When your business is small the need for automation is less but as you scale your operations the amount of time spent on manual tasks will ultimately increase too, and the need for more automation becomes greater to ensure efficiency and reduce human error. Within the last decade the ability to automate has grown hugely and technological advancements now mean you can automate pretty much anything you want to, within reason. When it comes to automation, you may be questioning “which areas do we automate first?” so within this blog post we will examine five key business areas where you could introduce automation.
We could write an entire blog post on the benefits of automation alone, as there are many! The biggest benefit of automation is the time saving it brings, and the ability to streamline mundane tasks so that you can focus valuable time on strategic decision making, planning and human focused activities. Automation also significantly reduces the risk of human error which could have costly consequences, and in many cases, can empower employees as they broaden their skillset by undertaking more varied roles.
When it comes to business operations you could automate, there are of course lots. However, we have narrowed it down to five key areas where you could benefit greatly from introducing automation.
Accounts Payable is a department well known for being time heavy with numerous processes to complete and paperwork to file, which is why many businesses are successfully automating this area with AP Automation software. Automating AP is top of our list for areas to automate as it saves valuable time, improves visibility and accuracy, reduces costs and makes it easier to meet compliance responsibilities.
Another time-consuming area of business is payroll, especially if you employ a large number of employees. What would have once been a quick and simple task becomes arduous and complicated. Automating the delivery of payslips, invoices and P60’s via self service systems can save significant amounts of money by reducing the printing and distribution costs, is much quicker for payroll personnel and improves your environmental footprint too by reducing your paper usage. Self-service systems have grown in popularity enormously within the last few years for this reason, and therefore have secured the number two spot on our areas to automate.
For years the marketing function within businesses has been evolving and the number of ways you can automate your marketing activities have grown significantly; in fact it has been revealed those that automate marketing activities can save up to 12.2% in marketing overheads. Marketing automation includes automated response emails to acknowledge contact form enquiries, automated web chats or the scheduling of emails and social media messages. There are a wealth of options out there that could improve your marketing effectiveness, save time, money and optimise lead nurturing.
Do you know the exact amount of stock you are currently holding, it’s location and its value? If no, then stock management within your supply chain function is an area you could benefit from automating. Automating your stock control by ditching clipboards and manual counts for barcode scanning and electronic stock monitoring will improve visibility, efficiency and accuracy and help you improve your finances by knowing when to order more stock, and when you are holding too much value in your current stock.
Customer management is an area you can’t afford to ignore, because customers will vote with their feet if they are not satisfied, and what’s more, they will voice their dissatisfaction far and wide on social media. Luckily, automation within CRM has made it easier for organisations to track the entire sales and aftersales process by linking all processes and involvement, so it can be easy to see how long a customer has been with you, any open complaints they have raised, when they are due to renew and their value to your business. Automating CRM practices will help you retain customers, aid upsell opportunities and rectify any customer complaints quickly and smoothly to improve customer service.
Automating business processes has become essential for many businesses, especially those who are growing, due to the time and cost savings involved. Automating often frees up valuable time on mundane tasks that can be spent evaluating, building strategies and planning, plus improves accuracy and reduces human errors. It can be daunting knowing what business areas to automate first when it has become so accessible to automate almost any business function, but here at Pegasus we believe automating your Accounts Payable department is a priority, along with payroll, marketing, supply chain and CRM. By automating all these areas you will see significant benefit in terms of time and cost savings, and improve employee empowerment and customer service too.
For more information about automation from Pegasus Software please get in touch today to discuss your requirements.
Posted On: January 26, 2023
