Business automation is a crucial step towards improving the reliability and sustainability of a business. Several factors make automation inevitable, among them being competitive in the current markets. Several benefits gained from business automation are; superior customer care, reduced costs, improved employee and customer morale and transparency, among others,

Applications of Business Process Automation are;

1. Automated event log monitoring

   Manual event log entry and monitoring can be tedious and time-consuming. Consider a Biometric System for tracing employee clock in and clock out. The system enables monitoring without supervision and is super-fast, considering no records entered through a pen. Such a system is also more reliable since the possibility of cheating and false entries are close to none. Safety of the premises is also improved, together with the overall integrity of the business’ systems. Many schools have employed biometric systems that communicate with parents on whether a student attends classes or not. The system sends a text message to the parents on the real-time activities of their children. A school is just one classic example that shows business process automation in event log monitoring. In hospitals, event log monitoring is used to show recovery and attrition rates and is essential in determining the effectiveness of various medical practices.

2. E-mail Automation

   Advertising on social media is proven to be very effective currently. A business that uses such a media provides means of reaching them, and one of them is E-mail. Companies have automated E-mails such that once a customer sends an e-mail, the system will auto-reply and provide the customer with the information they need. The system also helps to keep the customer engaged. It also makes it easy to inform subscribed customers on promotions, offers, and the availability of new products. E-mail automation also ensures that information about the business is available on a 24/7 basis. Therefore, customers can access firsthand information at any time and from any place in the world. Documentation at every stage of purchase is also delivered via e-mail, ensuring a customer keeps track of the purchase process at every step. Such e-mails also serve as legal documents, which gives consumers confidence just in case things go south.

3. Hiring Process

   This process is ordinarily tiresome, and automation can make it faster and less involved. A system is created whereby the potential employees apply for jobs online by entering their details directly. The credentials are uploaded, and the system determines the most qualified employees. Time and expense are saved for both the employee and job seekers since there would be no need for people to travel and attend long interview sessions. The employer picks the most suitable candidates and invites them for an interview. This process becomes smooth, effective, and convenient. Favouritism is also reduced since the system automatically selects the most deserving candidates. However, there are some risks involved. The hiring system sometimes stresses keywords, causing some deserving candidates to miss out. Some candidates may also cheat by giving false information and presenting face certificates. It is, therefore, necessary to have someone supervise the system and carry out verification of the documents.

4. Automation of customer support process

   Accessibility of a business’s products and services determines the sales of a business. Important information such as how to use a product is provided through live chat features. Selecting a product that will suit a particular business is also guided through these live chat features. In these times, businesses are creating online communities, a group of consumers of a businesses’ products and services who like and subscribe to an online platform that ensures communication between them and the business. These customers sometimes participate in promotions and sometimes community support activities such as charity work. An automated process enables the customer care department to run such a community. Feedback is also crucial in making improvements since customers will give their experience while using a particular product. Positive feedback once shared among potential customers is a plus to the business.

5. Project management automation

   Various tools are available that converge team leaders and managers on a single platform. One such tool is Asana. This tool is used to monitor workflow. It displays the tasks and activities of each member on one dashboard. The duties and responsibilities are also shown, and the extent to which they are met is measured and displayed. The tool informs and outlines the responsibilities of every member of the organisation and the set timelines. This tool also serves as a scoreboard of performance and makes red flags easily identifiable.

There are many business automation applications, and the ones listed above relate to current trends and will solve most challenges experienced by businesses in the twenty-first century. They pose a significant impact on changes and growth of a business, aimed at maximising profits while minimising costs. Evaluation is important to enabling a business to develop an optimised automation process.