Business Process Automation is the practice of analyzing, documenting, optimizing
and then automating business processes. The business process is the flow of information,
modified by value-added tasks, that begins with the first contact with a prospective
customer and continues through delivery of a finished product. Well-developed business
processes can create a seamless link from initial customer interface through the
supply chain. Automation of those processes improves the accuracy of the information
transferred and ensures the repeatability of the value added tasks performed.
Benefits of Business Process Automation
Here are some examples of the major benefits that can be delivered by a well-thought-out
implementation of a business process automation system:
- Process automation can provide an audit trail—who did what and when—for organizations
that are highly regulated or have strict security and control requirements.
- Process automation can tie together multiple business systems to eliminate the need
for moving back and forth between application interfaces.
- Process automation can push work to employee queues, saving time from having to
search (pull item items into the workflow) or wait for them to be processed.
- Automation can improve process visibility by gathering data and presenting it via
dashboards to improve planning and decision making.