as quickly as possible and as accurately as possible. It can be as simple as setting all of your email attachments to save to a folder (and triggering a notification when that’s done).

All the repetitive tasks are run by technology so humans can work on strategies, industry innovations, and directives that pull in bigger returns on investments and higher profit levels.

It makes sense to focus some energy here. It made sense prior to COVID and it makes even more sense now that employees are working remotely, feeding value into the core from afar.  

Does it make sense to spend dollars on workflow software when the economy is shrinking?

Yes.

The global economy shrunk because of COVID—the biggest shrink since the Great Depression of the 1930s. But that means we’re all looking to cut where we can cut and optimize where we can optimize to get lean and protect our businesses so they survive. There are lots of things you could spend money on that wouldn't move the needle. But automated workflow software isn’t one of them. Workflow software optimizes your machine so you get to the finish line first. 

What is Robotic Process Automation (RPA)?

It sounds like a cheesy 1990s movie, but RPA is the next cool thing of 2021. It’s actually been a cool thing for several years now but it hadn’t caught on until recently when… you guessed it, COVID had us scrambling outward and looking inward.

RPA is the execution element of workflow automation—the commands that handle high-volume repeating tasks. The “robot” is software. The process is whatever tedious tasks the robot performs on the way from not done to done. Automation means this happens instantly in the background without disrupting front end human-based roles. RPA pulls information from this thing and then does that thing over and over and over (so you don’t have to). If a form comes in, a trigger begins the automation process and software (the robot) extracts the form field data and creates (or updates) a customer file and then adds some of those values to certain reports—automagically. 

The manual process goes like this: 

• paper form is filled out with a pen

• employee opens customer record

• employee types in data and clicks save (hopefully)

• employee opens report

• employee copies and pastes parts of the form to different sections of a report and saves report (hopefully)

• employee files paper form in cabinet

That’s productivity friction right there. 

Where that workflow may have taken 20 minutes for a human to attempt (with potential data entry errors), a robot can do it in seconds with errors reduced to zero. Also, the robot verified the data, flagged an anomaly, and fed parts of that data into big-picture analytics so a human could see where the bottlenecks and opportunities existed in the system to make competitive decisions that increase revenues. Booyah! 

The main advantages of RPA workflow software:

Accuracy: 

Robot software follows programmed rules—they don’t make mistakes. They’re always consistent and compliant, tracking everything, reducing risk.

Scalability: 

Robots don’t get tired, sick, or go on vacation. They also work faster than humans and don’t know what tedium is. Operations are performed in parallel, pulling information from multiple sources, relaying that information to multiple places, across departments, and in the Cloud. Dang!

Cost savings:

RPA reduces processing costs by up to 80% creating a return on investment (ROI) in less than a year in many cases.   

Increased speed and productivity: 

Where RPA used to cause fright in data entry personnel (who were afraid of losing their jobs to machines), employees now appreciate robots handling repetitive tasks so they can focus on value-added tasks.

Accounts Receivable, Accounts Payable, ledgers, invoices, purchase orders, service orders, bills of material, payroll, hiring, claims, reconciliations, validations, and customer service all stand to benefit from RPA. 

RPA is the next step in the evolution of the business landscape

Robotic Process Automation supports employees by handling the mundane tasks that take up too much time. RPA improves accuracy across departments and streamlines your company’s workflow from end to end. As you grow, RPA scales flexibly, integrates into new workflows responsively—add more robots as you need them and never worry about training them—and changes the employee experience for the better, freeing your human team members from rote routines, supporting their achievement.

Digital transformation begins with scanning paper documents. Once the groundwork is digital, document management software keeps your team organized, secure, and compliant. Deploying robots to handle repetitive tasks is the next big step for enterprises around the globe. 

The global robotic process automation market size was valued at USD 1.40 billion in 2019 and is projected to exhibit a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 40.6% from 2020 to 2027.

Forrester reports that in 2021, over 4 million robots will pull up the socks of administrative departments around the corporate world. The pandemic put pressure on businesses to automate their back office, and you don’t want to miss this boat. 

You might be full of questions, so ask us anything! This is our bag of chips. We can show you how you’ll benefit from RPA by expediting tasks, leveraging robotic (software) to grow your business to a competitive advantage in 2021, maximizing revenues. Concrete, meaningful, immediate value. 

Contact us to get robots automating your processes today.