Smart Automation Techniques to Free Up Time for Better Business Decisions

There have been many buzzwords connected with the business world, with AI perhaps being the most recent version of what is really a long-standing tradition of companies considering how new technology can assist them in boosting productivity and lowering costs as much as possible. It used to be the cloud, then it was machine learning, and now, as just noted, it happens to be AI.

But among all of these terms, there remains a connecting thread, a reason why they are often hailed as the next big thing: automation. Almost all businesses around the world have a preoccupation with automating as many operations and workflows that make sense to both free up time for their employees to focus on more challenging tasks that tend to require a human touch, reduce errors in the more mundane flows and of course, reduce their overall expenses by eveutnally needing less employees to fill roles that may have traditaitonally been required to cover this type of work.

However, there is a right way to go about automation, and a wrong way. In this post, you will learn about the correct way that you can utilize automation to help your business not only improve productivity, but also thrive.

Smart Automation In A Business Context

It’s worth giving a brief overview of what we’re talking about when discussing this topic, since it’s easy for these kinds of topics to descend into meaningless fluff without context. You all know what automation is, but are you sure that you understand what it means when adding it to a business setting? According to Terraform automation services, one such application lies in infrastructure deployment, whereby you or a company you have outsourced the job to develops and sets up your digital infrastructure to work seamlessly with other applications you may already use, and get it working with minimal input. But the reality is that it can mean almost anything, and it’s really the “smart” moniker that is what we’re looking at. Smart automation can include the following:

Rule-based and intelligent workflows: Essentially, to really gain the most from any autopmations you implement, you need to ensure that it goes beyond simple task repetition and into the realms of following a set of rules that you can adjust as and when required.

Context awareness: Systems respond differently based on conditions, which can massively boost effectiveness without having to constantly be involved with the process.

Integration across platforms: Data flows without manual handoffs allow whatever systems you have in place to speak effectively with one another and further enhance the automative processes.

How Automation Improves Decision Quality

Part of the issue that automation hopes to solve is the fact that decision-making can be a hugely complex process involving numerous inputs and data points. Traditionally, this would have been the remit of those at the very top of the ladder, and while larger decisions generally still are, automation helps to eliminate much of the noise facing the average members of your team so that they can choose a path independently. Effectively, you can break down the ways in whic hit impves the decision-making quality in 4 distinct ways:

Provides more time for analysis.

Enables a higher degree of accuracy when dealing with data.

Offers faster access to insights that can be used to come to a conclusion.

Allows for more consistent execution that aligns with your mission.

Areas To Begin Your Improvements

Now you have a bit of a better understanding of the what and why, let’s get into the meat of things. When it comes to figuring out what you can automate, the first step is knowing that not everything can be automated (or ought to be).

Identifying Time-Draining Business Processes By Auditing Your Workflow

The first actual step you need to take is to begin an audit of all existing processes and workflows to see where bottlenecks might lie and if they can be opened up using automation solutions. An audit will bring up several tasks and allow you a bird's-eye view of where to start.

Looking For Common Bottlenecks Worth Automating

AS you saw in the table in the previous section, there are several areas where smart automation can significantly boost efficiency. But if you’re still unsure where it can help, or even where to start your audit, the following offers some examples of where you can use these techniques:

Manual data entry: In many ways, this is perhaps the most obvious first choice of tasks to automate. Manual data entry is prone to human error, and such mistakes can cost a lot when spread over the long-term. It can also cost a huge amount in terms of human capital, where humans can be put to better use involving creative thinking.

Approval workflows: Delayed decisions due to email back-and-forth can be frustrating for you and your customers, and cost a lot of resources to handle. Automating this process streamlines it and ensures that all relevant information is passed around those who need to know efficiently and without delay.

Report generation: The kinds of reports that are fundamental to the long-term growth and survival of your company will still need to be generated by a human, but there are still usually plenty of run-of-the-mill reports that need to be generated from available data, and which can better be handled by some form of automation.

Customer follow-ups: These are often forgotten or inconsistently handled, both of which can result in frustrated customers and, if left unchecked, a serious knock to your brand reputation.

Automation has long surpassed its “buzzword” origins and proven itself to be an effective way to reduce expenses and reorient your employees towards tasks better suited to their skill sets. The key is figuring out where automation is most needed, and then considering which tools will best bridge this gap.