In a world where time is money, businesses everywhere turn to automation to propel their business into the future. One study found that 66% of companies have piloted the automation of business processes in one or more workplace functions. What makes this statistic even more interesting is that in 2018, only 9% of businesses incorporated some form of automation.

The industry’s AI and automation capabilities have skyrocketed over the past six years. While businesses are hopping onto the automation trend, not all of them are seeing their return on investment. To make the most of your business process automation investments, avoid these five pitfalls to set your business up for success.

  1. Research what to automate: Before diving into the deep end, recognize that the intended purpose of automation is to assist; not every task can or should be automated. If you want to take it one step further select an automation partner that runs unbiased, comprehensive process analysis. Process analysis will help you identify the most problematic bottlenecks, see custom solutions that align with organizational goals and improve workflow.
  2. Run the numbers before implementing: Many businesses today are joining the AI and automation bandwagon without researching how it will promote their business. As a result, they find themselves not meeting their projected return on investment. Before investing, be sure to examine how much every aspect will cost. Don’t forget to tally the total cost of the tool, implementation, running and training required. After looking at the numbers, ask yourself if you can justify the price tag and if it will be more efficient than your current system or workforce.
  3. Avoid automation siloes: When large, independent tasks use automation, they can quickly become siloed, making it incredibly difficult to integrate capabilities further down the road. Large businesses have more flexibility with these processes, but most businesses benefit more from automating small, tedious tasks. Examples include updating email lists or sending an automated thank you email after every order. Make sure your automation works for you.
  4. Lack of communication: The automation journey can be rocky, especially if you fall into the lack of communication pitfall. Businesses often fail when they don’t get their team on board before the transition. Ensure you invest in training for your entire team to smooth the path. Change is never easy, but you can get your players on board with transparent and open communication.
  5. Decreased Supervision: Unfortunately, the lack of supervision can become one of the riskiest pitfalls of automation. Ensure your business does not lose control of the automated processes. Imagine a kink in your payroll, hiring process or social computerized responses. The lack of proper checks and updates can turn your competitive advantage into a vulnerability.

Incorporating automation is a proven way to boost performance, security and efficiency, all while reducing costs, but only when properly applied and maintained. Learning how to improve your efficiency with automation can feel daunting, but with the proper research and experienced partner, you can strategically implement automation and experience success.

Forty8Fifty Labs is determined to unlock your efficiency, seamlessly converting data into a usable asset, all while ensuring a secure process from beginning to end. If you want to learn more, read here or contact us today!

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