Simplify Your Process

Does your organization have to improve productivity and also reduce costs? In a tough economic climate these efficiencies can be a question of survival.

Process Automation “if done well” can deliver efficiencies:

• Reduced processing time
• More consistent outcomes
• Less training time needed
• Lower costs

Before we go on, let’s define process automation: per Webopedia, process automation is a general technology term that is used to describe any process being automated through the use of computers and computer software. So if my current manual or semi-automated processes are working well why not just fully automate them?

Considerations before automating your processes:

• Are there any parts of the current process that are no longer adding any value?
• Is my current process optimal?
• Have I documented my current process so that people do it in the same way?
• How adaptable is my current process?
• Is the current process as simple as it can be?
• Do I know how the current process is really performing?
• Are my people working around the current process?
• How does my current process deal with exceptions?
• Is my current process in the best form to automate?

What other things do I need to consider before automating our processes?

• Is each process step necessary?
• Can several steps be combined?
• What is the nature and type of data being collected, processed, and created in each process step?
• Do we really need that data? Is anyone reporting on it?
• What are the business rules and are these rules still correct and needed?
• What are the exceptions to the process? How are we going to automate exception’s?

Final thoughts…