After the latest insights into the key roles that make up an Agile development team, we now highlight another fundamental aspect to optimize the achievement of objectives: business process automation.
Let’s talk about Business Process Automation, starting from its definition and then analyzing its practical applications.
Streamline repetitive tasks
Process automation involves the use of “intelligent” software capable of automatically performing repetitive activities, replacing human operators in the execution of certain processes. It thus stands as a foundational element in digital transformation strategies, aiming to optimize workflow and boost operational efficiency.
Put simply: automation enhances and speeds up a range of activities that were previously handled by operators, making them much faster, more accurate, and (almost) error-proof.
One of the application areas in which the value and usefulness of business process automation is most readily appreciated is the exchange of documents and files, but there are many other possible applications. Other examples of tasks that can be successfully automated are the onboarding of new employees or customers, data entry processes and all other activities related to recording, cataloging and extracting data.
Thanks to automation, these tasks can be performed up to 8 times faster and with a minimal margin of error compared to what happens when human operators handle them.
The introduction of tools for process automation has been a decisive innovation, especially in the case of projects involving many professionals, coming from several different teams and belonging to dozens or even hundreds of different companies around the world.
Automation solutions
In order to optimize and automate processes, there are both ready-to-use solutions that “only” require an initial setup, and customized solutions: in this case the client can request the creation of software with specific usage characteristics.
However, we must be careful not to overestimate the immediacy of ready-made solutions, because actually even the tools that appear to be “plug & play” need the supervision and work of specialized technicians, capable of setting up the platforms for the desired use.
At the top of the most effective solutions we can find the apps present in the suite Microsoft Power Platform, of which Hermes is official partner and ambassador. Among the most widespread technologies for process automation we can find also:
- Robot Framework
- UI Path
- Automation Anywhere
- Blue Prism
Regardless of the tool, it is important to understand that process automation is invaluable for streamlining and speeding up a lot of activities, such as tracking approval requests or checking that dates and fields are correctly filled, minimizing the margin of error.
The main objective is to optimize the waste of time and resources that easy and repetitive tasks often entail.
The advantage is not only greater efficiency in data collection, but also in data consultation, as with a shared file hub, any information or document can be retrieved in just a few clicks, keeping every step of the process under control.
Why do you need a specialized partner to correctly automate your business processes?
Properly implementing process automation tools demands specialized technical expertise, so the first reason is linked to the professionalism required for this setup.
Microsoft itself recommends that companies should be supported by specialists and technicians. Before anything, however, it’s crucial to discern the ideal solution, and for that, a technology assessment is essential.
The reason is that it is not possible to talk about optimization if we do not first know what to optimize and how to do it best.
What Hermes can do to help you automate processes
Before selecting a particular tool, one must always assess the customer’s needs.
The project may need custom systems, and in Hermes we have all the know-how to help you with the set up of ready-made platforms, but we also have the resources to create (if necessary) low code or more complex applications.
Everything hinges on the balance between available time, budget constraints, and the need for a ready-to-use solution in the shortest possible time frame.
Regardless of the solution chosen, the aim is always to enable the highest possible level of process automation, from the simplest to the most complex, allowing the company to focus on other aspects of the business without diverting the team’s energy.
Who takes care of Automation in our teams?
To define and set up the activities aimed at business automation, specific specialized roles come into play, in charge of various interconnected processing phases:
- process analyst and/or business analyst are in charge of analyzing and defining the client’s business processes, looking for possible bottlenecks to automate, improve and streamline;
- solutions architect and/or process automation engineers conduct a technological assessment to establish how to put technology at the service of the business, and decide what is the best solution for each specific case;
- no code/low code developers set up or even create from scratch new customized solutions that respond to the needs emerged in the previous steps;
- Lastly, the quality tester, who can be a member of the team or an external figure, is tasked with validating the solution and providing feedback based on its use.
How do you determine the best solution for you?
There are mainly two possible scenarios.
- If you’ve already carried out a technology assessment for your company or for a project, then you probably already know what you need, and the Hermes team can assist you in implementing the solutions you have identified.
- If, on the other hand, you haven’t gone through this initial exploration phase, then we need to start with the assessment: one of our solution architects will proceed with a process analysis, followed by the creation of a customized automation program.
Whether you’ve already started your process analysis and automation process or you simply want to find out what are the opportunities for your business, all you have to do is get in touch with Hermes to receive your first free consultation.You can request a video call with one of our specialists who will listen to your needs and gather the necessary elements to direct you towards the best and most sustainable solution.
