Dave Pelland has extensive experience covering the business use of technology, networking and communications tools by companies of all sizes. Dave's editorial and corporate experience includes more than 10 years editing an electronic technology and communications industry newsletter for a global professional services firm. |
Getting Started With Workflow AutomationWorkflow automation software can help business owners and their teams streamline routine processes, save time and increase productivity. Workflow automation tools combine machine learning, artificial intelligence, and other technologies to perform a variety of tasks that require a sequence of events such as transferring data or files from one application to another. The software is best suited for processes that are routine, repetitive, and rules-based (depending on, for instance, if/then statements to identify the next step in a process). Workflow automation can be applied to nearly every business function to help team members save time that would otherwise be spent on routine tasks, such as transferring sales data from your financial management system into a monthly or quarterly report. Automation can free up that time for more productive activities, and increase collaboration among team members by streamlining routine updates and other messages. Consider a marketing-related example:
All of these steps take place automatically, with no need for anyone to send notifications to other team members. As another advantage, the prospect benefits from an efficient process in which their question is answered quickly, and they’re contacted to see if they have additional questions. This can create a favorable impression that can lead to a stronger relationship and potentially an easier sale. Other tasks that are suitable for automation include:
Getting Started A good way to get started with workflow automation is to think about any processes that you don’t like to carry out, or seem to take more time than you think they should. Then map out the various steps involved in the process, so you understand what steps are involved and who usually takes care of those steps. Many of the popular workflow automation platforms offer pre-built templates as well as integration with leading cloud platforms, so the odds are pretty good that a process that involves two cloud services has been automated by the provider. The automated process may not match the way you carry out a function completely, but it may offer a more efficient alternative to your usual approach. If a prebuilt automated workflow isn’t available, it’s usually fairly simple to create your own automation using the platforms’ tools. You sketch out the steps, and line up point-and-click software modules on a screen in a process that looks like you’re designing a flow chart. Once you’ve outlined the steps, the software handles the required coding behind the scenes. Popular workflow automation platforms include Zapier, Pardot, Frevvo, and others. Read other technology articles |