Automation has become increasingly common in the business world, and for good reason. It's one of the key ways to propel your business forward!
By automating repetitive and mundane tasks, businesses can save time and money, reduce errors, and improve productivity. Eventually, you may even get to a point where your business is able to run without you, which is the ultimate goal for many business owners.
But what does this mean for employees working in a business with automated processes? Is automation a threat to their employment?
Automation isn't a threat to jobs, but rather a tool to make work more efficient, effective and enjoyable. It can free up time for employees to focus on more important tasks that require creativity, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills.
One area where automation can be beneficial is in customer service. Many business owners are hesitant to implement automation in this area, as they're worried about losing that ‘human touch’. But what automation is actually doing is streamlining those lower level or background processes to allow you more time to foster great relationships with your clients.
What might automation in customer service look like? With the help of chatbots and other automated tools, businesses can provide faster and more efficient customer service for common client queries, freeing up employees to focus on more complex issues that require a human touch.
Automation can also be a game-changer when it comes to tasks like new staff induction. Having a manager do this could take up a significant amount of time. However, by automating this process (through video and written materials), it frees up the manager's time and allows new team members to go through the induction course at their own pace.
Not only does this save time, but it also reduces the risk of human error. If a manager is inducting each new team member personally, they may forget certain steps or not explain them in the same way each time. By automating the induction course, every team member is receiving the exact same information in the exact same way, ensuring consistency across the board.
Another area where automation can be helpful is in data entry and analysis. By identifying the existing apps or tools in your business that can communicate with each other and integrate in some way, you can avoid the hassle of manually entering data into multiple places.
For instance, when you onboard a new client or customer, you may need to enter their information into your sales tool, time tracking tool, project management tool, and so on. With automation, you can set up integrations between these tools so that the customer's information is automatically entered into all the necessary places. This can save your business a lot of time and effort, freeing up employees to focus on more meaningful work.
By striking the right balance between automation and human expertise, businesses can improve efficiency, productivity, and overall job satisfaction. Employees are freed up to focus on tasks that require creativity, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills.
New to automation or just don't know where to start? Our savvy team of virtual assistants are experts! Reach out to us today for a chat about how we can help you.
