As a UK custom software company, Solweb Ltd spend a lot of time outlining the benefits of business process automation in general terms. You might expect us to make that argument, given the business we’re in, but statistics from around the world help to underline the massive impact which automating routine, repetitive and time consuming tasks can have on the place where it matters the most – the bottom line.
Automation Benefits
According to consultants McKinsey 60% of occupations could save 30% of their time through the automation of tasks such as generating sales leads, approving paperwork, and processing documents. At the same time a survey from Deloitte stated that investment in business process automation would not only pay for itself in less than 12 months, it would also produce the following benefits:
• Improved compliance – 92%
• Improved quality/accuracy – 90%
• Improved productivity – 86%
• Cost reduction – 59%
Custom Software
Any UK bespoke software company would recommend the use of automation software as being both a technological and business inevitability. From a technological perspective, if the systems exist to streamline repetitive tasks then it falls upon any forward thinking business to explore how these systems could help. According to independent global research the average office worker spends 552 hours a year performing repetitive or administrative tasks, which equates to 69 working days. If you’re someone who runs a business then it probably doesn’t take too long to calculate exactly how much 69 wasted days are costing your business every year. In addition to this is the simple fact that, of those businesses which already make use of business process automation, 78% fully expect to increase their investment in the next 3 years. In other words, if your business doesn’t take advantage of the efficiencies driven by custom software automation then it is likely to be left behind by competitors who have opted to do so.
Fewer Staff In The Office
As stated, these are the general arguments for the take-up of automation and they can be firmly applied against what might be called the standard operational backdrop of the average business. That backdrop has been anything but standard in 2020, however, and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the accompanying waves of lockdown have, if anything, strengthened the case for investing in automation.
Businesses across the UK have had to adapt to the reality of their employees working from home or being on furlough for eight months now, with a return to normality still seeming to be some time away. Indeed, many of the largest companies in the world, such as Amazon and Google, are already talking about making the shift to home working at least semi-permanent, so the current issues around staff working remotely or remaining on furlough are likely to impinge on business efficiency for some time to come.
The kind of repetitive and time-consuming tasks – such as purchase orders, invoicing, stock management and maintaining spreadsheets – that can easily and effectively be switched to automation, are exactly the activities which will start to take up a disproportionate amount of time during any period when the full complement of employees aren’t able to work in the office. Whilst the pandemic and accompanying lockdown have created a situation in which automation might be even more helpful than usual, they have also provided the conditions in which the switch to automated systems might be easier to facilitate than is ordinarily the case. As a UK custom software company we work closely with clients in order to create solutions which integrate seamlessly with existing business processes, and a period such as this, during which the office itself won’t be as busy or as crowded as usual, is the ideal time to introduce such a system, transforming the way you work during the ongoing crisis and preparing for a more efficient future.
Bespoke Software
The fact that the systems we create are bespoke and tailored for the individual business in question is a vital aspect of their effectiveness. According to a survey on business process automation carried out by Gartner, 40% of enterprises which invested in automated solutions in 2020 will experience ‘buyer’s remorse’ in 2021, due to the fact the solutions they purchased were misaligned with existing processes, worked mainly within silos and would be impossible to scale up in the future. This demonstrates the fact that choosing the right automation solutions is just as important as making the decision to automate in the first place. Issues like those raised in the Gartner report aren’t going to impact on those businesses which work with Solweb, because our bespoke software solutions are designed and installed with integration and future-proofing built in.
To discuss your requirements, contact Rob Tanner, Commercial Manager on 07741645956 | www.solweb.co.uk