Which tools you should use to automate your business will depend on the specific processes that most need it. By mapping out your needs in advance, and by identifying the key areas of your business that are ripe for automation, you will be able to select the best solution for the specific problem.
When looking for areas to automate, try to identify the ones in which employees are:
- Managing a high volume of repetitive tasks on a regular basis.
- Working in large groups to get small tasks completed.
- Missing deadlines due to lengthy, manual processes.
- Trying their best, but still negatively impacting other business processes.
- In need of better compliance, audit, and other paper trails.
As you explore the various automation tools on the market, look for solutions that will help cut costs and drive efficiency—the two primary goals of any automated solution. Whether you are deploying a sales and marketing tool, an automated accounting platform, or an HR management solution, either find one that is tightly integrated with your enterprise resource planning (ERP) system or find an ERP system with a comprehensive platform that includes multiple automation tools.
When automated software and ERP are integrated, companies can eliminate data irregularity, minimize the time spent moving information across these systems, and gain access to more accurate, real-time information. This gives them a holistic view of their operations and allows them to take full advantage of their automated systems’ capabilities.
