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HOW TO AUTOMATE YOUR BUSINESS FOR MORE PROFIT & EFFICIENCY
by Nik Ellis of Swiftcase
Have you ever wished your business could be more automated ? A more profitable , efficient & creative team unhindered by time wasted on paperwork and data entry ?
There are plenty of stories of companies breaking through due to clever software , from internet giants to local businesses taking advantage of the digital world - the fourth industrial revolution .
That ’ s great for companies with enormous resources & digital capabilities or even a founder with excellent tech skills , but what about the average UK small business ?
We take a look at the problems preventing SMEs from making the leap and taking advantage of digital innovation in their business :
Legacy Systems We ’ ve all experienced that dinosaur bit of software that the company bought years ago & has been patched & botched . Everyone in the company uses it , and replacing it would be a nightmare . However , modern automation platforms can connect with your legacy system , running parallel with your existing processes and enhancing with new technology . As a business becomes more confident , it can migrate more operations and realise the advantages , abandoning the old software when comfortable .
Industry Specific Software Many firms pull data from platforms designed exclusively for their industry and may fill a gap as a management tool . However , many of these applications force businesses to fit operations around them rather than the other way round . Modern automation platforms offer industry-standard links called APIs , which traffic data between different software applications , reducing copy-and-paste and data export / import . When you connect API integration with intelligent automation that can follow algorithms ( or rules ), you can enhance the efficiency of processing industry information . If a human can do it , automation can follow the same rules & do it much quicker . So the industry-specific software can be integrated plus typically a whole raft of other business software . There are very few industries to which this does not apply .
Failure Worries “ But , what if it goes wrong ?” Simple . Build that into the system just like you would with staff . What would you advise your staff to do if something goes wrong with a service or product ? If you can tell your team , you can use automation .
Here ’ s an example workflow : “ When this part arrives in stock , text the customer to prompt them to use our booking-in table .”
But what happens if the part is late ? “ Text the customer to tell them a revised expected date ”.
What happens if the customer hasn ’ t booked ? “ Send a reminder to the customer after 24 hours , then after 72 hours , and if still no booking after a week , advise the order is cancelled & return parts to the factory .”
The system will ‘ do this until that ’ and can expand indefinitely . Many systems assert a level of competency powered by artificial intelligence to help with smart choices . Human intervention is naturally possible at any stage , whether quality control , customer relations or manager involvement .
Is It Worth It ? In the not-so-distant past , software companies were charging tens or hundreds of thousands to develop platforms specific to a business . Now , many systems are available ‘ off-the-shelf ’, ready to go with only a little setup . Most charge a fixed monthly fee , often per user , typically £ 30 - 50 per user , although always check for hidden costs . Funding may be available for UK SMEs . For example , the Government currently funds 50 % of approved software costs ; search Help To Grow Digital .
Automation exaggerates an existing process . If your current approach is efficient , adding automation will accelerate your business and improve profitability . Choosing a system that allows you to experiment with your workflow without needing expensive developers puts your team in the driving seat to push your efficiency further .
Where to start ? It might seem like a mammoth task to digitise a business , possibly one of the most significant transformations . However , digital transformation is a well-trodden path , and excellent guidance is available from those who have done it many times before and learned all the lessons .
Most software allows you to start slowly with the easier processes and gradually build & revise as you become comfortable & trust the system . Many are no-code , meaning only modest IT skills are required to manipulate them . The benefits of digitising a business with automation are immense . We ’ ve discussed briefly how efficiency and thus profitability is dramatically improved , but other advantages include increased customer service , more detailed management information & the ability to scale rapidly .
It ’ s no wonder automation now sits behind every successful business .
Visit www . swiftcase . co . uk - A small step towards a giant leap for your business .
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