According to Beavercreek-based technology and business consulting solutions provider The Greentree Group, process automation is a powerful tool to level up a wide range of business capabilities.

“RPA uses specialized software to capture a sequence of human actions on the computer and then repeats them automatically,” said Pam Rigling, senior business advisor and RPA team leader at Greentree. “The benefit is creating digital assistance for employees so they can focus their talents on innovation, creativity and moving their company forward strategically.”

RPA has been implemented at an enterprise level in most Fortune 500 companies for the past decade. The return on investment is dramatic, and there are thousands of use cases. The number of software providers in the market has also increased, resulting in cost-effective solutions for any size business.

A 2021 study titled The State and Fate of Small and Medium Business, conducted by Xerox with Morning Consult, surveyed 1,200 business decision-makers from companies with 25-1,000 employees. In the study, leaders indicated digital transformation and automation have become top priorities in the post-pandemic world:

• 80% of survey respondents saw automating tasks and processes as important to their survival during the pandemic and moving forward.
• 82% strongly emphasized the importance of digitizing paperwork.
• Two-thirds planned on upgrading their automation tools.
• Three out of four observed an increased reliance on workflow solutions over their pre-pandemic setups.
• 65% have already upgraded their workflow solutions.

“Automation is an increasingly essential asset for any organization. Small businesses are now often competing on a global scale with the biggest companies in the world. Technology is an equalizer that can empower even sole proprietorships with the tools they need to compete and thrive,” said Rigling.

How can your business take advantage of process automation? Here are some important factors to consider when implementing RPA into any digital transformation plan.

• Think about your processes and workflows and carefully select which can be automated. It is important to choose the right processes to automate to ensure maximum benefit. Not every process can be automated. Some processes can be partially automated. When choosing a process, it’s important to evaluate potential return on investment.
• Process automation does not replace human workers. It’s best to think of RPA as providing digital assistance to valued staff. Automations can efficiently handle tasks most humans do not like doing, which frees them up for more forward-thinking activities and business development.
• Automations should be built and deployed by skilled developers and business consultants who create custom solutions in response to unique and specific business needs. RPA is not a plug-and-play solution; it requires continued maintenance and updating.