When it comes to automating processes, there are many different options available. Automation platforms can range from simple scripts that automate a single task to complex systems that automate an entire workflow or department. You may already have your eye on one particular automation platform, but do you know which one is the best?
The best automation platform is one that addresses your business goals and fits within the budget you have set aside for the project. Here’s a list of considerations for determining which automation platform is right for your organization.
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The top 10 automation platforms
The top 10 automation platforms are:
- Microsoft Dynamics 365 (Microsoft)
- Salesforce CPQ (Salesforce)
- SAP Fieldglass (SAP)
- Oracle Autonomous AIOps Platform (Oracle)
- Zoho Desk (Zoho Corporation)
The list above is not comprehensive, but it does show some of the more popular commercial platforms available today. There are also many open source options, such as the one SAP offers in their Cloud Marketplace, that are freely available to use.
1. Evaluate your goals
- Ask yourself the following questions:
- What is your current process like?
- What are your goals?
- How much money do you want to save, and how much time do you want to save?
- In what areas of business do we need improvement in order to achieve our goal(s)?
2. Assess your current environment
If you’re new to the world of automation, it’s important to understand what your current environment looks like. This will help guide your decision-making process and inform how you approach automation solutions.
- Know what’s working and what isn’t: One of the best ways to determine whether or not automation is right for your business is by assessing its current state. Start by identifying all of the processes that are currently being executed manually in your organization—and then ask yourself if any of these could be automated or automated more effectively than they are now. For example: Are there any recurring tasks (like customer service calls) that occur every day but require manual intervention? Can these be automated so that more work gets done without requiring full time employees’ attention?
- Know strengths & weaknesses: Once we’ve identified potential areas where automation might be beneficial (and vice versa), we should also identify any weaknesses in our current systems/processes which may prevent us from fully realizing its benefits (or lead us down certain paths). This step can help us avoid making mistakes when selecting an appropriate solution for our particular needs.
3. Consider your specific industry/challenges
You should consider the challenges of your industry and what you want to achieve. This will help determine which platform is best for you.
- What are your goals?
- How much time do you have, and what budget do you have available?
- How many people do you need to manage this process, including customer service staff, salespeople and engineers who design solutions based on feedback from customers (which could also be automated).
- What size company are we talking about – large or small – and how much money will it take to get started on automation projects?
4. Determine which platform will maximize ROI
With so many platforms to choose from, it’s important to determine which will maximize your ROI. While automation can automate a lot of processes and make life easier for businesses, it does have its limits. It’s important not only to choose the right platform for your business but also for the types of processes that you want automated. Automation is most effective when used in conjunction with other technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and cognitive technology, which allow for more complex tasks to be performed by machines rather than humans.
The key here is efficiency: if an employee spends too much time on manual tasks instead of focusing on higher-level responsibilities like customer service or sales calls then they may be putting their job at risk by losing out on opportunities because they aren’t able to respond quickly enough due how slow those tasks were being completed by other employees who rely solely upon human interaction rather than computer algorithms.”
5. Get other departments on board
It’s important to make sure that you have the support of other departments as well. Make sure they understand the benefits of automation, and how it will help them with their work. Get their input on what they would like to see automated and test out the system yourself before it goes live.
6. Select a provider with a proven track record
When choosing a provider, you should also look for one with a proven track record. This can make all the difference in getting your automation up and running quickly. Providers with experience have the knowledge and tools to make sure that your system is working smoothly from the beginning. They’ll have the right expertise to help guide you through any issues that may arise after installation or maintenance, including setting up access controls and making changes in response to customer requests (if applicable).
7. Test the software with a pilot project
Test your new automation platform with a pilot project. Your developers can get started on building out their code, but you should also be testing it yourself. This will ensure that everything works as expected and is easy to use for other users, including yourself if you’re working on multiple projects at once! Make sure that the software is affordable, secure and scalable (e.g., will it run smoothly even if we need more resources).
8. Create a plan for measuring success (and ROI)
When it comes to measuring success and ROI, you want to make sure that you’re taking advantage of every opportunity. If your automation platform is making money for your business but there are no metrics in place, then how can you be sure that it’s actually working?
There are two ways of measuring success:
- The first way is by tracking how much money has been made since implementing automation software into your business model. This means looking at every transaction made through the system (and any other relevant data points).
- The second way is by looking at overall customer satisfaction levels with regards to their experience using your products or services when using an automated solution such as ours at [company name].
9. Deploy the system in phases and monitor progress carefully
Once you have your pilot project ready and running, it’s time to deploy the system in phases. This will allow you to monitor progress carefully and make sure you are getting the results that you want. If not, adjust your strategy until things improve.
If all goes according to plan, by this point your team should have a clear understanding of what tasks need doing and when they should be done by whom. You will also know exactly how much time each task requires—which is helpful when looking at budgets or assigning resources!
10. Rinse, wash and repeat!
Automation is a long-term process. It may take several months or even years before you see results, so don’t feel discouraged if it doesn’t seem like your automation is working right away. You will need to keep monitoring your progress and making adjustments as needed if something isn’t working out. Don’t be afraid to make changes; sometimes things just don’t work out as planned!
Automation can streamline things and save you money
Automation can streamline things and save you money. You might be thinking that automation is just a fancy word for “more work,” but it’s not. You’ll actually be saving time, energy and money when you automate tasks with automated systems like Salesforce or HubSpot.
Imagine how much time you spend on manual tasks—like creating new leads or sending out emails—that could instead be spent doing more strategic work with less effort (and even more ROI). That’s the power of automation!
Conclusion
Automation is about more than just saving money. It’s about improving processes, saving time, and making sure that your company and employees are always on top of the latest news in their field and that you have a plan for doing so.
Automation can streamline things and save you money by lowering overhead costs, freeing up resources for more productive work (like innovation), and giving employees more time to do what they love. And because it reduces error rates and improves efficiency across multiple channels at once, automation also helps keep an organization competitive by keeping up with competitors who use similar methods to run their businesses.