Automation in Business: Why It Matters and Why Your Organisation Needs It

It’s only recently that world-class innovations and technological progress have clarified the true potential impact of Business Process Automation.

“The biggest room in the world is the room for improvement.”

– Helmut Schmidt

“I don’t know about automation in business. And I don’t need to introduce automation in my business” ….

…is not something a smart, future-focused organisation would say.

And yet, many companies continue to assume that automation is not something they currently want or need. Maybe they’re too focused on putting out short-term fires, and therefore don’t have the time to think about automation. Or maybe they just don’t see its value. Regardless of the reason, this kind of thinking can be erroneous, and even dangerously short-sighted in a world that’s rapidly moving towards digitisation and automation.

The Rapid Acceleration of Business Process Automation

The past few years have seen rapid development in Business Process Automation (BPA) and Robotic Process Automation (RPA) solutions. The future of global digital process automation is bright as well, with the market poised to grow from $6.77 billion in 2018 to $12.61 billion by 2023.

For organisations in the modern capitalist economy, Business Process Management (BPM) has always been important. BPM enables companies to understand their “current state”, identify improvement areas, and devise action plans to improve effectiveness, efficiency, and profitability. BPM is also the key to aligning Information Technology and Operational Technology investments with business strategy.

Visionary business leaders recognised the value of Business Process Automation decades ago. But it’s only recently that world-class innovations and technological progress have clarified the true potential impact of BPA. Further, falling costs and fewer barriers to adoption are levelling the BPA playing field. Therefore, it’s now possible for small and large organisations alike to automate key areas of their business successfully and profitably.

Why Business Process Automation

BPA involves the use of technology, digital tools, and software to automate business processes and workflows.

If done right, BPA can generate numerous and long-standing benefits for organisations in all kinds of industries:

• More efficient and faster processes
• Lower costs
• Reliable, consistent and transparent operations
• Accurate output

Over time, automation in business can generate productivity boosts at the process, workflow, and workforce levels. BPA enables workers to move away from mundane, repetitive tasks, and focus their energies on high-value activities where their talents and skills can be used to their potential. This can have a huge impact on motivation and engagement, which creates a virtuous cycle of high productivity, enhanced profitability, and competitive advantage for the organisation.