Business executives worldwide have become bullish about using automation as a means of competitiveness. The virus outbreak has spurred digitization and automation at an unprecedented scale. Companies are exploring all the possibilities that automation can offer.
From enhancing operational efficiency to improving customer experience, execs are digging deeper into everything. Be it deploying AI in customer service or using robotic process automation, the options are wide-ranging. This blog offers tips for business automation, focusing on the needs of small and medium businesses.
Tips for Small & Medium Business Automation
If you run a small or medium business, your automation journey would be different from big companies. However, the fundamental steps remain similar. To automate efficiently, you must precisely identify the areas where automation is needed. Then comes the technology part. Choose the most suitable tech solutions and a development partner. OrangeMantra can help you seamlessly automate processes regardless of the size of your business. Here are the broad steps for automating your business.
Analyze & identify small areas of automation
Start with small-scale automation. But make sure that the solutions are scalable so you can scale up with growing needs. You need a thorough analysis of the entire business processes. Identify and list down areas that could be automated. This will help you to create an effective automation roadmap. For instance, if your marketing processes require automation you could plan to build a marketing automation software for the processes.
Create a list of areas and potential tasks that could be replaced with automation solutions. The best way is to look for processes that are repetitive and don’t require much human ingenuity. Many companies have dramatically enhanced productivity using custom automation solutions.
Choose automation tools & a tech partner
Once you have figured out what areas and tasks you want to automate, the next step is technology. Since a wide variety of automation technologies are out there, choosing the right ones is not easy. You might night expert advice. And that’s where a tech partner comes into play.
The partnership with an automation solutions provider allows you to work with experts. For instance, at OrangeMantra, we have a team of automation specialists who guide clients throughout their business automation journey. It helps them to pick the most useful tech solutions for automation. Marketing automation solutions like Mailchimp, for example, allow you to integrate sales and marketing. This significantly drives the efficiency of both sales and marketing teams.
Implement business automation best practices
Automation alone cannot yield the business outcomes you’re looking for. Effective business management measures would be always pivotal — even when you automate most tasks of a process. You need to create a culture that values automation as a way of achieving business goals. When you encourage such a culture, you increase the likelihood of getting new ideas from employees and peers.
Make process automation a talking point in periodic meetings at your organization. Encourage people to brainstorm about how the existing automated processes can be leveraged. Also, lead discussions about potential new areas where you can deploy automation. For instance, consider whether your business can benefit from a workflow management software that enables automation.
The next important thing in automation best practices is to keep track of improvements and failures. Regardless of the size and scale of your automation process, you must analyze the results. You might need sales automation or robotic process automation, or anything in between. Actively tracking their performance is crucial in terms of long-term goals. It also helps you to quickly identify failures and address them accordingly.
The rise and rise of customer service automation
Like most other areas of business, the pandemic transformed customer support. Small and big businesses alike are now more dependent on technology than ever. Trends like chatbot development and customer support automation have dominated almost every industry.
Automation helps to oversee a customer’s journey more efficiently. Track the customer from the first contact to conversion, sale, and possible repeat business. Salesforce is one of the most popular CRM solutions when it comes to automation. Salesforce completely changes the way you manage the customer relationship. Improved and automated customer relationship management helps your business to stand out in a competitive landscape. It also allows your customer support team to focus on creativity while reducing their engagement in repetitive tasks.
Wrapping Up
In a ‘new normal’ world dominated by uncertainty and restrictions, automation has become more crucial than ever. Several surveys suggested that businesses equipped with automation solutions were more prepared to deal with the pandemic. Automation makes your businesses more resilient and flexible by reducing dependence on human workers, among other things. It drives the efficiency of processes and allows you to adopt an insights-driven management approach.
OrangeMantra has long been an ardent advocate of digitization and automation. With a sprawling experience spanning across industries, we know what tech solution suits you the most. We have a team of tech experts and automation enthusiasts to build flawless solutions for your business.
FAQs
Q. What does automation mean in business?
Business process automation comprises the use of technology to replace repetitive tasks or processes in a business. Automation significantly enhances efficiency, minimizes costs, and boosts profitability.
Q. How do I automate my business?
The best way to automate business processes is to collaborate with a tech partner. Look for reliable tech solutions providers and elaborately discuss your requirements with them. Then choose the technologies the best suit your requirements and build automation solutions you need.
Q. What is meant by robotic process automation?
Robotic Process Automation (RPA) allows businesses to configure computer software, or robots to emulate and integrate the actions of a human. RPA enables digital systems to execute a business process.
Q. How much does it cost to build a business automation solution?
The costs of developing automation software depend on several factors. The choice of technology, development time, customized features, etc. play an important role in calculating the costs. OrangeMantra develops efficient automation solutions at a competitive price.
