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If one of your employees types the orders that arrive by email into Excel every morning, then into the accounting program, then into the shipping panel, that job is a candidate for automation. Business process automation means having rule-based, repetitive tasks like this done by software. The aim is not to put people out of work but to let people spend their time on work that needs judgement.
#What does automation software do?
Automation software does one or more of three things: it watches for an event (a new order, a submitted form, an incoming email), applies a rule (calculate the amount, assign it to the right person, deduct the stock) and writes the result to another system or notifies someone. These bridges that connect systems to each other are called integrations.
#Which tasks can be automated?
| Area | Manual task | Automated version |
|---|---|---|
| Sales | Copying enquiries from a form into a spreadsheet | The enquiry is recorded automatically and the right person is notified |
| Orders | Entering each order separately into accounting and shipping | The order is entered in one place; the invoice and shipping record are created |
| Appointments | Booking appointments by phone and calling with reminders | The customer picks a time themselves and a reminder message goes out automatically |
| Reporting | Compiling a report from spreadsheets every week | The report screen is always up to date and arrives by email on set days |
| Customer questions | Answering the same questions one by one | An AI assistant answers frequent questions and hands over to a person when needed |
| Stock | Counting and updating by hand | Stock is deducted with each sale and an alert is raised below the threshold |
#How do you choose the right task?
Not every task suits automation. Before automating a task, ask these four questions:
- Is it done often? A five-minute job done once a week isn't worth writing automation for.
- Are the rules clear? Tasks handled with “we'll see, depending on the situation” need to be turned into rules first.
- Is the data consistent? If the input arrives in a different format each time, that needs to be standardised first.
- Are mistakes expensive? If errors such as a wrong invoice, a missed order or a forgotten appointment are costly, that is where the priority lies.
#Ready-made tool or custom software?
For simple transfers between common programs, ready-made automation tools may be enough. If your business rules are specific to you, the programs you use have no ready-made connection, or your data must not leave the company, a custom integration or service is written. We explain the difference in custom software vs off-the-shelf software.
#Where to start
For one week, note down your team's repetitive tasks and how long they take; start with the single task that takes the most time and has the clearest rules. A small success builds the case for the next steps on its own. If you would like to review your processes together, see our custom software and automation service, and the admin panels page for bringing the work together on one screen.
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Frequently asked questions
What is business process automation?
Having rule-based, repetitive tasks done by software rather than by hand: data moves from one system to another automatically, and notifications and reports are generated automatically.
Which tasks are suitable for automation?
Tasks that are repeated often, have clear rules and involve entering the same data in several places: transferring orders and invoices, appointment reminders, reporting, answering frequently asked questions and so on.
Do we need to replace our existing programs to automate?
Usually not. Automation is set up through integrations that connect your existing programs to each other; the programs stay in place and the manual work between them disappears.
Does automation make sense for small businesses?
Yes, if the right task is chosen. In small teams, repetitive tasks usually take up several people's time; automating even a single process brings noticeable relief.