In a fast-paced digital world saturated with information, businesses are looking for ways in which to streamline processes to get a competitive edge over their rivals. One way businesses are evolving is by using business process automation (BPA), modern software which is changing the pace of routine business workflows.
What is business process automation (BPA)?
Business process automation (BPA) utilises state-of-the-art software to automate repeatable business processes end-to-end. It can take multi-step business processes and execute them with higher efficiency and accuracy.
Many business process automation tools utilise ‘If This Then That’ logic to string together a series of actions that replicate the processes a human worker would take during a task.
Business process automation has the added benefit of being able to replicate tasks usually carried out by multiple people across multiple departments. For example, BPA software could be used to onboard a new employee by setting up new work accounts, scheduling training and inductions, and setting up payroll details.
How business process automation is used
There are many use cases for business process automation. Some of the most popular ways to use business process automation software are:
Email to database processing
ThinkAutomation can scan emails and extract data. Extracted data fields can then be mapped to a database table with column names.
The software will then automatically create the required SQL commands to update your database.
Once configured, ThinkAutomation can process all incoming emails, parse and extract any data you need and then update your company databases – all automatically.
Intelligent document processing (IDP)
Any business document can be processed automatically to extract data or manipulate a document.
For example, an incoming email message with a PDF attachment could be automatically processed to extract the text, parse the data and save it to a database.
Database monitoring
Business process automation software can be used to periodically read your database records, retrieve the results (according to your pre-defined rules and conditions) and then execute an automation.
For example, a loyalty offer could be automatically sent to customers who have been on your database for X number of years.
Data transformation
If you have data from multiple sources, ThinkAutomation can retrieve this data, transform it as needed and move it to multiple data stores.
For example, the software can look for certain changes in a database record, then automatically move that data to a different database type.
Sales process workflows
Using software bots, ThinkAutomation can turn enquiries from multiple sources into coherent sales leads in one place.
The software recognises keywords and phrases and can be trained to automatically identify engaged or sales-ready content.
This can then be sent as automated alerts and reports to help your sales teams identify potential customers and increase conversions.
The benefits of business process automation
There are many benefits to using business process automation, but they mainly break down to either saving your business time, money or avoiding mistakes. Here are a few benefits you can expect:
- Repeatable tasks are more accurate when automated
- Automating tasks frees up workers to focus on higher-value activities
- Reduces operational costs by streamlining workflow and manual labour
- Can improve customer satisfaction by providing rapid responses and quick issue resolution
- Automation can scale up to handle large amounts of data
BPA vs RPA – how they differ
Business process automation and robotic process automation (RPA) are often mixed up and confused with one another, but each has its own specific meaning and use cases.
| Business Process Automation | Robotic Process Automation |
|---|---|
| Automates processes with multiple steps | Automates simple tasks |
| Makes existing processes more efficient | Works alongside existing processes |
| Requires access to databases for information exchange, plus integration and APIs | Works within existing UIs and desktops |
| Can be simple or complex according to the businesses needs | Uses a low-code/no-code approach |
| Can automate processes end-to-end | Can’t optimise end-to-end processes |
How to automate your business processes
There are many ways to automate your business processes, with some requiring a high level of coding knowledge to implement. If you’re a complete beginner to business process automation, the best place to start is by finding the right software.
Step 1: Choose the right tool
There are a whole host of different software providers and tools out there that can help you automate your business processes. ThinkAutomation gives you the tools you need to start automating your workflows with minimal knowledge. With C# or VB.NET scripting, you can further extend your automation capabilities.
Step 2: Find your repetitive tasks
Think about which tasks your business performs that are repetitive and could be automated. Once you identify processes that can be automated, you’re ready to implement actions.
Step 3: Map out the process
Understanding all the variables and moving parts of a business process will help you to automate the workflow. You can visualise your processes by drawing a process map, mapping out each step and identifying aspects that can be automated.
Step 4: Set up your actions
Using ThinkAutomation’s ‘If This Then That’ logic rules, you can create a string of actions that execute when a parameter is met.
For example, you could run an automation that scans all your incoming emails, sends a summary of the text in each to ChatGPT, then prompts ChatGPT to decide whether the email would be categorised as “sales”, “marketing” or “support”. If the email is a sales email, a notification would then be sent to the sales team, a support request would automatically open a support ticket, and a marketing email would be moved to a different folder.
Step 5: Monitor and measure
Business process automation shouldn’t be a “set and forget” experience. You will need to monitor the outcome of the automations, especially at the beginning when the automations are first implemented.
If you monitor and measure your automations, you will be able to identify any issues and optimise our steps accordingly.
Popular workflows to automate in your business
Accounts payable invoice processing
Scan, capture and process invoices automatically. ThinkAutomation can capture invoice data from emails, PDFs and other digital files, processing the data to create new invoices in your accounting system.
Auto-translate incoming messages from customers
ThinkAutomation can detect the language of any incoming message and automatically translate the text (in 40+ languages). The software can then send a response in the same language.
Create a PDF file for an online quote
Using ThinkAutomation’s ‘Create Spreadsheet’ action, you can automatically turn a filled in web form from a customer on your website into a PDF file of the quotation. This PDF quote can then be displayed to the customer on your webpage and emailed to their inbox.
Why you should be using business process automation tools
There are many reasons why you should be using business process automation tools, but here are just a few:
- They save you time
Routine repetitive tasks take time for an employee to complete. By automating these tasks, your employees can concentrate on higher priority tasks that add value for your customers.
- They save you money
Saving time on routine processes means your business doesn’t have to worry about hiring extra staff during busy periods. Automations take care of tasks no matter how busy or quiet business is.
- Errors are minimised
Removing human input from a process means mistakes are kept to a minimum.
- Processes are standardised
Because an automated process is always handled by the same programme, the process will be run exactly the same way, no matter if it’s run 100 times or 1,000,000 times. The same process flow executed by multiple different employees will introduce variables where the process can be run differently – this doesn’t happen with an automation.
- They scale with your business
Whether you’re a small business or a huge corporation, business process automation software will scale up to handle huge amounts of data without creating any bottlenecks.
FAQs
What automates business processes?
Different software, such as ThinkAutomation, can automate your business processes. Using advanced technology and AI, ThinkAutomation utilises ‘If This Then That’ logic rules to execute a vast list of actions.
What is business process automation?
Business process automation (BPA) uses software to automate repeatable end-to-end, multi-step business processes to increase efficiency and accuracy.
How do you automate business processes?
Business processes can be automated using software such as ThinkAutomation. With ThinkAutomation, you get an open-ended studio to build your automated workflows.
What business processes can be automated?
Many business processes and workflows can be automated, including document processing, database management, accounts payable processing and web form automation.
What are the benefits of automating business processes?
Automating your business processes can make your workers and business more efficient. Automating repeatable tasks will save you time and money and will increase the accuracy of your business processes.