If you're a business owner, your organization can only function by automating and optimizing your critical business processes. These are the steps that your employees take to get things done daily. They may include processing invoices, monitoring assets, or approving insurance claims--whatever it takes to keep your company running smoothly and efficiently.

The problem with traditional business processes is that they tend to be repetitive and manual, which means there's room for error or delay in completing tasks. Business process automation (BPA) solves these problems by automating certain aspects of how work gets done within an organization, so they don't require human intervention anymore!

Defining Business Process Automation

Gartner defines business process automation (BPA) as "the automation of complex business processes and functions beyond conventional data manipulation and record-keeping activities, usually through advanced technologies."

A business process is an activity or activity that fulfills a specific organizational goal. BPA streamlines these business processes with advanced technology, reducing human involvement.

Using business process automation tools, you can execute digital transformation initiatives by automating and monitoring business processes, from simple to complex ones, like sending out invoices and automating employee onboarding.

Importance of Business Process Automation

As organizations move away from manual processes and towards automated ones with BPA tools, they can maintain consistent quality and service while saving time and money.

In addition, manual processes often involve paper forms and spreadsheets that can be challenging for everyone involved in completing the task at hand (including the person doing the work itself).

Some of the mature reasons that large companies still rely on BPA include:

Streamlined processes

Business processes can quickly get slowed down due to unnecessary steps and manual workarounds. That’s where BPA helps reduce waste, improve efficiency, and increase productivity.

Improved productivity

While it may sound cliché, improving the productivity of line staff and front-line workers is still a valid priority for large organizations. BPA remains essential to help employees save time and resources and focus their time on strategy, innovation, and tech. 

Reduced operational costs

When a manual step is added to a process, the operational costs shoot up. BPA platforms help eliminate the waste of time and resources associated with manual processes, reducing operating costs. 

Increased transparency

It is common in large companies to hear that people do not know the flow of a particular business process or how it gets done end to end. Using BPA tools, you can visualize the complete workflow and process transparency. 

Enhanced compliance

A business must comply with applicable regulatory provisions in its core business processes, like financial reporting, data protection, and health and safety procedures. BPA tools help model and automate these processes, enhancing overall regulatory compliance. Automated processes record each task performed, the person who served it, and when they did so—you can use the logs in audit trails to demonstrate compliance with regulations or other rules. 

Benefits of Business Process Automation

Business process automation has many benefits for organizations, including the following:

Improves business processes: There are many steps in any process that can be automated using BPA tools. For example, you can automate email management so that every incoming customer request or inquiry goes directly through one channel instead of having someone else in charge of screening it first. It saves time and labor costs by ensuring you don't have duplicate efforts going on within different parts of your business.

Improves customer service: With automation, it’s easier to provide customized experiences for your customers and clients. You can use technology to tailor communications based on previous interactions or other factors that help you understand what they want and need.

Reduces time and costs: You may have processes that take days or weeks, but with business process automation, it could be done in minutes. This means you’ll need fewer people and can save money by cutting back on labor costs.

Reduces human error: Humans are prone to making mistakes, especially when working on repetitive tasks that require little thought or creativity. But business process automation can lead to fewer mistakes being made. It also makes it easier to correct any mistakes that have been made so that they’re not repeated.

Getting Started with Business Process Automation

One example of a company that has successfully employed business process automation is the Central Puget Sound Regional Transit Authority (Sound Transit), which provides public transportation for the greater Seattle, Washington, area. It offers light rail, commuter rail, express bus services, and regional fare card systems.

However, Sound Transit must undergo a rigorous certification process to receive federal funds. Each phase of Sound Transit's system expansion requires about 5,000 certifiable items—from initial to final design, construction, and ongoing operations.

The auditors needed help to find and evaluate the appropriate documents required for compliance due to the sheer volume of documentation. Moreover, Sound Transit's project size ballooned from about $3 billion to more than $50 billion—a dramatic increase that rendered the preexisting documentation and workflow capabilities obsolete.

Sound Transit knew it needed to automate its processes to stay up-to-date and compliant with the regulations governing transit agencies. They worked with OTB Solutions, a firm specializing in application development for transit agencies, which recommended AgilePoint, a low-code automation platform.

Through AgilePoint, Sound Transit has a systemic and auditable methodology for managing risk and safety certification documentation. AgilePoint was able to design new business processes, create metadata, implement four interrelated applications, and enhance existing applications based on ongoing needs while remaining compliant with the industry's regulations.

Like Sound Transit, AgilePoint's business process automation platform can help automate your workflows and processes at scale, building robust business applications faster than before. It can democratize and accelerate your digital transformation, reduce technical debt, and future-proof your ROI.

Discover how AgilePoint Business Process Automation software can help your business by requesting a personalized demonstration today! After your free personalized demo, you can choose a plan that best suits your organization's needs.