Tips and examples
One of the primary goals of BPM is to improve the efficiency of business operations. Automated processes play an important part in this, as well One of the most important Digital Transformation technologies in process automation, which promises to improve operational efficiency and provide extra capacity via a variety of automation techniques. Since this subject is sweeping the marketing and business worlds, it's no wonder.
To avoid being duped by cheap marketing slogans, Business Analysts or Department Heads should be aware. There is a wide variety of potential implementation options for process automation. Because of this, you must know when to use whatever automation strategy. It is only then that automation may provide the desired benefits.
Process automation terminology and step-by-step guidance are discussed in this blog article. The purpose is to help you achieve your process automation goals.
It has been a long time since the phrase "Robotic Process Automation (RPA)" was coined, and since then, this subject has been the talk of the business world. Using RPA, macros, or software, bots take over the execution of particular process tasks or even a brief sequence of activities. By simulating human behavior in an automated process, these bots may carry out routine, high-frequency work that is often of a lower scope and size. This enables optimization at the "lowest" level of the process architecture, allowing for better performance. Bots may free up capacity by taking on certain process duties, but there are limits to how far they can go in automating the process.
ERP systems, on the other hand, have been around for a lot longer and are well-established in many organizations. This kind of system has long supported many firms' IT infrastructures, allowing them to carry out tasks in areas like accounting, materials management, and procurement. But ERP systems aren't without their detractors, despite the many advantages they may give. ERP systems may lose some of their initial lusters due to high procurement and installation costs, a steep learning curve for users, and significant extra expenditures for continuing adjustments - notably in the event of process modifications.
An ever-growing gap has arisen between these two extremities of the spectrum in recent years, which may now be filled by form-based, low-code/no-code automation processes. Several manufacturers have recently launched solutions that allow business departments to automate their procedures without the assistance of IT.
Especially support operations, which can be found in practically any sector and are meant to make the main business of the company run more smoothly, are often managed using spreadsheets, checklists, or endless emails, which often leads to a slew of issues and complications. Because responsibilities are often unclear (and thus individual tasks are easily left undone), non- or poorly documented, non-transparent, and error-prone support processes lead to long wait times, delays, and process loops, ultimately resulting in endless cycle times and frustration for everyone involved. They are also sometimes difficult to track, which may make it difficult to demonstrate compliance with regulatory standards.
Some of these processes are located in departments like marketing, HR, reporting, IT, and legal or compliance, while others, like application procedures, have not yet made their way into an ERP system even though they may benefit from automation. The form-based or no-code/low-code method "inspires" thoughts on the automation of such processes since their implementation may frequently be carried out with little or no IT participation, comparable to RPA – but yet with superior outcomes.
As a consequence, how should organizations go about automating their operations, and how can you get the most out of your limited resources?
PDCA, the Process Management Life Cycle (PMLC), and other management cycles and approaches may all be used to integrate automation into current processes. Sustainable process automation covers planning/identification, design, analysis, and optimization, as well as implementation, execution, and continuing monitoring/control.
To explain the method model for process automation, please refer to the following seven steps:
We should expect a steady increase in the use of process automation in future years. Almost all firms have automation levels that are in the low double-digit % range. To meet the challenge, you, as a decision-maker or impacted party, must know not only the many automation choices but also the appropriate methodology and accompanying tools.
All of the main elements of process automation may be taken care of with the help of BOC Group's Process Automation toolset. To guarantee that you're doing the right things and the right things at the right time, the integrated toolset provides you with a comprehensive collection of tools to ensure that you're not just doing the right things but that you're doing the right things at the right time.
If you are still unsure or would like to have a personal consultation with us, Makeitfuture, just click here and you will be redirected to our contact form.
Cloud Integration, iPaaS, SaaS, BPA… Ough, hard to keep track of all these terms. They are currently used frequently (and increasingly) in the context of automation, and it is sometimes difficult to make a clear distinction and distinction. We have already written blog posts on the terms iPaaS, SaaS and BPA, but we’ll take them up again here to make the difference.
But let’s start with cloud integration, because that’s the central umbrella term in which we embed all the other technologies in this blog post.
Arrange a free cloud integration consultation now
Arrange a free cloud integration consultation now
To illustrate these advantages, an example is suitable that we know well from our everyday work as an automation agency:
The central data to be used here is the data of a major customer. This can be the simplest information, such as the address. This address is required in numerous but completely different processes in the company: on the one hand, for correct invoicing in accounting. On the other hand, in the CRM system, where all the data of the large customer is also stored. But the address is also important in sales, for example, when employees go to the sales meeting on site.
Now the customer announces that the address of the company has changed after a move. This information will reach you by e-mail. There are now two options:
01. The e-mail is forwarded to all affected departments, accounting, sales, customer service, marketing… All persons open their corresponding program, CRM, accounting software, marketing tools (such as newsletter marketing) and change the data already stored there of the customer. This means that in multiple applications, different people do exactly the same thing: change one address.
02. But there is also an alternative: By connecting your applications, thus by integrizing them, the customer’s e-mail, or rather the information it contains about the address change, is automatically passed on to all affected applications: CRM, accounting, marketing, ERP. This does not require any clicks, because the cloud integration detects a trigger, i.e. address change, and thus automatically starts the process.
What sounds unimpressive in a single process becomes more effective when such a process occurs several times a day or weekly. Because there is a lot of data that is available in different applications and should always be correct. If these applications are cloud applications they are suitable for cloud integration.
But cloud integration doesn’t just happen. There are now a variety of applications that enable and implement this. Such tools usually allow us to link the relevant cloud applications on a central platform and define clear rules on when, how, where, how much data should be passed on and what happens to them.
To realize cloud integration, there are various applications and technologies that are sometimes used interchangeably.
We have made a first distinction between iPaaS and BPA here.
We explain the term SaaS in more detail here.
Cloud integration is rather an umbrella term that includes numerous technologies, such as SaaS, iPaaS and BPA, and this is also absolutely necessary. Cloud integration is a concept that is made possible by appropriate technologies.
However, all terms share the commonality that they are cloud-based and thus offer enormous potential for growth and scaling. In addition, they are often cheaper to implement and maintain because changed requirements are easy to implement.
As an independent automation agency, we implement cloud integration according to your requirements. We use a variety of SaaS tools and iPaas (strictly speaking BPA) software. Together we find individual solutions that are flexible and scalable.
