Getting Started with Automating Business Workflows

We rely on software to enhance efficiency and speed up our work. Yet, these tools, along with their users, often have their own set of challenges.

Simply implementing software doesn’t guarantee the disappearance of inefficiencies. While manual intervention, like data entry, is a common attempt to adapt software, workflow automation offers a smarter alternative. It automates and streamlines sequential tasks within your current applications, empowering you to build processes that fit your business perfectly, all without manual effort.

Workflow automation is the practice of streamlining and automatically executing a sequence of recurring tasks within your software applications. Unlike single-action automations like saving emails, it focuses on automating entire processes. To fully grasp this concept, it’s helpful to understand the individual components of “automation” and “workflow.”

Automation

Automation is essentially configuring a system to operate automatically. At its core, every automation follows a simple “WHEN-DO” rule- “When a specific event occurs, perform a specific action.” Even intricate automations can be deconstructed into this primary command.

Workflow

A workflow is a repeatable series of steps within one or more applications designed to complete a specific process. While the terms are often used interchangeably, think of a process as the objective– the “what” you need to achieve. For example, a business might have a process for client billing after a successful deal. This process involves creating an invoice, sending it for signature, and processing payment before work commences.

The workflow is the method– the “how” you execute that process. In our billing example, the workflow might involve generating the invoice in QuickBooks, uploading it to DocuSign, emailing it for signature, and then sending a payment request via Stripe.

Workflow automation empowers you to build self-executing workflows for essential business operations, including invoice management, lead generation, marketing email campaigns, and numerous other tasks.

Examples of What You Can Automate

Why To Make The Investment?

While establishing business processes requires significant effort, the prospect of automating them might feel challenging due to a desire for control. However, the advantages of investing in workflow automation are huge.

  • Save Time and Boost Creativity– Workflow automation frees up valuable time. Around 66% of knowledge workers in SMBs say that automation allows them to focus on more creative and strategic tasks.
  • Minimize Errors and Improve Data Accuracy– Automating data entry significantly reduces mistakes.
  • Enable Scalability and Competitive Advantage– Workflow automation empowers businesses to grow. An impressive 88% of small business owners believe automation helps them compete with larger players by enabling faster operations, quicker lead conversion, reduced administrative overhead, fewer errors, and enhanced customer service.

People Benefiting From This

Regardless of your industry, if you rely on digital tools for your work, workflow automation can bring significant improvements. It’s a versatile solution that benefits anyone who juggles multiple tasks and applications.

Consider the below-mentioned examples of how different professionals can use the power of automation

  • Marketing Operations– Automate the entire lead lifecycle, from initial collection to nurturing, as well as the complexities of paid campaigns and performance reporting.
  • Social Media Manager- Save time by automating the monitoring of brand mentions and the scheduling and distribution of content across various social platforms.
  • Sales– Enhance efficiency by automating follow-ups, meeting scheduling, pipeline management, and contact database maintenance.
  • Accounting– Simplify important financial tasks like invoicing, new client setup, expense report processing, payment status updates in CRM, and document signing.
  • eCommerce– Optimize the customer journey by automating order processing, sales tracking, email list growth, handling payment issues, and gathering customer feedback.
  • Project Manager– Stay organized and on track by automating report creation, task delegation, deadline reminders, and project time logging.

Workflow Automation Ideas

Workflow automation can significantly improve efficiency across various roles.

1. Marketing Operations

Marketing operations professionals are the backbone of marketing campaigns, handling lead management, data, tracking, and more. Automation is important for them to maintain data integrity and focus on strategic problem-solving.

  • Lead Management– Automate lead capture, qualification, and routing to ensure clean data for effective campaigns.
  • Subscriber Segmentation– Automate subscriber segmentation for targeted messaging.
  • Data Cleanup– Automate data error detection and correction to maintain data quality.

 

2. Social Media Managers

Social media managers are the voice of a brand, monitoring customer sentiment and engagement. Automation helps them stay on top of trends and content creation without burnout.

  • Brand Mentions Tracking– Automate the monitoring of online brand mentions.

  • Cross-Platform Content Sharing– Automate content distribution across different platforms.
  • Content Curation– Automate the gathering of content ideas.
  • Post Logging– Automate the logging of social media posts for performance analysis.

 

3. Sales

Sales is a demanding field with a complex pipeline. Automation streamlines most administrative tasks, allowing sales professionals to concentrate on building relationships.

  • Prospect Follow-up– Automate initial and subsequent follow-ups with leads.
  • Demo/Consultation Scheduling– Automate the scheduling of meetings.
  • Sales Pipeline Tracking– Automate CRM updates to reflect deal progress.
  • Contact Management– Automate the capture and updating of contact information.

 

4. Accounting

Accounting is essential for financial health. Automation helps accountants manage finances and minimize errors, especially as businesses grow.

  • Invoicing– Automate the generation and sending of invoices.
  • Client Onboarding– Automate the transfer of information during client onboarding.
  • Expense Report Filing– Automate the processing of expense reports.
  • CRM Payment Status Updates– Automate the synchronization of payment information across systems.
  • Signature Collection– Automate the process of obtaining signatures on documents.

 

eCommerce

Efficient processes are vital for eCommerce to ensure positive customer experiences. Automation helps manage the entire buying journey.

  • Order Fulfillment– Automate order processing, label creation, and shipping.
  • Sales Tracking- Automate the tracking of sales data for analysis.
  • Customer Mailing List Addition– Automate the addition of customers to email lists.
  • Failed Charge Notifications- Automate notifications for payment failures.
  • Customer Review Invitations– Automate requests for customer reviews.

6. Project Managers

Project managers oversee important projects, managing people, tasks, and timelines. Automation helps them stay organized and focused on execution.

  • Report Creation– Automate the generation of project status reports.
  • Task Assignment– Automate the assignment and delegation of tasks.
  • Deadline Reminders– Automate deadline notifications.
  • Time Tracking– Automate the collection and analysis of time tracking data.

Features to Have In Workflow Automation Software

When developing a workflow automation software, prioritize features that deliver tangible benefits like

  • Ease of Use– Opt for an intuitive interface that encourages quick adoption and faster ROI by empowering all employees to use the tool effectively.
  • Integration Capabilities– Ensure seamless connectivity with your existing tools and platforms to eliminate data silos and maximize the potential of automated workflows.
  • Customization and Flexibility– Look for the ability to tailor workflows to your specific business needs, allowing the software to adapt to your unique operations and strategic goals.
  • Scalability– Choose a solution that can handle increasing workloads, users, and data as your business grows without compromising performance or reliability.
  • Reporting and Analytics– Look for robust reporting features that provide actionable insights into workflow efficiency, helping you identify areas for improvement and make data-driven decisions.
  • Security– Verify strong security measures, including encryption, access controls, and audit logs, to safeguard your data from unauthorized access and breaches.
  • Mobile Accessibility- Ensure the software offers a seamless mobile experience, enabling productivity and workflow continuity regardless of location.

Workflow automation is not just a complex concept reserved for tech experts. It’s a powerful strategy accessible to everyone who uses digital tools daily. You unlock significant time savings, gain deeper understanding of your business performance, and achieve greater scalability– all without overextending yourself, by streamlining and automating your routine tasks.

 

References

https://www.atlassian.com/agile/project-management/workflow-automation

https://zapier.com/blog/workflow-automation/

https://ezofis.com/what-is-workflow-automation-and-how-to-get-started/