Despite the hard evidence that consistently proves automation's worth in the average workplace, deployments of these solutions have been somewhat slow when looking at the grand scheme of things. Organizations in both the public and private sectors have appeared to lag in their pursuits of more robust automation strategies, and this is likely hindering many firms from achieving the most efficient, accurate and profitable operational processes possible. 

Business leaders need to recognize that their workplaces are becoming far more digitized, and every step in the modern direction will tend to yield opportunities to support employees with automation software. There is no denying that a hands-on approach by managers and professionals will always be necessary, especially for oversight, but failing to adequately leverage the most effective tools that boost productivity will rarely lead to optimal operational performance. 

Workflow and business process automation can have dramatically positive impacts on the ebb and flow of financial and operational management for any company, and the sky is truly the limit for the uses of these tools therein. By beginning with more repetitive, mundane and arduous tasks that are rich with errors and inefficiencies, organizations will often see immediate returns on automation investments while simultaneously building working knowledge of more advanced uses of the technology. 

Some examples of processes that are best-suited to initial automation deployments include AP invoice processing, expense report processing and human resource onboarding, while broader workflow and enterprise resource planning (ERP) integration can also be strong candidates for many companies. Once leaders get their feet wet with this technology, it will be easier to take more progressive and prolific steps toward total business process management optimization. 

Initial catalysts
Thomas Davenport, contributing to The Wall Street Journal, recently wrote an article that highlighted some of the predictions he made regarding the automation market back in 2005, affirming that many of the early catalysts that were driving demand have rang true since. For example, in his book, he stated the following:

"The shortage of managerial time and analytical expertise that hindered the rise of decision support may be behind the rise of a new trend that holds the promise of realizing that dream, at least to a greater degree," Davenport asserted in 2005. "With today's lean organizations, few knowledge workers have the time to delve deeply into data analysis, or to learn the intricacies of a decision support system (DSS)."

This is still absolutely valid today, as companies are working to ensure that their staff members have all of the tools and solutions necessary to complete their tasks in a timely and efficient fashion. Davenport had stated that automation in decision-making procedures and content management can have significantly positive impacts on the average company, and alluded to the fact that his predictions might have been "overly optimistic."

In a sense, the author believes that knowledge management-related automation has not caught on nearly as quickly as he thought, and that several hindrances have been to blame, such as inadequate metrics for productivity, resistance from workers who would be using these tools and a lack of understanding among decision-makers. 

Even with all of this in mind, though, business process automation has caught on and content management is beginning to move in a positive direction. 

No time to hesitate
ITWeb recently reported that many organizations do not yet fully understand how to either sustain or bolster productivity, while some of these firms have been especially inefficient in their management of document and data capture and administrative tasks. Citing the comments of South Africa-based expert Paul Schonborn, the source stated that more companies need to look toward IT modernization as a method of improving efficiency. 

"There is always a continuous drive for organization to find ways that reduce the cost it takes to provide a service or produce a product," he told ITWeb. "If organizations are not always looking for ways that improve cost, time and efficiency metrics, their competitors who are getting this right will take over. Technology can often assist organizations to improve in these areas."

According to the news provider, the most advanced and successful firms in South Africa, notably telecommunications service providers, have been at the cutting edge of automation deployments and have seen subsequent improvements to their bottom line. 

Regardless of which industry or region an organization might be competing in, the opportunities to strengthen operational efficiency and productivity through effective automation deployments are consistent across the board. The quicker enterprises begin to realize the value of these solutions, the sooner they will begin to realize what optimal operational procedures truly look like. 

By partnering with a proven provider of automation tools that can guide IT departments through deployment and support them in long-term management, decision-makers can enable the rise of more engaged staff members and subsequent improvements to profit margins.