Some administrative jobs are repetitive and redundant which can cause that person to spend unnecessary hundreds of hours at the computer and desk without having a fruitful and satisfying time at the place of employment. These are a regular workflow, a small error can cause entire system to go into a disarray simply because a particular department got excluded from the email list. This can happen when there are new employees at desk or when there is simple error of omission. Thankfully, this workflow can now be arranged by anyone within a few hours to work smoothly. The administrator can then work on efficiency enhancing workspace than the regular workflow.
Here is looking at what workflow automation is about. Workflow automation typically uses technology and software to streamline various tasks in a workflow. Workflow automation includes design, management and execution of one or multiple workflows. This automation can save you time, make workflow almost error free, increase efficiency, improve and create smooth interaction between departments. It can also reduce number of employee hours wasted on regular jobs that can be streamlined and done without human intervention.
Here is looking in detail at how workflow automation is achieved and key factors that are necessary:
- Designing of your Workflow: This is the first step in designing of your workflow. If this step is not followed to perfection, there are chances that your automation will not be successful or the results will not be as you plan them to be. You can draw out the workflow and then decide the input points, output points, decision points and dependencies.
- To create workflow automation, you will need to use several automation tools like the BPM systems, Business Process Management and RPA Robotic Process Automation. There are also several ready to use software where you do not have to code and are readily available along with all features that you would code yourself.
- Integration with existing system: Your company or office will have systems already in place. Adapting systems and software for workflow automation can be done through APIs (application program interfaces) or any other program. For streamlining the existing data, this is one of the utmost necessity for workflow automation.
- Rule-Based Triggers: There cannot be workflow automation, if there are not set rules and triggers for particular action to follow automatically after a particular trigger. These triggers can be different for example, it can be time based, as in a particular process will start automatically at a particular time. It can be event based, for example a help bot is activated each time someone clicks in a website chat bot or similarly, if there is an helpline call an automatic trigger based menu is selected as per each input. Data conditions too can be used as triggers, example, if stock of a particular component is low and it is normal to send a reminder to the manager, this trigger will be activated and a detailed report of shortage of stock will be communicated for further action.
- Triggers and Rules based action: Once you have set automation to create certain actions once you have set rules and triggers, these actions will rarely need human intervention, or maybe very minimal. Once these rules are set, automated actions become absolutely normal. So automated actions will follow once the trigger is activated.
- Monitoring and Reporting: Since, automated systems tend to have all the data, you can program these to send periodic reports to human bosses or set up a monitoring system wherein any disparity or unusual event in any of the automated system can be reported directly to the concerned incharge, helping to control situation without wasting time.
Workflow automation is a wonderful method of redundant workload on employees. In an added benefit, which is also general aim of automation, you can enjoy lesser working hours, lesser errors, consistent actions, time-saving, better use of resources and if you have opted for receiving perioding reports, you can also enjoy better understanding of processes in different departments. This way you will get an opportunity of allocation of human resources, streamline processes that were earlier complex, check out ways to save money by better management of resources.
All in all workflow automation is a great way of learning much about your organization and reducing redundant and stressful jobs, as well as better streamlining of your resources.