What is workflow automation and its benefits?

Streamline operations by using workflow automation for manual tasks.

Manual data entry is often regarded as one of the most tedious and inefficient tasks in the business world. Between document workflow and workflow automation, having good workflow practices in place can transform the way you do business. Efficiency is key to success, and workflow automation is a modern solution that simplifies business processes and boosts productivity.

Is your business ready to explore workflow automation? Check out the following guidelines to get started.

What is workflow automation?

Workflow automation lets software take care of manual tasks, like data entry, instead of people. This process frees up employees, bosses, and even customers to spend more time on what’s important, such as:

• Building relationships
• Problem-solving
• Critical analysis

What is an example of workflow automation?

Let’s consider a customer service department that receives a significant number of emails daily. Without automation, employees must manually sift through these emails, determining the appropriate recipient. However, with workflow automation, specialized software can categorize incoming emails based on content and sender and automatically direct them to the relevant team member for a prompt response.

Benefits of workflow automation for business.

Between saving time to saving money, workflow automation provides many benefits for your business.

Automated workflows save time.

Most businesses that implement workflow automation love it for two reasons: It saves time and money. Let’s cover the first benefit here. Think about your day-to-day tasks: You probably encounter a lot of repetition. For example, maybe you have to:

• Send numerous emails
• Perform a high volume of data entry
• Manage many recurring notifications and alerts

If you don’t have to handle these tasks, your employees probably do. Luckily, workflow automation eliminates these extra tasks for you and/or your team — this time savings makes room for more important work that needs direct human attention.

Workflow automation saves money.

You’re probably familiar with the old saying, “Time is money.” It remains true today: Human employees are an expensive component of your business. Salaries, benefits, and bonuses typically represent one of the largest business expenses.

But workflow automation, on the other hand, isn’t expensive. It actually saves employees time, thus saving the business money. In addition, digital workflows also reduce or cut out entirely costs from paper, printer ink, and other tangible business supplies. For example, the State of Hawaii saved $5 million in just over two years by switching from signing physical hard copies to a digital workflow. They also saved 24,000 pieces of paper each day.

Teams that benefit from workflow automation.

Many different teams in various departments can benefit from workflow automation. Sales teams can use it to manage leads more efficiently, while HR departments can automate tasks like onboarding new employees and managing payroll. Marketing teams can automate tasks such as scheduling campaigns and managing social media. Any team dealing with repetitive tasks or complex processes can save time and improve productivity with workflow automation.

Explore how you can use Adobe Acrobat solutions, such as creating electronic signatures and PDF files, to automate business tasks.