First published: December 19, 2021 @ 6:00 pm
Business process automation (BPA) is a process automation technology that helps companies to build their processes around repetitive tasks that could use automation with minimal effort.
Small businesses, as well as large corporations, use BPA for streamlining business processes, enabling them to increase efficiency and improve productivity.
The term “process automation” refers to the application of computer software or artificial intelligence that automates repetitive tasks that people could perform using standard software programs, thus making them more efficient.
There are several benefits that we can derive from business process automation (BPA). However, it is important to note that BPA does not mean replacing the entire back-office.
It is more like taking some repetitive tasks off your employees’ plate and giving them more time to focus on their strengths. So how does BPA benefit small startups? Let’s explore.
Why is BPA important for startups?
1. Avoiding overspending on the back-office
As you know, most startups work with lean teams and do not have enough people to fill all the roles in their business processes.
The reason behind this trend is that most of these businesses rely heavily on word-of-mouth marketing to drive traffic to their websites.
This can be a grand strategy for building your brand, but it has its downsides as well, including being unable to grow fast enough or have enough resources in terms of human resources or capital.
When you are working with a lean team, it is important that you don’t do everything yourself by hiring more people just for one role. Rather, focus on doing only the tasks that you can do by yourself.
Automation in back-office operations can increase efficiency and lower costs. In addition, automation is a strategy that requires minimal upfront investment and allows businesses to scale up quickly when needed.
For example, with a BPA, companies can save money. We can automate financial transactions to reduce the cost of paper, staff time and improve the efficiency of internal systems. Automating manual tasks saves companies money to purchase additional equipment and hire additional staff.
2. Focusing on core competencies
One of the best ways to drive growth for a startup is to focus on your main strengths and then build the surrounding business. This is because it allows you to attract customers who are looking for your services or products.
You will also be able to keep your costs low as you are not hiring more people for additional roles. Also, BPA can help you reduce costs by automating repetitive tasks that require significant time investment.
Therefore BPA is so beneficial for startups, as it allows them to concentrate on their strengths and not have to worry about technology infrastructure.
3. Faster growth
Automation allows startups to build new products faster and to improve their speed and efficiency. The faster we create the product, the more likely it is that customers will buy it. Therefore, startups should automate processes that affect their speed of development.
4. Eliminates manual errors
BPA helps to eliminate the possibility of human errors and data entry mistakes that clerical staff or IT personnel could cause. It also reduces chances of document loss and document duplication.
5. Customer Experience Optimization
Customer service is increasingly complex and demands flexibility and flexibility. Automation allows startups to improve their customer relationship management (CRM) system.
CRM is an important part of managing customer relationships because it allows companies to build rapport with customers by monitoring what they do. Automation can help companies identify where improvements are necessary in CRM systems.
Companies can benefit from automating data entry. This is because businesses receive automated reports which provide real — time information about the number of orders and customer feedback.
This helps companies to keep track of customer data and understand their needs. With BPA, startups can also provide customer service by responding to customer requests in real time using automated scripts.
This way, companies can better understand what customers want and improve their understanding of their needs.
Many startups use automation to monitor social media platforms in order to keep up with changes in consumer behavior and create timely updates for new product launches.
By using automation in this way, it is possible for companies to create improved customer experiences, more efficient processes and better products.
Example: How Automation Can Help a Small Startup
We use the example of a small startup that hires new employees. The startup uses BPA to automate the hiring process.
First Step of Hiring Process
In this example, we have two processes we can automate using BPA. In the first step of the hiring process, a company will have to perform many manual tasks.
For example, in the first step of the hiring process, it will have to send a form to each potential employee asking for a resume and salary requirements.
The company will also have to go through each resume and hire someone who meets its requirements. In addition, during the hiring process itself, it will have to manually select interview candidates from those resumes.
Second Step of Hiring Process
The second step of the hiring process involves performing more manual tasks such as calling potential employees and scheduling interviews with them.
Third Step of Hiring Process
Finally, in the third step of the hiring process (the actual interview), a company will need to perform manual tasks such as going through each candidate’s resume and then asking them questions about their skills and experience.
Automating these steps can save time for a small startup by reducing the need for manual work.
In addition to automating two processes in this example (hiring employees), we can also assume that our small startup has another process: it needs an employee training program and employee leave management.
The employee training programs aim to accommodate new employees to learn the company’s business processes.
For example, if you hire a new employee, the employee will need to attend a training program that teaches him or her how to perform the company’s business processes.
The employee leave management: process automates tracking and managing employees’ leaves of absence (e.g., vacations).
For example, if an employee is out sick for three days in a row, HR department managers can automatically track and receive reports of the employee’s absence.
Then, HR managers can take action based on this information (e.g., giving the employee an extra day off, cancelling his or her leave, etc.).
Automate Your Business Now
Business Process Automation has the potential to revolutionize the way that companies conduct business. By automating tasks, companies can create innovative products that are more likely to be successful.
Automation also reduces the amount of errors we typically make when working with human beings. It also allows us to create higher-quality products.
By automating processes, companies can reduce time and effort spent on repetitive tasks, improving existing processes and creating new ones. This way, startups can benefit from reduced costs, increased efficiency and improved customer experiences.
There are many advantages and ways to automate your business. Find other related articles and many more useful business automatization tips on WorkDeputy blog!
