Top 10 Automation Software for Improving Business Outcomes
Key takeaways
- Business automation software are technological applications that perform repetitive tasks, thereby, freeing up employees for more productive work.
- Basic automation, process automation, advanced automation, intelligent automation, etc. are some of the types of business automation.
- BPA vs. RPA vs. BPM – BPA is the automation umbrella that covers all types of automation systems. RPA uses software to automate specific repetitive tasks. BPM is a collaboration between business and IT teams for modeling, analyzing, and optimizing end-to-end business processes, which helps businesses meet strategic goals.
- Automation saves time, improves productivity, increases consistency, and reduces human-induced errors.
Business automation has touched almost every industry – from manufacturing industry lines to healthcare systems to financial institutions. The capabilities that automation software brings to businesses are further enhanced by artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies.
Intelligent automation is changing the way machines and humans interact with each other. Using the best automation software for your business improves operational efficiency, drives ROIs, and helps gain a competitive edge. This article explores automation in detail and includes tips on choosing the best automation platform for your organization from the best automation tools in the market.
Table of Contents
What is Business Automation Software?
Business automation software is a term used to describe technology applications that perform repetitive tasks, thereby, freeing up employees for more productive work. Automation platforms include business process automation (BPA), robotic automation, and Intelligent automation. During the initial stages of automation, massive mainframes that were operated and maintained by a team of experts were needed. Now, cloud-based automation software has brought automation within the reach of companies of all types and scales. Automation software solutions and workflow automation software solutions are comprehensive tools designed to streamline business operations and improve efficiency. Scalability is a core feature of automation software infrastructure and design, making it adaptable to businesses of varying sizes and needs. Ongoing performance monitoring and periodic evaluations are key to automation success, ensuring that the implemented solutions continue to deliver optimal results.
A business automation platform systematically replaces repetitive manual effort with intuitive rules-driven automation, real-time analytics, and open collaboration. The automation capabilities of modern platforms include integration with advanced ai tools to enhance document processing and decision-making. BPA technology enables standardization and streamlining of business processes that employees handle. Additionally, automation enhances compliance by ensuring processes follow industry regulations and internal policies, reducing the risk of errors and non-compliance.
For example: Onboarding new hires is made up of several steps that are repetitive and require low levels of intelligence. These processes can be effectively automated by automation tools, with task automation and the ability to automate tasks significantly improving operational efficiency and accelerating the onboarding process. This improves operational efficiency and accelerates the onboarding process. Automating repetitive processes ensures a level of accuracy that is hard to attain with human execution, further enhancing the reliability of the onboarding workflow.
How do you make out which process is a prime case for automation?
• Processes that require high levels of consistency throughout the organization
• Processes that are repetitive and require low intelligence efforts
• Processes that require high accuracy and speed levels
Investing in automation software speeds up the workflow and improves the productivity and efficiency of the process. These solutions support a wide range of business applications across departments. Automation software platforms help create workflows that automate mundane and repetitive tasks.
Need for Automation
Automation of business processes has grown into a necessity from a good have. Automating business processes may be intimidating at first, but a well-planned and implemented process can increase your business efficiency and save time. Another key benefit of automation software is cost savings, as it helps reduce expenses by minimizing errors and streamlining resources. Automation provides significant long-term cost savings and a strong return on investment (ROI). Using automation software like Cflow simplifies and streamlines the automation process. Irrespective of the BPA software you choose, the following advantages are provided for your business:
- Reduces the need for manual intervention, decreasing errors and improving efficiency.
To maximize these benefits, it is essential to have a clear automation strategy that guides the planning and implementation of your automation initiatives.
Saves Time
Automating repetitive, labor-intensive tasks frees up time for the employees so that they can focus on more important tasks.
Improve Productivity
Automated tasks run on their set schedule, this means that employees need not worry about follow-ups or missed tasks.
Increases Consistency
Automation ensures that tasks are streamlined and run smoothly without any hiccups or missteps.
Minimizes Human Error
A high level of human error causes many missed opportunities and errors in data updates. Automating data-based activities and labor-intensive, mundane tasks brings down the error margin and improves accuracy. The transactional errors committed by humans can be reduced via automation.
Empowers The Workforce
When mundane admin tasks are taken care of by automation software, employees get time to focus on more strategic activities. Employees feel more valued when they work on meaningful tasks. Employee engagement and productivity improve considerably through automation.
Improves Customer Experience
Automation streamlines business processes by removing redundant steps and ensuring optimal use of resources. Streamlined and standardized processes improve process outcomes and, eventually the customer experience. For instance, adopting a paperless school model is one way educational institutions can leverage automation and digital tools to enhance efficiency and the overall experience.
Understand Customer Behavior
The right automation software can provide an accurate read on the behavior of customers. Knowing customer behavior also helps predict which products might become in demand in the future. Businesses can ensure that they have enough inventory on hand to meet customers’ demands. AI assistants and chatbots improve customer support by automating common queries, enabling faster and more efficient responses to customer needs.
Gathering Business Data
The information collected from automated workflows helps refine customer interactions. Better customer interactions translate to more sales, improved customer satisfaction, and optimal usage of resources.
Types of Automation
Basic Automation
Basic automation takes up the automation of simple, rudimentary tasks that are time-consuming and labor-intensive. Often, this involves setting up simple workflows that can be quickly implemented to handle routine tasks with minimal effort. This type of automation uses very little or no coding and basic automation tools to digitize repetitive tasks. These tools help eliminate errors and accelerate the pace of transactional work. Examples of basic automation are business process management (BPM) and robotic process automation (RPA).
Process automation
This type of automation brings uniformity and transparency into business processes. Process automation software often integrates with other tools to streamline workflows and enhance overall efficiency. Process automation requires dedicated software for automating steps in the process workflow. The use of process automation software increases productivity and efficiency and delivers useful business insights. Effective automation software includes workflow automation tools, Robotic Process Automation (RPA) platforms, and integrated suites, offering a comprehensive approach to process optimization.
Advanced automation
Advanced automation combines human effort with the machine working into an integrated system. Advanced automation solutions often include development tools and support customizable workflows to meet unique business requirements. Multiple integrated systems are used across organizations to automate key processes. Advanced automation systems for complex processes require unstructured data coupled with machine learning, natural language processing, and analysis. This type of automation promotes knowledge management and decision support for specialized processes.
Intelligent automation
Intelligent automation is an automation system that is driven by artificial intelligence. Using AI enables machines to learn and make decisions based on situations that they have encountered and analyzed. An example of intelligent automation is the use of virtual assistants in customer service. These assistants enable smarter and quicker interactions between customers and human agents. Such interactions help in improving customer engagement and experience.
Enterprise-wide intelligent automation
Refers to the pervasive use of intelligent automation across the enterprise. This capability extends beyond the technologies in use to the breadth of their applications, which extends to the use of intelligent automation in transforming the way work is executed in the workplace.
BPA versus RPA versus BPM
We have discussed what automation is all about, and the different types of automation. To choose the one right for your business, you need to understand the difference between the types of automation. Process automation or BPA is the automation umbrella that covers all types of automation systems.
Robotic process automation (RPA) uses software to automate specific repetitive tasks. RPA is exclusively for mimicking repetitive steps that humans take, like copying and pasting data into a field. BPA tends to handle more complex tasks than RPA. Typically, the end user can train and deploy RPA bots without the need for development skills. RPA uses software programs, often referred to as ‘bots’, to perform repetitive, rule-based digital tasks at high volume and speed, making it an efficient solution for handling large-scale operations.
Most of the RPA solutions are easily installed pre-built software tools that run on top of existing systems without the need to connect to databases or access application programming interfaces (APIs). BPA solutions on the other hand are customized for a specific organization and integrated into data systems or connected to APIs. Both BPA and RPA can use AI and ML technologies to interpret unstructured data like images, emails, and audio files to provide a personalized user experience. In both BPA and RPA, predefined rules and business logic are used to trigger and execute automated tasks, ensuring that the right actions are taken based on specific conditions and requirements.
Business process management (BPM) is a collaboration between business and IT teams for modeling, analyzing, and optimizing end-to-end business processes, which helps businesses meet strategic goals. BPM is a continuous process that leads to improvement over time. Workflow automations can be implemented within BPM and BPA to streamline tasks, reduce manual effort, and improve process efficiencies across departments.
The end goal of BPM and BPA is to improve tasks and processes that are repetitive, ongoing, and predictable. Both of them aim to improve efficiency and reduce costs. Although the end goal is the same for BPA and BPM, the methods to achieve the goals vary.
BPM takes a wise view of the organization, while BPA aims at improving specific processes. When we apply BPA within a BPM practice, it can continuously track and improve process efficiencies. It is not always necessary that BPM and BPA should work together, both these systems can work as stand-alone initiatives that impact business productivity and efficiency positively.
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| Aspect | RPA Robotic Process Automation | BPA Business Process Automation | BPM Business Process Management |
|---|---|---|---|
| Definition | Automates repetitive, rule-based digital tasks using software bots. | Automates complete business processes from start to finish. | Discipline for modeling, analyzing, and improving end-to-end processes. |
| Scope | Focused on individual tasks or steps. | Focused on specific workflows and operations. | Organization-wide, across multiple processes and departments. |
| Primary Focus | Replace manual, repetitive actions (e.g., copy–paste, form filling). | Streamline and automate how a process flows between people and systems. | Continuously optimize how processes support business goals. |
| Complexity | Low to medium – simple, rule-based tasks. | Medium to high – handles more complex, data-driven processes. | Strategic and high-level – process design, monitoring, and governance. |
| Integration | Runs on top of existing systems with limited integration; usually no direct API or DB access. | Integrated with databases and APIs; tailored to the organization. | Defines how processes and systems should work together across the business. |
| Customization | Pre-built tools with limited customization. | Highly customizable to specific business processes. | Highly configurable process models and rules. |
| Who Uses It | Business users can often configure and deploy bots with minimal IT help. | Business and IT teams collaborate to design and maintain automations. | Business and IT teams work together on process design and improvement. |
| Use of AI / ML | Some tools use AI/ML to handle unstructured inputs. | Can leverage AI/ML to interpret images, emails, and other unstructured data. | Uses data and analytics to monitor performance and guide improvements. |
| Best For | High-volume, repetitive tasks like data entry and screen-based operations. | Approvals, onboarding, order processing, and other cross-functional workflows. | Continuous improvement of key business processes and KPIs. |
| Main Goal | Reduce manual effort on repetitive tasks. | Automate and standardize operational processes to improve efficiency and reduce costs. | Align processes with strategy and drive ongoing performance improvement. |
Components of Automation Software
The main focus of automation software is to streamline and standardize business processes. The main components of automation software are described below:
1. Intelligent rules engine – A workflow engine or a rules engine is the central component of the automation software. This is an application that runs with an automation system that makes automated decisions based on preset rules. Rule-based decisions involve transitioning to a specific path, task, or action in a workflow decision. Certain triggers enable these automated decisions. For example, companies can establish workflows that execute functions like automatically assigning tasks to team members or saving a document to a specific folder, ensuring that the right person is responsible for each step in the process.
2. Real-time analytics – Automation software measures and stores business metrics in a relational database. Reports and information can be displayed in real time and scheduled for distribution when users need them. Visual reports and dashboards paint a complete picture of the process that users can easily access and share across the organization. The reports and dashboard can be used to follow team progress against Service Level Agreements (SLAs) and use business scoreboards to track the overall efficiency of business processes to drive improvements.
3. People – Even most automated business processes require human involvement and collaboration at various stages of the process workflow. While smart rules, bots, and intelligent tools can help make business workflows more efficient, people working on the process need tools that allow them to collaborate and find answers to critical questions.
Modern automation software offers robust capabilities to handle complex business requirements, providing comprehensive and scalable solutions for diverse organizational needs.
Choosing the Right Automation Software
Choosing the best automation software requires careful consideration and evaluation of the features provided by the software. Over the past decade, automation platforms have seen explosive growth. While it is a fact that automation helps improve business outcomes, the next question is to choose the right automation software. Selecting an easy to use platform is crucial for successful adoption, as it ensures that users can quickly implement and manage automated processes. Automation software is usually easy to use; however technical assistance, training, customer success, documentation, and community engagement, remain standard—and helpful—support offerings across providers.
Some of the must-have features of automated business software are:
Easy to Use –
The software must have an easy-to-use interface that makes it easy for users to operate the automation tool. Complex user interfaces are an out of for users.
Cloud and on-prem support –
The automated software must support both cloud and on-premise operations.
Cost-effective pricing –
The automation software must provide complete value for the money invested in them.
Integrations –
The automation software must integrate seamlessly with other systems for hassle-free data exchange. Integration with existing tools is essential for seamless workflow automation, enabling organizations to leverage platforms like Nintex to enhance efficiency and reduce manual effort.
Customizable –
The workflow automation software must be customizable for various business functions. Customizable automation platforms empower business users to design and manage workflows without coding.
Mobile –
The software must be mobile-friendly so that businesses can stay updated from anywhere at any time.
End-to-end workflow automation
Build fully-customizable, no code process workflows in a jiffy.
Automation Success Stories
Real-world automation success stories offer powerful proof of how workflow automation software can transform business operations and drive digital transformation. By leveraging automation tools and platforms, organizations across industries have streamlined business processes, reduced manual effort, and achieved measurable improvements in operational efficiency.
For example, a marketing agency implemented workflow automation software to manage their marketing campaigns, resulting in a 30% increase in lead generation and a 25% reduction in manual effort. By automating repetitive tasks such as campaign scheduling, data entry, and report generation, the team was able to focus on creative strategy and optimize resource allocation for better results.
In another case, a human resources department adopted automation software to overhaul their employee onboarding process. By automating document collection, approvals, and task assignments, they reduced manual processes by 40% and saw a 30% boost in new hire satisfaction. This not only improved the onboarding experience but also freed up HR staff to focus on strategic initiatives and employee engagement.
Robotic process automation (RPA) has also delivered impressive results. One company used RPA to automate data entry and report generation, cutting manual errors by 50% and increasing productivity by 20%. By integrating RPA with their core systems, they ensured data integrity and robust security while eliminating bottlenecks in their business processes.
A business that implemented a customizable workflow automation platform was able to optimize resource allocation, reduce operational costs, and improve customer satisfaction by 15%. The platform’s seamless integration with other software solutions enabled the company to automate complex workflows across multiple systems, enhancing team communication and supporting real-time monitoring of key metrics.
AI-powered automation is another area where companies are seeing significant benefits. By using automation technology to analyze workflows and identify inefficiencies, one organization achieved a 10% reduction in costs and a 5% increase in revenue. The ability to track progress, generate valuable insights, and adapt workflows based on real-time data has become a game-changer for businesses seeking to stay competitive.
Top Automation Software for Small Businesses
automation software benefits businesses of all types and sizes. The features of the automation software must be aligned with the unique requirements of your business. Some of the business processes that can be effectively automated include Finance, IT, Procurement, Legal, Sales, HR, and Marketing. The best marketing automation software for small businesses enables the team to track, manage, and optimize their marketing efforts.
The best business automation tools in the market are listed below:
1. Cflow
A workflow automation software that can be customized according to the unique requirements of your business. From Finance to Procurement to HR, key business functions can be automated with . The visual form builder enables all employees to create workflows easily. Cflow is an AI-powered no-code workflow automation tool for businesses of any scale. Cflow can be integrated with over 1000 essential business tools via Zapier. Trusted by over 20,000 users across the globe, Cflow is your choice for no-code automation software. The free trial period of Cflow is for 14 days. Cflow plan prices are $7, $11, and $16 per month per user.
2. Asana
Asana is a leading project management platform designed to help teams plan, track, and manage work efficiently. It offers powerful in-app automation through Rules and integrates smoothly with popular tools such as Slack, Gmail, Google Drive, Microsoft Teams, and Zoom to create seamless workflows. Asana’s automation capabilities allow teams to automatically assign tasks, update statuses, send notifications, and trigger actions based on rules reducing manual effort and improving consistency. It enables better collaboration by providing real-time visibility into projects, responsibilities, and deadlines. Asana’s paid plans start at $10.99 per user per month (billed annually).
3. Hubspot
Hubspot is a popular tool that can automate email, creating, marketing, and executing sales funnel. It can also be used for streamlining customer service. The software is a compelling CRM platform that can automate multiple aspects of the user journey while tracking customer behavior. The visual editor in Hubspot helps you envision workflows in real-time, from complex to multi-stage journeys. This software is ideal for larger teams in larger businesses. Pricing starts at $800 per month and an enterprise-level client is charged $3200 per month.
4. Kissflow
This is a low-code work platform that provides a wide spectrum of powerful apps, processes, or case boards that are flexible and natively integrated. With Kissflow businesses and IT can co-create apps on a unified platform. The no-code drag-and-drop visual studio helps automate workflows easily and quickly. The same platform can be used for development, testing, and production. Kissflow provides robust reporting and analytics features that offer valuable insights and track performance, enabling businesses to make data-driven decisions. Kissflow offers 3 pricing plans: a small business plan at $10 per user per month, a corporate plan at $20 per user per month, and a customized Enterprise plan.
5. Zapier
This is an integration platform that enables the seamless exchange of data between online tools. Repetitive tasks can be automated by Zapier. It is a great way to speed up your workflow and connect apps that would otherwise function disparately. Pricing starts at $19.99 per month for 750 automation.
6. Mailchimp
This is the best platform to automate complex emails and newsletters. Mailchimp offers an intuitive and user-friendly platform with impressive automation features. It offers email segmentation features that categorize subscribers by location, or demographic characteristics. Pricing begins at a free version and goes up to $299 per month for the enterprise-level client.
Conclusion
The “Automation and Future of Work” by IBM reveals that automation supported by AI is expected to generate revenue to the tune of billions of dollars in labor value in 2022. Intelligent automation enables the entire organization to be “ON” constantly, and optimize the delivery of goods and services to provide seamless continuity in dynamic markets. Automation software like Cflow transforms the way your business operates. Automation Anywhere combines RPA with AI and machine learning for scalable automation, making it a powerful tool for businesses aiming to enhance efficiency and productivity. To explore the best automation software for your business, sign up for Cflow today.
