Superheroes have been a mainstay of popular culture for most of the 21st century, moving from comic books to movie screens. There’s a whole lot going on in the world right now, including the climate crisis, so perhaps it’s not surprising that so many people are looking up to superheroes as role models. But where are today’s superheroes?
AI, automation, and robots are often portrayed as the villains in these comic book stories, and in wider culture. In this blog, we are going to make the case that business process automation is in fact the superhero we have all been waiting for.
“Why so serious?”
Automation has been largely demonized as the technology sure to eliminate human jobs (and perhaps humans too). AI-powered robots have been similarly typecast, with films showing intelligent robots that outmaneuver their human counterparts.
These stories represent our deep-seated anxieties about new technologies. In reality, business process automation technology is making waves in the digital solutions landscape, streamlining and fast-tracking manual work processes. As a sustainable alternative to paper-based processes, it’s also minimizing the need for paper in the workplace — saving millions of trees worldwide.
Here are five ways process automation is a hero, not a villain — and why you should embrace it in your workplace.
Flies at the speed of light
Want to work faster? Or need a tool that helps you do so? This is where process automation comes to the rescue. This technology is adept at taking manual, repetitive tasks, and fast-tracking them — performing tasks at the speed of light (or certainly faster than a human).
Organizations which use process automation for 50-70 percent of tasks discover a reduction in straight-through process time of 50 to 60 percent. This is a huge time saver and makes organizations significantly more efficient in their business activities. Faster operations translate into higher productivity, more sales, and greater profitability for your organization. And since process automation can be deployed fast, it generates a rapid ROI and quick wins for your business.
Move at the speed of light with process automation.
Blasts paper-waste
Process automation isn’t destroying the earth – it’s saving it. In offices, 70% of waste falls to paper products, despite efforts to recycle. And while the average office worker can make an impact by reusing and recycling their paper waste, a better solution is for organizations to replace paper-based processes with automation tools.
The list of processes that employees still rely on paper to perform tasks is extensive. It includes:
- Contract management
- Data entry and filing
- Approval processes
- Employee onboarding
- Document sharing
- Compliance and risk management
- Purchase ordering
- Payroll and expenses
By using process automation for these kinds of tasks, you can significantly reduce paper-waste in your organization. If your business is looking to meet CSR and sustainability objectives, process automation is a sure-fire solution — especially when deployed for a high percentage of processes.
Eliminate paper-waste in your business.
Clones ‘boring’ tasks
A great thing about process automation is the way it tackles manual, repetitive (in a word – dull!) tasks. If you find yourself spending too much time on tasks that don’t bring you much joy, process automation really helps you out. The technology is designed to “take the robot out of the human” — able to iterate tasks at high speed, leaving you with more interesting projects.
For example, the average HR professional will spend a great deal of time onboarding new hires. In the onboarding process, multiple steps are involved, from completing paperwork and firing off introductory emails, to performing regular check-ins (usually for a period of up to six months). The process requires a lot of organization and can be time-consuming when multiple hires have entered your business at once. With process automation, you can iterate, or clone, tasks in a process – giving you time to work on more valuable tasks.
Automate tasks that weigh you down.
A cloak of invisibility
With more employees working at home, and organizations embracing the hybrid/remote work model, it can be hard to keep track of business activities. Whether you’re wondering whether tasks have been performed, or at what stage your team is at in a process, the fact is that business activities require greater collaboration than ever before.
For business processes that seem obscure, process automation provides an immediate cloak of visibility. Solutions like Kryon’s Process Discovery™ bring transparency to the processes within an organization, identifying processes suitable for intelligent process automation (IPA) and robotic process automation (RPA). Automated workflows also give employees visibility over a process, with the steps clearly outlined and the status of a process made clear to everyone involved.
Shine a light on business processes.
The ultimate sidekick
Process automation should be seen as a friend to humans, rather than an enemy. From the outset, automated tools might seem threatening, but in fact they make life much easier. The manual, repetitive tasks that you struggle to find the motivation (and time) for can be easily iterated with IPA and RPA, giving you valuable time back at work. Want to impress your boss with your business ideas? Or concentrate on those projects you keep pushing back? In process automation you have a trusty sidekick that takes on pesky tasks — leaving you to tackle the big ones.
Find a trusted sidekick in automation.
Better than the Batmobile
Every good superhero needs the right gadgets. Captain America had his shield. Iron Man had the suit. And, of course, Batman had the Batmobile, giving him a competitive advantage over his enemies.
Mundane, administrative tasks are a natural opponent to high-value work. However, with tools like process automation, administrative tasks don’t seem like such an upward battle. With Nintex’s process automation tool you can fast-track processes, eliminate paper-waste, and gain visibility over business activities. If you want to free up time and deliver successful projects across your business, process automation is the only gadget you need.
Discover your inner superhero with Nintex. Get in touch today.
