The word automation is mentioned often in business and marketing, and many organizations have a decent understanding of what it is. However, there are still many business professionals that are making no moves toward it. Some argue that building automation systems will take time and money. Initially, that is the case.
To build and put automation systems in place, organizations will need to invest time and other resources. These resources, though, are small costs compared to the advantages of building automation systems, some of which are mentioned below.
· Automate Redundant Task
In companies that do not build automation systems, a significant amount of time is spent on redundant and menial tasks. For instance, sorting emails, responding to emails, payroll, and bill paying can all be automated. However, many companies still spend the time to complete these tasks manually. Automating these tasks would save a lot of company resources.
· Improve Efficiency
Automated systems can decrease the amount of time spent on tasks. In fact, what might take human several hours to complete might take seconds when the task is automated. Using the example above, sorting emails requires much less time from an automated system than it does a human.
· Reduce Errors
The simple truth is that when humans are involved, human error is present. For instance, humans handling payroll might lead to a miscalculation of hours, inputting the incorrect account information on a paycheck, or other costly mistakes. Automation technology can reduce, and possibly eliminate these errors.
· Reduce Costs
A big advantage of building automation systems is reduced costs. These systems decrease the need for labor, improve efficiency, and reduce errors. Lower labor hours can cut a company’s costs tremendously. As errors cost companies money, it is a legitimate assumption that reducing those errors will also reduce costs. Reducing costs is a goal for most businesses, so building automation systems can help companies reach goals.
· Increase Creativity
When employees are not spending time on mundane tasks, they can be much more creative. They can focus their mental energy on solving problems, improving current systems and programs, creating new ways to engage clients, and much more. For instance, spending less time sending out email campaigns and email responses opens more time for the employee to create successful campaigns. Another example is that if payroll is automated, human resources can spend more time focusing on employee satisfaction and engagement to increase creativity.
· Increase Consistency and Brand Awareness
Marketing automation systems can post to blogs and social media platforms on a regular basis. Consistency not only improves a brand’s reputation, but it also increases brand awareness as the brand in front of people more often. With social platforms such as Twitter and Pinterest being posted on so frequently, posts do not stay at the top for long. A human would have to spend too much time posting enough to be seen. Automating is the most consistent and efficient way to build and maintain an online presence.
· Improve Customer Experience
Automating email, chat sessions, and other customer interactions can make a customer feel more valued. For instance, if a customer logs into a company’s chatbox but is stuck waiting for a long period of time for a human, they may not feel as though the company values their business.
However, automating chat sessions would provide immediate support for the customer. In some cases, it may even prevent the need for a human to chat, further reducing costs. Additionally, doing things such as automated emails to be sent on a client’s birthday or anniversary is a great way to show that you do value them.
Automation systems can save an organization a great deal of time and resources. Consider your own organization. What tasks take too long to complete? Which ones do not need a human to be present? What could your employees do with the time saved?
Gather leadership in your organization’s departments to decide which tasks you would like to automate and decide on the types of automation systems you will need as a team.
