Business automation is one of the most important steps you can take to increase efficiency, reduce costs and avoid the mistakes that come with repetitive manual tasks. Let’s discuss how artificial intelligence helps you optimise your business.
Automating your organisation – where to start?
First, it is important to understand how the organisation works and which tasks require automation. AI training for managers, whether they are starting out or advanced, can help you clarify which processes to automate and how to apply AI tools appropriately. Decide whether the process should be fully automated or combined with human involvement. Visualise the process in a diagram to clearly see what needs to happen next and what the automated solution will look like.
Once you’ve identified what you want to automate, choose the most appropriate tools and start using them. Continuously test and refine your automation process to get the best results.
Which processes should be automated?
There are a few key steps to take when deciding which processes to automate.
Time audit
Decide which tasks are the most time-consuming for you or your team. This can be done by tracking your working hours manually or with the help of assistant apps like Toggl Track. Automating the most time-consuming tasks will have the highest ROI.
Invoicing of tools in use
Write down the tools you use for the most time-consuming tasks, such as Outlook, Sheets, Asana, etc. Try to write a description of how each significant work process works.
Categorisation of opportunities
Categorise the tasks according to tools and number of hours. For example:
- Group 1: tasks requiring >10 hours per week;
- Group 2: Tasks requiring >5 hours per week or more;
- Group 3: Other tasks.
Start automation with Group 1 problems, as they take the most time.
Which solution should I choose – fully automated or hybrid?
Depending on how much human intervention the task requires, an automated or hybrid approach may be more appropriate.
Fully automated solutions
Fully automated solutions work autonomously, without human intervention. Such automations are usually set up once and run for a long time without additional management.
For example, an automated document processing system, to which documents are submitted electronically by the client, automatically scans and verifies the documents, extracts the necessary data, classifies them and stores them in the document system.
Choose a fully automated solution if the task is repetitive and does not require human creativity, or if the process is not complex but time-consuming.
Hybrid solutions
The hybrid solution combines automation with human action. Such solutions are used when human control or intervention in a process needs to be maintained. In most cases, this solution is chosen because of certain technological constraints or an extremely high quality bar.
For example, to attract and rank candidates, the system automatically assesses incoming CVs against the requirements and provides a list of candidates to recommend for interviews. A human resources specialist reviews the shortlisted candidates, refines the assessments or removes unsuitable candidates before making a final decision.
Choose a hybrid solution if the task requires human analysis or creativity, or if you want to maintain control.
How do I create process representation graphs?
A process flowchart is a good aid to understanding a specific process. Each automation graph should reflect 2 components:
- Trigger, that which initiates the action. It could be filling in a form, a new email, uploading a file, etc.
- What actions need to be taken. For example, the IoT needs to generate an automated email, an offer or to move a document to another database. The more detailed we can make this process, the more efficiently we can automate it.
Tools like Miro will do 80% of the work for you, and you can improve the result manually if needed.
Which tools are best suited for automating tasks with IoT?
The last but most important step is choosing the tools that will help you automate your work efficiently.
Zapier
Zapier is an automation tool that requires no programming knowledge and is suitable for beginners. The tool allows you to connect different applications and share data between them.
It works on the principle that, for example, when an email is received (Outlook), its content is stored in a database (Excel). Thus, if action X occurs, action Y must be performed.
It is easy to use, allows you to link more than 6000+ different applications, and has valuable spin-offs such as chatbot development, databases and more.
Make
Make works essentially the same as Zapier, but with a few differences. It has the advantage of being able to perform more complex processes at a significantly lower cost. The disadvantage is that the Make platform may be too complex for beginners.
Microsoft Power Automate
Microsoft Power Automate for Microsoft users mirrors the functionality of the first two tools, so it’s perfect for those who don’t use applications outside of Microsoft.
Microsoft Power Automate has an excellent interface to all Microsoft system applications, but may lack integration of additional applications.
Airtable
Airtable is like a much more advanced version of Excel for databases. It has greater functionality in displaying and storing data. In addition, many companies use this tool as a minimalist CRM.
To get the full functionality of the team, it’s worth buying a paid plan (from $20/month).
Softr
Softr is a lesser-known but promising tool for building internal or client portals. Its greatest feature is the ability to create functional, high-quality and attractive applications without programming.
So when choosing a task automation tool with IoT, it is important to consider the needs of the company, the competences of the employees and the compatibility of the system.
