That Eric Alper

The modern world dictates its own rules for doing business, and often translates all business activities into the virtual world: it is fast, convenient, reliable. But even without the introduction of digital solutions, the automation problem is very acute: it is difficult to imagine today a business in which computer technologies would not be involved, whether it be complex production or growing flowers for sale.

Here is a simple example:

Two women live on the same street in neighboring houses. They are not familiar with each other, but they are united by one nice thing: both prepare cakes. Both began trying to cook to order in 2007. One has its own business, does not have time to hand out orders, has opened courses and is looking for a permanent workshop, although its cakes are tasty but quite standard, like an average cafe. The second one prepares something unrealistically tasty and home-made, but at the same time she made only 4 sales in 12 years and as a result, she cooks only for relatives. The fact is that the first coped with the total automation of production and marketing, and the second did not. This has become a decisive factor. True, a simple household example? And you can scale it to any size: from an advertising agency with two employees to a super corporation. Is automation really that important?

Let’s Start Small: What Resources Does Any Company Hold on To?

• Employees are the most important element without which the company itself will not be. They need to be managed, their work needs to be facilitated as much as possible so that they can redistribute efforts to tasks related to customers, development, etc., and not get bogged down in a monotonous routine.
• Management is also employees, but with special requirements: it is important for them to see what results their strategy brings, what are the dynamics of indicators, how effective are employees (KPI). The management needs a tool that will allow quick and capacious analysis and easy resolution of problems (for example, sharing leads or listening to problem calls when complaints come from customers).
• Clients – we consciously put them higher than production, because no matter how cool and mega-sophisticated your product is, if you have no one to sell it, you will not get anything from it (except for the exceptional pleasure of contemplating the work of your hands / brain, but with this special aesthetic you will not be full). They need a cool, prompt, and now also personalized service.
• Production – the most important process of creating a product, work or service in order to exchange all this for money from a client. It is important to be able to integrate all processes so that the production is on-time, in accordance with the requirements of customers.
• Data is not just “new oil”, but a valuable thing that should not be idle: it is important to collect, process and interpret the necessary and relevant information so as not to shoot sparrows from the gun with the efforts of the company, but to hit precisely at the target.

Now Consider How Automation Helps Each of These Resources

• Automation is convenient for employees: it speeds up and streamlines work, does not allow being distracted by unnecessary things or resolving personal issues during working hours. Automation of processes also creates a single information environment, for example, a client base, access to which is immediately available to all employees who need it. It helps to quickly, clearly and ideally do the nastiest job – to form and prepare documentation for printing. Helps to distribute the load within the team – thanks to planning tools. This greatly facilitates the work when you can go to the calendar, see the busyness of the entire company or unit and in three clicks to assign tasks or schedule a meeting. No calls, rallies and other side conversations, really time-consuming.
• For managers, automation is a powerful analytical tool that will help you make decisions quickly, not waste time on employee reports, but at the same time give you the opportunity to objectively evaluate the work of each employee. With it, you can easily check the work and evaluate its quality in the event of complaints or conflicts.
• Clients: The client never thinks whether you have CRM or not – he just feels it at his own pace according to the level of service and, on this basis, already decides whether to bring money to you or your competitor, which is automated to the teeth. Take a simple example: you run an online casino and want to make it in a format of no deposit casinos. You bought the basic software but did not configure it, and as a result, your customers cannot play without depositing money into the account, which means they will go to other, more friendly competitors. Automation increases the speed of customer service, it personalizes and concretizes the requests of your regular customers, allows you to adjust the timing and track errors in maintenance or work.
• Production: automation helps to control resources, remove downtime and errors, makes it possible to keep inventory records without spending time and human factors.
• Data: information controls the world, and automatic systems control information.

When Automation Is not Required?

Yes, there are cases when automation is not needed or it is not worth it.

• If automation is more expensive than potential income: until you understand how profitable your business is and whether it is ready to invest in automation, do not take up the implementation.
• If you have very few customers and the specifics of the business involves a small number of transactions (complex technological sectors, state-owned companies with a long operating cycle, etc.).
• If you are not able to provide effective automation: not just the purchase of licenses, but also the implementation, completion, training, etc.
• If your business is preparing for restructuring.
• If you don’t have an understanding of the processes, debugged relationships and everything suits you in this corporate chaos. If you want to change the situation – the automation of processes will be at your fingertips.

In general, the automation of the company is always good, but on one condition – you need to work on automation, this is not a magic key.