If you've been thinking about automating your business, or are curious about what automation can do for you, this article is for you!
Here we'll cover everything you need to know about business automation - why it's important, the different types, the benefits it can bring to your business and how our weekly Blaze Monday Masterclass can provide you with all the gems you need to automate your business processes like a pro.
Why is business automation important?
If you're reading this, chances are you already know a thing or two about business automation. But just in case you need a refresher, Business Automation is basically making use of technology to automate manual tasks within your organization - everything from responding to customer queries and processing invoices to managing employee payroll can (and should! ) be automated.
Automation is important for any business because it serves as a great tool for streamlining processes and accelerating company growth. Automation tools are made to swap out manual labor for machine labor, allowing you to use your human resources more productively elsewhere in the company.
Businesses need to regularly use tested automation tools and best practices across all workflows to fully utilize automation.
What are the different types of business automation?
There are many different types of business automation, each with its own advantages and disadvantages.
The most common type of business automation is process automation, which can be used to automate repetitive tasks or processes. Process automation can improve efficiency and accuracy, reduce costs, and increase productivity.
Other types of business automation include:
Task-based automation which digitizes repetitive tasks — helping to eliminate errors and accelerate the pace of transactional work
Event-based automation which uses event triggers to start tasks and processes automatically. An event can be any change within a system or environment, such as a file being received or a new lead signing up on your website. Once an event is identified, a pre-defined workflow is triggered by the automation tool. E.g. a welcome email is immediately sent to any lead that signs up on your website.
Data-driven automation which is an advanced form of process automation. Automation here is guided by data and context, which increases its power and ability to handle more complicated tasks. Robotic process automation (RPA) is combined with AI technologies in data-driven automation.
Rule-based automation which is the simplest form of machine intelligence and refers to a system that uses rules created by people to store, sort, and handle data. To work, rule-based systems need a set of facts or sources of data and a set of rules (“IF x THEN y” instructions) to choose an action.
What are the benefits of automation for your business?
For small and medium businesses, automating processes can provide back many benefits. Primarily, it leads to improved efficiency and cost savings across various organizational departments.
In accounting and finance, for instance, business automation can help speed up tasks like data entry, invoice processing, and payments reconciliation. It also enables compliance with regulatory standards by ensuring that critical financial information is always accurate and up-to-date.
Additionally, automation makes processes more transparent. This promotes accountability and keeps teams updated on task allocations. It also gives workers a friction-free environment in which to complete their work quickly. Since approvals happen more quickly, teams don't have to wait around or remind supervisors as often. And by freeing up the bandwidth of employees, automation can inspire them to innovate and enhance how work is done.
When done right, automation can ultimately be a powerful tool to help businesses streamline their operations and become more successful in the long term.
How can the Blaze Monday Masterclass help me?
One thing you'll always hear Casey say is: 'If you're doing it all, you're doing it wrong.' And this is why she created the free webinar on business automation to help entrepreneurs like you learn all the automation secrets that allow the most notable companies to work smarter through automation and online tools so that you can unlock your company's highest potential.
If you'd like to register to join the webinar and learn more about business automation, click the button below: