Business process automation or BPA represents an increasingly popular form of Digital Transformation, with many companies using automation to improve efficiency, productivity and even employee morale.
That’s right! A company’s collective employee morale and productivity may reflect a marked improvement with a business process automation project. This occurs because you are removing humans from the equation and freeing them to focus on other higher-level tasks. Rote, repetitive tasks tend to be very damaging to morale, which in turn, has an adverse impact on productivity levels, overall performance and ultimately, employee retention.
Productivity and efficiency also jumps when your Digital Transformation project involves business process automation since a computer can be far faster and more efficient than a human.
But where do you begin with a business process automation assessment to determine if a specific process is right for BPA?
How to Perform a Business Process Automation Assessment
To evaluate a process’ suitability for BPA, it is important that you take the time to perform a comprehensive analysis of the process from start to finish. This will allow you to determine whether it is a Digital Transformation project worth pursuing.
The following is an overview of the steps you should be taking as you perform a BPA assessment on a process.
Evaluate the Process Repeatability for Your BPA Assessment
Is the process consistently repeatable? The processes that are best suited to Business Process Automation are repeatable and every run looks very similar, if not the same. If the process sees lots of variation, automation becomes far more challenging. Processes with a high degree of variability usually require rather sophisticated automation technology, which is more costly and time-consuming to develop. It is important to keep this point in mind because it will have a major impact on the cost and timeframe of your BPA Digital Transformation project.
Outline the Steps in the Process Selected for Automation
From start to finish, document the exact steps and what each step entails. It is also important to note who or what performs the step. Is a human currently performing a specific step or is that part of the process performed by a software program? In cases where a human is involved, your Digital Transformation team may need to include technology such as artificial intelligence and machine learning to bridge the gap.
The number of steps and the nature of the steps in a process will have a significant impact on a BPA project’s cost and timeframe, making this a very important consideration. This information must be provided to your Digital Transformation partner in order to get an accurate idea of BPA cost.
Consider if the Process is Worth Automating
Is the process worth automating from a practical perspective and from a financial / ROI perspective? Evaluate the process in terms of how long it currently takes to perform that task and what resources are required to complete the process. In cases where you have a human performing the process, you’ll also need to consider how efficient they are at completing the task with a high degree of quality and consistency.
Also consider the importance and role of that process in the broader scheme of things. A number of processes may be vital for a company’s operations. These tend to be great process automation candidates since consistency and efficiency are essential for mission-critical tasks. In other cases, a business may find that the task is relatively easy to perform with a high degree of efficiency which can make business process automation feel a bit like “overkill.”
In short, you may see greater ROI if you focus on more essential, challenging, complex or painfully repetitive tasks as you plan your business process automation project.
The Benefits of Business Process Automation
Performing a business process automation assessment may seem a bit arduous. Many just want to get down to business, starting their Digital Transformation project straight away. But a careful evaluation is essential because you want to ensure that you are automating processes that will bring maximum benefit to your organization.
Business process automation benefits are many and varied, from improved productivity and higher levels of efficiency, to error minimization, greater standardization, and even better risk management achieved through improved regulatory compliance.
Digital Transformation to Solve Problems and Drive Business Forward
At 7T, we specialize in Digital Transformation projects, including business process automation. We have extensive experience working with cutting-edge technologies such as AI and machine learning, integrating these capabilities into our process automation projects for exceptional results that are truly transformative for our clients and their businesses.
At 7T, we develop transformative technology using an approach of “Digital Transformation Driven by Business Strategy.” The 7T development team works with company leaders who are seeking to solve problems and drive ROI through Digital Transformation. We then provide collaborative, multi-phased Digital Transformation solutions to clients in all business sectors.
Our offices are situated in Dallas, Houston and Austin, but our clientele spans the globe. If you’re ready to learn more about digital transformation as a service or are seeking to develop an enterprise digital transformation solution such as a custom enterprise software platform, mobile app or another piece of technology for your organization, contact 7T today.
