Save Time With These 5 Business Process Automation Tools

From a business owner to an employee, the chances are that you are always looking for ways to improve efficiency and save time in the workplace. Of course, you may already have a process in place for assigning projects and handling customers' queries, but what if there was an easier way to manage some of these more repetitive work-related tasks? Luckily, there is, and it's called business process automation.

Business process automation (BPA) is a way for your business to streamline processes, increase quality and cut costs. If you are still in the manual phase of every business process, there are techniques and tools that you can incorporate into your daily operations that can provide serious benefits to your workplace.

We'll discuss what business process automation is and why it can be so helpful for your workplace, below. We'll also provide some tips on how to get started with automating your business processes and some excellent tools that will help you get you automating.

What is Business Process Automation?

Business process automation uses technology to automate business tasks and processes. This can include anything from automating simple, repetitive data entry or creating invoices to more complex supply chain or sales cycle management processes.

The goal of BPA is to improve efficiency and increase productivity by reducing the amount of time that employees spend on manual, repetitious tasks. By automating these processes, employees can free up time to focus on higher-value activities that will help them achieve their goals. While not all of these examples will pertain to your business, here are some tasks that business automation can help your business with:

• Claims processing

• Hiring process

• Onboarding

• Accounts receivable

• Operations management

• Supply chain

• IT tickets/service

• Customer service queries

• Audits

• Email marketing

• Project management

• Social medial management

Not only does BPA save time, but automating tasks like the ones above will improve accuracy and consistency. In addition, implementing automation tools and taking humans out of the equation will eliminate errors from manual input of data or incorrect execution of tasks.

Different Types of Automation

Cloud-based technology has made automation tools available for companies of all sizes and industries. However, automation isn't created equal, and different types of automation can help with various tasks. Automation types include:

• Process automation: Automating the steps of a process to make it more efficient. This can include automating data entry, creating invoices, or ordering supplies.

• Task automation: Automating specific tasks that need to be completed. An example of task automation would be sending an automated email when a new order is placed on your website, or for lead generation email marketing follow-ups.

• Workflow automation: Automating the sequence of tasks to be completed to achieve a goal. An example would be setting up a trigger in your CRM when a lead is qualified.

• Data analysis and reporting: Automated reporting tools can compile data from different sources and present it in a visually appealing way. This type of automation helps you track progress and spot trends quickly.

• Intelligent automation: Driven by artificial intelligence (AI), this type of automation tool is built with machines that can "learn" and make choices based on previously encountered situations. AI automation includes natural language processing (NLP), facial recognition, and computer vision uses. AI automation is most commonly used as virtual assistant software and chatbots that offer instant customer service experiences.

Automation Tools On The Market Today

When choosing the right automation software for your business, make sure you first consider what type of automation you need and what tasks you would like to automate. While we only pulled out five specific software examples with automation built-in, these are only the tip of the iceberg.

There are tons of business automation software programs on the market today, so be sure to do your research before deciding. The most important feature you need for your business will help you save time and increase efficiency in your workplace. If you have not already implemented automation tools into your business practices, here are 5 powerful tools available today:

1. Hive

Hive is a workflow management tool that has built-in automation features that can help automate your most repetitive tasks so you can focus on your goals. Hive offers quick-select buttons that automate common processes and forms, templates, dependencies, and project management automation rules. These integrations are an integral part of creating an automated project management system that works for you.

2. Zapier

Zapier is a well-loved workflow automation tool that allows you to connect different applications and automate the tasks between them. With Zapier, there is no need for coding or programming skills, as you create "zaps" by linking your applications and setting up the task(s) that you want automated. There are thousands of zaps available on the Zapier platform, so chances are there's one for whatever process you're looking to automate.

3. Pipedrive

Pipedrive is a sales CRM that offers workflow automation features to help manage your sales process. With Pipedrive, you can create triggers (such as when a deal is won or lost), which will then automatically activate predefined actions such as sending an email or updating your CRM. Pipedrive can also automatically track and organize your calls and emails across all devices. It can synchronize your schedule and keep your projects moving forward.

4. Grow

Grow is a fantastic business intelligence platform that offers workflow automation features for businesses of all sizes. With Grow, you can automate report generation, data analysis, and customer segmentation tasks. You can also use Grow's "Rules Engine" to create triggers that will automatically take action when certain conditions are met (such as when a lead is qualified).

5. Kissflow

Another excellent all-in-one tool, Kissflow offers an efficient process that helps manage all of your work. If you don't want the all-in-one solution, Kissflow gives you the option to mix and match your setup so that you can design the perfect flow for your business. From workflow management to collaboration, Kissflow can automate the most simple tasks to setting up and linking together large-scale projects across various platforms and workspaces.

Hive is the world’s first democratically built productivity platform. Learn how we can help you, here.