To understand what Business Process Automation is, let us strip it down and start with the basics. Business processes are the set of related activities that produce a service or product. Everyday business processes can be ‘back-office’ such as purchasing office equipment; or ‘front-office’ such as processing an insurance claim. Many businesses are still handling their processes manually with spreadsheets, file folders, emails, and endless amounts of paper. These manually handled processes pose several disadvantages including human error, latency, increased costs, delays, dissatisfied customers, and wasted resources.

Business process automation (BPA) can be defined as the integration of applications, labor, software, and other office resources to streamline processes, contain costs as well as reduce errors and increase customer satisfaction. Historically, BPA software has been expensive, complicated, and isolated. Each department with a different process to automate could require separate, isolated software – increasing the cost and complexity. So, what is the solution?

Communications-based process automation (CBPA) is the next generation of process automation. Designed as a marriage between BPA and your phone system, CBPA is a single solution to multiple issues. CBPA can automate front- and back-office business processes, all within one software-based communication system. CBPA is built around a system that has a proven track record of technologies and techniques. CBPA creates a single platform for all your automation needs.

What can BPA do for an organization?
– Enable businesses to automate manual or poorly automated processes using flexible data structures and strong user interfaces.
– Manage tasks and interactions; link them together in one automated process.
– Intelligently route work and orchestrate entire business processes across the enterprise and beyond.
– Create complete business process workflows entirely within a single process automation engine.

What are some of the advantages to Communications-Based Process Automation (CBPA)?
– Employees can participate in work through the same interface they use to take /make phone calls.
– Because it is communications-based, the process management system knows who has certain skills, who is available, and how to reach them.
– CBPA generates hard ROI as process times, delivery costs, and human errors are reduced or eliminated.

A few real-world examples on the reduced-cost benefits of CBPA include:
– Reduce insurance claim processing time by eliminating lost papers, misplaced files, and papers left on the fax machine.
– Automation of sales lead distribution with follow-up to supervisor if no action is taken by the sales person.
– Hiring cost for new employees is reduced by work being automatically distributed to employees instead of them waiting on files to come across their desk.
– Managers have the ability to monitor pending transactions and their status for better customer relations.

Even more benefits of business process automation:
– Better customer service by utilizing well documented, systematic processes.
– More efficient organization with more expertise.
– Greater ability to withstand employee turnover & temporary unavailability.
– Greater visibility into key business processes and what it cost to run them.

CBPA is your Deliberately Different approach to business process automation. Visit www.avds.com for more information or to see a demo.

Author Bio: Sharon Moon is the President of Automated Voice & Data Solutions. She launched AVDS to pioneer revolutionary technology for businesses by implementing next-generation software-based telecommunication solutions. http://avds.com/Home/ http://avds.com/solutions/ http://avds.com/Demo/

Category: Business
Keywords: business process automation, communications based process automation, process automation, AVDS