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Digitization and automation of business processes has been gradually increasing for years, and pandemic lockdowns during 2021 have pushed progress into top gear. Ragavan Satkunam, Senior Manager – Portfolio and Strategy at Ricoh, shares nine steps how companies can achieve more efficient digital workflows.
Faced with remote workforces and changes in the way they communicate with customers and suppliers, many organizations have rushed to replace manual and paper-based workflows with more efficient digital equivalents. In many cases, the transition to digital workflows and automation can seem quite daunting. Changing practices that have likely been in place for years sounds like a recipe for disruption.
However, there are a number of steps that can be followed to make migrating workflows into the digital realm a much more achievable task. With careful planning and a methodical approach, organizations can quickly realize some significant operational benefits.
Key steps to follow to achieve efficient and effective digital workflows include:
1. Do an audit
Before making any changes or deploying technologies, take the time to review all workflows currently in use in your organization. Determine which ones need to be modified to be more effective and which ones can potentially be scrapped altogether.
2. Consult the staff
There is no one with a better insight into the state of workflows than those who use them every day. Consult with employees about the effectiveness of work procedures and how they can be improved.
3. Prioritize work
Once all workflows have been identified, rank them according to priority and importance to the organization. It makes no sense to invest money in digitizing workflows that are rarely used, while leaving the critical ones to wait.
4. Choose the appropriate technology
With more and more digital workflows and automation tools on the market, it’s worth considering a range of options to determine which will be the best fit. Work with a trusted technology partner to ensure assessments are rigorous.
Further reading: Improve business processes with a workflow automation platform.
5. Perform the deployment
Start with the workflows that are considered most important, deploy the chosen technologies. By starting with a single workflow, the impact can be carefully measured before moving on to others. This ensures that there is no widespread disruption to day-to-day work.
6. Start the portal
Once a number of workflows have been digitized, create an online portal through which employees can access them. A unified interface will make adoption easier and ensure access for all who need it.
7. Conduct user training
To get the maximum benefits from digitizing workflows and automating processes, it’s important that users are familiar with and comfortable with their operations. Conduct regular training to ensure required skills.
8. Enable mobile access
Additional efficiencies can be expected when users can access workflows from their mobile devices. This is especially important during blocking and well worth the effort to achieve.
9. Consider automation
Workflows and processes can be further improved by adding automation tools. This can relieve employees from having to perform tedious, repetitive tasks and simplify operations. It is important to examine existing processes and determine where automation can be used. Remember that there is no point in investing in automating a process that is not really required or has become very inefficient.
By following these steps, an organization can successfully digitize and automate workflows in a move that will deliver significant business benefits. Everything from financial workflows such as invoicing and payments to leave requests and overtime approvals can run much more efficiently, saving time and money.
The organizations that will thrive in the future will be those that have taken the time and invested in digitizing and automating workflows. Consider how these techniques could apply to your company today.
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