Back to top

Automation in Streamlining Business Operations

The constant development of new technologies has facilitated the automation of many business operations. The shift is mostly targeted for…

Automation in Streamlining Business Operations

21st October 2024

The constant development of new technologies has facilitated the automation of many business operations. The shift is mostly targeted for tasks that are high-volume, repetitive, and involve multiple people. For example, during employee onboarding, an HR system can automatically send welcome emails, set up security access, and configure payroll. This automation makes the process faster and more accurate. But what impact does this have on the wider business landscape?

What is Business Automation

Business automation uses new technology to reduce the need for human intervention while improving accuracy and efficiency. According to IBM, business automation includes process automation (BPA), robotic process automation (RPA), and AI-powered automation.

Automation is picking up pace across various sectors, like assembly line automation in manufacturing, facial scanning and recognition in security, automated trading assistants in forex trading, and even content generation and deployment in the entertainment industry. More companies are utilising various technologies to streamline their processes and remain competitive.

Benefits of Process Automation

Businesses have various operations levels targeted toward achieving a common goal. To succeed, they need to improve each step for better results. There are different ways businesses benefit from automation.

Effective Resource Allocation

Operational flow involves optimising resources for effective allocating, especially for operations that share resources. With automation, each operational stream can receive an optimal allocation based on peak and off periods, availability, and other factors. This optimisation allows companies to free up resources for other essential tasks, such as research and marketing, and ensure they run a cost-effective business.

Strategic Utilisation

Automation also benefits companies by freeing up employees who focus on strategic activities that improve their individual and collective skills. This promotes organisational efficiency and improves growth. This is how successful businesses manage their processes and human resources for the best performance.

Flexible Process Adaptation and Scalability

Adaptation and scalability are essential qualities businesses need to navigate markets where needs and conditions change quickly. Automation allows companies to adapt their operational flow and scale processes while responding rapidly to changes. In that way, they maintain productivity while seizing new opportunities. Automation ensures that rapid changes do not negatively impact operations.

Enhanced Company Productivity

With automation, businesses can enjoy optimised operations, faster turnaround times, improved customer service, higher quality and quantity output, and reduced costs, to name a few of the benefits. This provides employees with more time and space to focus on high-quality, human-centric work while being able to deliver and take on more work as a whole.

Precision Execution

Companies aim for 100% accuracy when executing tasks but may allow some minimum level for acceptable results. However, with automation, errors are mostly reduced and sometimes even eliminated. Minimising errors increases the reliability of services and products, allowing companies to deliver their best results regardless of condition.

Enhanced Compliance and Risk Mitigation

Automation improves compliance with best practices and industry regulations and provides a way to prevent and motivate risks. Consistent and transparent processes make compliance easier, show transparency, and help risk management teams identify challenges at a glance. Automation ensures consistent processes by removing human errors and influence.

Automation in Various Industries

Automation is helping companies in various industries to streamline their operations and maximise output. Here are a few of the most prominent industries leveraging automation:

  • Logistics and Supply Chain Management: AI and blockchain are becoming mainstream for logistics and supply chain management. They automate various operations and help companies manage challenges. Intelligent automation is excellent for analysing large datasets, predicting industry trends and customer demands, optimising operations, and predicting potential disruptions. Blockchain allows companies to record transactions and log data securely in a tamper-proof way.
  • Human Resources: HR teams use automation tools for payroll processing, employee onboarding, and performance management. Integrating automation tools ensures accuracy by reducing human errors and allows HR to deploy needed resources to other crucial operations. AI-powered automation tools also analyse employee data to identify gaps and predict needs.
  • Customer Service: Customer service teams deploy chatbots and virtual assistants to handle routine tasks, such as inquiries and self-service, that consume time and resources. This reduces the workload on service agents and allows them to focus on escalated issues. Companies also increase response times, offer personalised services, and gain helpful customer data using automated systems.
  • FinTech: AI helps investors automate analysis and trade execution, track changes in market conditions, and learn new concepts quickly. Fintech companies also use various techniques to automate customer service, identity management, security, and demand prediction.

Implementing Automation

There are five critical steps in implementing Automation.

  1. Identify automation opportunities. Use process mining/mapping to analyse current processes and identify repetitive tasks and those that are prone to errors.
  2. Choose the right tools. All automation tools have unique advantages and potential drawbacks. Choose tools that offer maximum efficiency for the business.
  3. Automate across departments. Integrating all or most aspects/departments in the automation flow ensures consistency and seamless flow.
  4. Train employees. Your team needs to understand how to use automated systems for enhanced productivity and update/upgrade software/hardware to optimise automation.
  5. Collect and analyse data. Streamline operations through automated systems, schedule predictive maintenance to maintain system integrity, and regularly monitor performance.

Examples of Automation in the UK Business Landscape

Here are real-life examples of UK businesses utilising automation:

  • Sainsbury’s uses automation in its customer service operations through chatbots and automated customer support systems.
  • Unilever, a multinational consumer goods company, uses automation in its manufacturing processes.
  • Ocado, the UK-based online supermarket, pioneered automation in its warehouse operations by deploying advanced robotics and AI to streamline order picking and packing.

Challenges of Business Automation

Companies of all sizes face similar challenges when automating their operations. These include the initial and running costs, data and privacy protection compliance, and internal resistance to change. How companies deal with these challenges impacts the success of automation and the overall operational success, so companies must evolve specific strategies to overcome the obstacles.

Is the Future Automated?

Automation is essential for modern businesses to reduce costs, maximise input, and ensure consistency in products and services. Choosing the right automation tools that fit the context and specific needs allows companies to build their competitive edge. Whatever the industry or chosen tool, automation is clearly redefining the very landscape and future of business.

Categories: Articles

Discover Our Awards.

See Awards

You Might Also Like