Is Workflow Automation the Future of Business? We Separate Fact from Fiction

Business automation software solutions

Process and workflow automation are fueling new business value. Leading analysts, like Forrester, urge technology leaders to take advantage of the benefits extended by automation: deeper customer engagement, and increased convenience. However, common misconceptions shroud workflow automation. We’ll look at the myths and discuss how automation can yield greater efficiency and reduce costs.

New tech and the ease of workflow automation in business

Automation of simple rules-based tasks offers businesses an easy, effective way to harness the power of technology. And new software solutions, like Clickatell’s Flow, are giving non-technical staff the power to automate work, without having to rely on developers.

Industry leaders in tech believe that automation can yield significant improvements across key business areas:

• More than 90 percent of IT leaders believe that automation can deliver better business results

• Technology companies use automation for improved efficiency and reliability in their finance functions, according to KPMG

Myths about workflow automation

While these benefits present an appealing case for process and workflow automation, here are two of the most common misconceptions that may deter businesses.

Automation is expensive

You might be reluctant to commit to automation software because you’re worried about a hefty price tag. Or maybe you have the capital, but you’re skeptical about the return on investment. On top of the capital outlay, you’re wary of the burden that automation can place on technical staff. In many cases, developers have to write code to automate routine tasks - an additional strain on the tech team’s workload.

Fortunately, for example, cloud-hosted solutions like Flow have made workflow automation on chat accessible for businesses of all sizes. With Flow, businesses can create use cases once and deploy them across multiple mobile channels including WhatsApp and USSD.

Leapwork, a process automation startup, secured a round of multimillion-dollar funding for its automation solution that lets non-technical staff across the organization automate tasks, instead of using developer time.

Tools like Clickatell Touch, deliver an affordable way to automate routine aspects of customer engagement, like answering FAQs. The live chat software reduces the workload of customer service teams by fielding these common queries. As a bonus, you’re not sacrificing customer engagement. Your clients get immediate responses to their queries, and human agents are freed up to troubleshoot cases that demand extra attention.

Repetitive tasks can also be automated to boost employee morale. According to Software Testing Tools:

• Employees spend up to 20 percent of their time on repetitive computer tasks

• IT departments spend 30 percent of their time on low-level tasks

• Businesses are losing out - missing 50 percent of automation opportunities

Typical rules-based processes are ripe for automation, and it removes the risk of human error. Routine tasks like scheduling meetings and processing invoices are examples of tasks that can easily be automated. McKinsey predicts that this action will give employees more time to drive high-value business activities.

Workflow automation is complicated

Another myth is that automation software adds a layer of complexity to business processes. This one is at odds with the mission of process automation: it’s designed to make it easier to do business. That’s the point of putting such systems in place.

As an example, search company Swifttype used Zapier to automate integrations with its CRM and support software to improve customer engagement. When the support team assisted prospects, a transcript of the conversation would automatically be attached to the lead’s profile in the CRM. Now, marketing had a complete view of the customer’s needs and concerns, enhancing customer engagement and reducing any back and forth between teams.

Reduce costs and improve customer engagement

To start automating customer engagement, including transactional flows, via WhatsApp and USSD, learn more about Flow today. It’s a scalable workflow automation solution that will grow with your business and integrates easily into your existing systems.

Developed for analysts, business users, and marketers with minimal development experience, Flow is capable of delivering a wide range of business responses – from general queries and FAQs, to account information queries and utility workflows.