A - Automation in Workflow Management

No matter how many companies I’ve worked with, one theme seems to sneak into nearly every conversation about business processes. Over the past decade, this theme has had many flavors - from “email” to “paper” to “rekeying.” But it all boils down to one common thread: a lack of automation in core business processes.

Business Process Automation (BPA) is more than just a buzzword. It delivers real, tangible benefits like increased efficiency, enhanced productivity, fewer errors, and improved consistency. However, not every process is an ideal candidate for automation. At HI&I, we combine expertise in Lean Six Sigma and the BPM CBOK with best practices for planning and executing BPA projects to ensure success.

What Is (and Isn’t) Automation?

Ask ten professionals to define "automation," and you’ll likely get ten wildly different answers. My favorite? “Email approvals.” Sure, rules and forwarding can technically count as automation, but email is one of the most cumbersome and inefficient tools for business process automation. Why? It often involves rekeying data, manual follow-ups, and a minefield of folders and categories that only make sense to one person. Plus, there’s a significant risk of human error and lost information.

Another runner-up definition is the trusty fillable PDF or consolidated spreadsheet. While these tools are great for capturing data, they fall short when it comes to process control, error reduction, and maintaining data integrity.

True BPA is about leveraging technology to handle tasks that were once manual, allowing humans to focus on more complex or nuanced decision-making. At HI&I, we use Nutrient Workflow Automation to streamline these processes. It’s about speeding up repetitive tasks and creating consistency, control, and continuous improvement through automation.

The Many Benefits of BPA

When done right, BPA can transform how organizations operate. Here are just a few of the advantages:

• Transparency, Accountability, and Security: For public companies and government contractors, automation offers a clearer view of processes. Data tracking improves transparency, which fosters accountability and can even help prevent fraud. Knowing every action is recorded makes people think twice about cutting corners.

• Cost Savings: Repetitive manual tasks are boring - and EXPENSIVE. Automating them saves time, money, and resources.

• Time Savings: By automating repetitive tasks, teams gain more time for high-value activities like decision-making, problem-solving, brainstorming, and strengthening customer relationships.

• Process Standardization: Training employees to follow identical processes across multiple departments, locations, or organizations can feel impossible. BPA solves this by ensuring standardized results regardless of geography or team.

• Consistency Over Time: Unlike manual processes, which can fluctuate day-to-day or person-to-person, automated workflows deliver steady results. BPA also allows for controlled timing, ensuring due dates, escalation points, and follow-ups happen without fail.

• Fewer Errors: Humans are wonderfully creative, but we’re also prone to mistakes - especially when it comes to repetitive tasks. Automation reduces the margin for error and enhances process reliability.

• Improved Data Tracking: Automation software excels at recording every detail - who did what, when, and why. Tools like Workflow Automation capture these moments, enabling detailed audits, KPI tracking, analytics, and actionable insights. This unlocks new levels of performance and compliance.

Automation is a strategy for evolving your business. Whether you’re looking to reduce errors, improve efficiency, or enhance accountability, BPA offers endless opportunities for growth. At HI&I, we’re here to guide you through the journey, helping you find the right processes to automate and setting you up for long-term success.

-Marty Herbert (marty@herbertinsights.com)