What are the benefits of process automation for smaller businesses?

9th February 2021

To maintain healthy productivity within teams, to ensure that all steps of the workflow are ticked off and that details aren’t overlooked, it’s important to have processes in place. Consistency is key for success though, which is why businesses are increasingly looking to process automation to make lighter work of projects, workflows and data management. For small businesses, in particular, automating processes early on can help in a number of ways.

Scalability to grow your business

Small businesses can struggle if there’s a sudden surge of interest in their products or services, as a quick change of demand may be difficult to fulfil for a smaller team. The result can be delivery delays, issues meeting deadlines and poor customer service, which can be detrimental to your brand and reputation. Instead of hiring more staff, which can be costly and may be difficult for a smaller business to fund, you can use business automation tools such as robotic process automation which will handle repetitive, time-consuming tasks for you. This leaves your employees with more time to work on the tasks and projects that will help your business to grow.

Minimised errors

Any time a process relies on manual input, there’s a higher risk of errors. These types of errors may be small and insignificant, but they can still mess with your overall efficiency and, in the event that a larger mistake happens, it could wind up costing you more than just an inconvenience. Automation tools can reduce the risk of these errors occurring considerably, from document management and processing to processing invoices. These tools will help you manage the administrative side of your business more effectively and will reduce the risk of mistakes.

Ensuring compliance

Adhering to government and industry guidelines and regulations can be costly for many small businesses, whether it’s tax compliance for the reimbursement of travel expenses or handling customer data in industries that are highly regulated. Process automation ensures that everyone in the business is following the same procedures which, in turn, will ensure you’re complying with industry regulations and the necessary criteria.

Easier decision-making

Data can be a difficult area for businesses to manage, whatever the size of the team. But companies can streamline this more effectively through process automation which enables staff to gather and analyse real-time data to make decisions far more easily and accurately. This also helps to improve communication, as having up-to-date information ensures that everyone is working from the same information at all times, whether they’re in the office or working remotely. This is crucial where projects and group tasks are concerned. Complex projects require multiple team members to get involved, and everyone will have their own responsibilities to manage. Automation can help you track the progress of each project and it will also make it easier for key information to be communicated, so that everyone involved will be working to the same data for easier collaboration.

Centralised communication

Having one communication channel enables everyone to work more productively and it avoids the issue of information getting lost or forgotten. A software solution that allows for sending and storing files and documents, and provides reminders and notifications, will make exchanging information easier and keeps everyone updated. As the business grows, having tools in place to ensure communication is streamlined will be enormously beneficial to the success of projects and the level of service each team member can provide.

Consistent customer experience

Brand reputation is crucial in any business, but particularly for smaller businesses who are still establishing themselves in their industry. A consistent customer experience can help with this, as it builds trust and showcases reliability. By fine-tuning your processes and streamlining the experience you deliver, you can retain more customers through a positive experience and scale your business more efficiently.

What business services can be automated?

There is a huge range of processes and business functions that can be automated, these include:

Conclusion

Process automation helps your business stay compliant with relevant regulations and streamlines your workflow. For smaller businesses, the efficiency and productivity that automation provides can be even more advantageous, helping to minimise the need for repetitive tasks and helping staff to complete work more quickly.

Selecting the right tools for the job is critical to your success with process automation, ensuring that you stay within your budget and that the tools meet your specific requirements as a business. Small businesses can see a high return on investment with these types of tools and they can be utilised in a range of ways, from employee onboarding and recruitment to data management.

If you would like more information about digitising your workflow with process automation, contact our helpful team today.