The workflows you use on a daily basis greatly influence your team’s ability to produce in a timely and efficient manner. Documents, files, images, invoices, messages, and more can build up and completely clutter your desktop – and inbox.
Keep reading to learn more about how implementing automated workflows can revolutionize your business.
What is Automated Workflow Software?
Workflow automation software is a system that uses rule-based computing to complete rote or repetitive tasks that require minimal human intervention.
Workflow automation software often uses Artificial Intelligence to learn and adapt to user behaviors in real time. Additionally, this gives you the ability to look at each task, objective, or issue from multiple angles. When it comes to accuracy and risk management, AI-enabled automation software acts as a second set of eyes to smooth out the project management process.
Workflow automation software is an affordable and easy-to-implement solution that will help your business:
- Streamline existing processes
- Develop new ideas
- Improve marketing efforts
- Reduce work hours
- Prevent accounting and organizational errors
This type of software is designed to run as independently as possible, allowing you to designate your work hours to tasks that require critical thinking.
How can automation improve workflows?
Automated workflows simplify the project management process by:
- Reducing human error
- Distributing tasks and projects
- Updating project status in real time
- Integrating other systems, such as CRM and CMS programs
By using automated workflows to track projects and tasks, you can dramatically reduce the stress of chasing down approval, missing deadlines, and ensuring that all objectives are being met each day.
Employees can save an average of 9 weeks a year by utilizing workflow automation. That figure is even higher for managers and team leaders, who can reduce their annual workload by 11 weeks. In fact, CEOs spend almost 20% of their time at work performing tasks that can be automated.
Surprisingly, only a quarter of the time we spend at work is allocated for tasks that require creativity or emotional response. Businesses can save millions of dollars a year by using automated workflows<span< a=””> style=”font-weight: 400;”> to reduce costs incurred for staffing, materials, and office operations. </span<>
What tasks can be automated?
Rote tasks and repetitive workflows are ideal for automation. These may include:
- File transfers
- Report generation
- Order entry
- Email marketing
- Claims processing
- Form distribution and tracking
- Social media management
- Customer support
- Deadline reminders
Treating your project management system like a to-do list can help you eliminate a lot of tedious, time-consuming tasks that fill up your day. You can organize content requests, set alerts for deadlines and appointments, send automated email campaigns, and more by managing your day with automation software.
By reducing the time you spend on rote tasks, you can save money on staffing and operational costs almost immediately. Also, you can allocate that time to work on more innovative, creative projects.
How do you know if a process can be automated?
Ultimately, the point of automation is to improve productivity by streamlining existing processes and reducing human error. So, the best tasks to automate are those that require very little human involvement.
In addition to other criteria, tasks that can be automated are typically:
- Highly predictable
- Does not require critical thinking
- Can be tracked with sensors or automatic alerts
- Are cloud-accessible and can be accessed or managed remotely
To determine if a task can be automated, look for one-step processes and simple yes-or-no commands. If you find yourself performing the same motions over and over again to complete a task, it’s probably something you can automate.
What is the best automated workflow software?
Choosing cutting-edge, comprehensive automated workflow software is imperative if you want to improve existing plans and processes, or build better ones.
There are a lot of options out there, but your automated workflow software should include these features:
- Secure cloud access
- Automatic status updates
- Editorial scheduling
- Dynamic reporting
- AI-enabled customizable templates
- Assign tasks to users or groups
- Time-tracking
- Automated task creation
Time keeping, milestone setting, and cloud-enabled storage and file sharing are also important factors to consider when you’re shopping for a workflow automation system.
If you want a fully stacked workflow automation software that is easy to use and implement, Gryffin’s project management system leads the pack. Try our system for free today to learn how automated workflows can dramatically improve your business.