Michael Goshka, CEO of Planfix, a SaaS platform that cuts costs, reduces errors and automates workflows for smarter business operations.
Every company—whether a startup or a large corporation—eventually hits a wall trying to manage a growing volume of tasks. After a while, teams get overwhelmed, miss customer inquiries or waste hours on repetitive, manual tasks.
We all strive to work faster, smarter and more flexibly, but limited resources like time, money and workforces can make it feel impossible to overcome. Yet, there is a solution: automating business processes. This approach can simplify your team’s work, minimize errors and allow everyone to focus on what truly matters. This article will explore how automation can benefit your company while offering insights into which tools can help you.
The Many Opportunities With Automation
Automation isn’t just a buzzword—it’s a tool for improving efficiency and quality. I urge leaders to recognize that automation offers a significant impact:
• Reducing errors, especially in repetitive tasks where humans can quickly lose track.
• Helping ensure employees complete tasks consistently and to a high standard, improving overall quality.
• Completing processes such as scripts and algorithms much faster than humans, which can help companies achieve their goals faster.
• Eliminating redundant processes with streamlined workflows, allowing employees to focus on high-value tasks.
• Lowering overhead costs without compromising productivity with optimized processes.
Tools That Simplify Automation
The market for automation tools is expanding rapidly, offering a range of solutions. Here are some practical tools to consider:
Business Management Systems
Business management platforms help companies manage tasks, projects, and team communication in one place, with features like automated task creation that replace sticky notes and reduce reliance on memory. I once watched a company manager miss a vital deadline simply because he had forgotten it. Automated reminders can make incidents like that a problem of the past.
Workflow Automation
Automating interactions with customers and colleagues through order forms or email workflows can save hours of manual work. Feedback forms can automatically assign requests to the right team member rather than just letting them pile up in a shared inbox.
Electronic Document Management
If piles of paper are still cluttering your desk, it’s time to change. Switching to electronic document management makes finding, approving and filing essential files more straightforward. One construction company I worked with reduced contract signing time from several days to just one hour after moving to digital agreements.
Artificial Intelligence (AI)
AI is more accessible than ever. According to a McKinsey survey, the adoption of AI in businesses jumped to 72% in 2023, improving operational efficiency. And it’s more than a gimmick—it offers companies robust data analysis, decision-making and reporting tools. In marketing, for example, AI can help firms segment target groups, allowing them to achieve better results with less effort.
Automated Chats And Bots
Chatbots help process FAQs, take orders and even schedule consultations, reducing employees’ time interacting with customers while providing a quality service experience.
Real-World Examples Of Automation In Action
Automation can streamline almost any business process. Here are just a few examples of successful automation projects in action:
Automated Help Desk
In an IT company, all requests previously landed in a shared inbox, requiring manual sorting by technical specialists and managers. With an automated distribution system, technical issues were forwarded to IT team, while general questions were sent to managers, greatly streamlining processes and reducing response times.
Marketing Automation
A marketing agency wanted to simplify its social media post-planning process. Until now, managers have had to spend hours posting content and tracking engagement. Fortunately, the agency saved tons of time by implementing a tool for automated posting and reporting.
Automation Of HR Processes
An HR department spent too much time manually managing documents and tracking vacations. Automation allowed employees to access personal dashboards where they could submit requests, monitor vacation days and download pay slips independently.
Electronic Document Management
For one construction company, the chaos of relying on paper-based processes led to significant delays in approving contracts, invoices and reports. Switching to an electronic document management system allowed them to create documents from templates automatically, route them to the right people for approval, and send reminders about deadlines.
Order Processing Automation
A home appliance retailer was experiencing order processing delays due to constant manual data entry errors. Automating the workflow sent orders to the warehouse automatically and gave customers instant delivery status updates, eliminating mistakes and making delivery times more predictable, significantly improving customer satisfaction.
Automation is no longer a luxury—it’s necessary for companies that want to grow and remain competitive.
Checklist For Leaders: How To Implement Automation Effectively
Automation and AI offer enormous opportunities for companies. But where should you start to maximize the benefits while keeping costs low? Here are a few tips to help leaders succeed.
1. Analyze business processes before automating.
Before you start automating, examine your current business processes closely. Identify the key areas that need to be optimized and focus on repetitive tasks, such as processing customer requests or generating reports. Remember: Automation should solve real problems, not be a faddish experiment.
2. Involve your team in the transition.
Supporting your team is crucial for successful automation. Provide training, demonstrate the benefits of the new tools, and offer opportunities for feedback. Show your team how automation reduces routine tasks and frees time for more strategic work.
3. Start small and avoid overcomplication.
Automation is meant to simplify, not complicate. Begin with straightforward projects to test solutions and tailor them to your company’s needs. Develop a clear change management plan to minimize risks and optimize implementation.
For instance, you could start by automating customer request processing. Set up a workflow where inquiries are automatically assigned to the right team member, eliminating delays in task distribution, speeding up response times, and improving customer satisfaction. Even a small step like this can showcase the benefits of automation to your team and prepare them for more significant changes.
Automation is no longer a luxury—it’s necessary for companies that want to grow and remain competitive. Companies can focus on strategic goals and innovation by freeing their teams from repetitive, manual work.
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