Technology enabled workflow automation is arguably the highest priority for business leaders who are seeking to streamline and align their business for the future. Key takeaway in Forrester’s report on The Growing Importance of Process to Digital Transformation – New Goals, Tools, And Methodologies Reshape Process Initiatives, notes that process leaders “face a big gap between goals and reality”.
Ambitious managers conceptually understand how automation and smart processes will aid their day-to-day activities. However, achieving this goal is a challenge and the story is universal across sectors. Out of the box enterprise systems don’t fit all companies and tend to introduce redundant procedures and require support staff and training, adding cost. If your workflow ecosystem is suffering a similar fate, then we would love to speak with you.
Introducing any new software in a company’s existing ecosystem involves several considerations. The first step is to examine all the existing processes and create a wish list. Then honestly consider if existing software or application can be modified to cater to wider company needs. The next step is to design a viable master plan with realistic timelines. In order to successfully adopt workflow automation, it is necessary to have a clear intention and commitment. Here’s how you can pave the way toward workflow automation.
Have a clear agenda
While introducing automation, it is necessary to keep your core agenda in mind. There can be multiple reasons for adopting workflow automation: improve accuracy of data and information flowing through the company processes and reduce errors for informed decision making, streamlining processes, save time and money, etc. So, as you introduce automation tools, keep ensuring that the core agenda is being fulfilled to its maximum extent. By mindfully identifying and stating the core agenda, the automation process has a better chance of aligning with the intended goals.
Creating the checklist
This is an immensely important step in the process. You must clearly identify and list down all business processes that need to be automated. In case an organization is going for a complete overhaul and introducing automation in multiple departments, it will be helpful to prepare a comprehensive list that addresses each individual process that needs to undergo automation. Managers, as well as other team members, must spend a good amount of time in preparing this list and ensure all the steps, roles and actions that will be automated are identified and included.
Communicate with your teams
After recognizing your core agenda and creating a list of processes that are going to be automated, an important step in the planning stage would be communication. All of the teams in the workplace that are most likely going to be impacted by the automation must be briefed about potential changes in advance. It would be ideal to include team leaders in planning and creating the checklist. This will ensure that all employees are on the same page in the transition phase.
Click here for information about our workflow automation services.
Finding perfect solutions to unique requirements
In order to initiate workflow automation, it is imperative to find the correct tech-partnership which will be able to support the process efficiently. Various additional aspects such as security, cloud hosting, data management must be considered in the planning.
More importantly, it is necessary to ensure that the new technology will cater to the unique needs of your company and grapple with the specific issues that need to be simplified or streamlined through automation.
The market is abundant with various off-the-shelf software and programs offering workflow automation services. However, each company has a unique mode of functioning, so a one-size-fits-all solution create certain issues that can be easily avoided by partnering with service-provider that offer custom automation applications and tools. This will provide better results as well as a secure tech-ecosystem.
Finding the right tech-partner is one of the pillars in the process of digital transformation. Click on the following link to find out how we at CCR Technologies would do our bit in your journey of workflow automation.
