Why workflow automation is crucial for SMBs today

According to the Asia-Pacific Economic Corporation (APEC), small and medium-sized enterprises account for nearly 97 percent of all businesses. These SMEs employ the majority of the workforce in the APEC economies. Suffice it to say that SMEs are the engines of growth, and we cannot deny their immense contribution to GDP. However, it seems that increasing digitization has eluded most. Much of it still relies on outdated workflows and business processes. Imagine the level of productivity and growth they can achieve with workflow automation and streamlined processes!

Small business owners find themselves under constant pressure from low revenue streams, tight budgets, and limited resources. Regardless of the fact that the main objective of these companies is to reduce expenses and labor costs, they still find it incredibly difficult to deal with the initial cost of investing in this very result.

Workflow Automation areas for SMEs

Small businesses today face the threat of falling behind their competitors if they fail to automate routine processes. Today, technologies like enhanced computing power and robust networks are being developed on a massive scale. Now it has become more than easy for SMEs to implement automation solutions for their daily processes and manage numerous tasks among their workers.

Simply put, workflow automation solutions are no longer a luxury that only large organizations can take advantage of. Below are some of the most effective areas of automation that SMBs should consider as an investment for their future expansion and growth.

payroll solutions

Many small business payroll solutions simplify the process of automating payroll from scratch or automate the transition from another system. Employee payroll management is necessary for success. A payroll software solution from a trusted workflow management company will automate activities in areas such as:

• Execution of payroll

• Management of payroll taxes

• Compliance with existing payroll legislation and guidelines

Staying away from such a solution will only lead to more expense and a waste of time and resources that you can implement elsewhere. No wonder nearly 40 percent of SMBs consider tax and accounting the most time-consuming and frustrating parts of owning a business.

Payroll Automation Benefits

Many small business owners spend endless time managing employee scheduling to ensure they have sufficient coverage. Payroll systems offer features that make it easy to automate scheduling based on individual employee data. You can also integrate the software with systems that track workers’ paid time off, sick leave, and vacation days. Its effectiveness lies in the fact that the reporting functions are filtered down to each user.

The importance of reliable payroll software becomes more pronounced in certain scenarios. For example, you might be completely comfortable viewing data from employee reports, but still find workers with inquiries on payday.

Payroll automation is a comprehensive solution for SMEs, manageable from a mobile device. It allows owners to control things when they are on the go.

Automation to improve team collaboration

Teamwork is at the heart of any business. Fluid interaction between team members is essential for sustained success. Workflow automation solutions, like the project management dashboard, allow teams to monitor the progress of their work together. Many cloud-based solutions also work well with remote team members.

There is also scope to engage in more confidential activities such as signing contracts, discussing acquisitions, investments, and negotiations. Many software solutions can create “virtual data rooms” that protect sensitive information. Collaboration tools with such a role can manage features like access control and print permissions and impart granularity that lets you decide who can make changes.

marketing automation

Automating your workflow is perhaps the best technology practice you can implement to improve productivity. Going by recent trends, automation could be just what your organization needs to weather the productivity dip across the market.

With the dominance of online marketing, SMBs find themselves with no shortage of marketing options. Fortunately, the trend is complemented by an equal if not greater increase in the number of marketing automation options. Marketing automation gives marketers the ability to form one-to-one cross-channel journeys that deliver consistent and connected customer experiences. It involves providing the right content to the right customers at the right time, thus building their trust.

Customer Service Automation

Today, the customer is king. Fostering a bond with customers is a crucial priority for managers and their staff. At the same time, there is no escaping the fact that providing excellent customer service can be quite taxing on an SME’s limited resources.

The best way to achieve quality service is to simplify this function through a customer relationship management (CRM) solution. They collect and manage customer-related information and interaction. By leveraging such a solution for themselves, SMBs better align with customer needs and provide personalized recommendations based on the customer’s history with their organization.

As you can see, there is no end to the benefits that SMBs can reap from leveraging workflow automation. Improve collaboration, reduce overhead, increase productivity, and free your team to focus on innovation and creativity. However, it is wise not to view workflow automation as a silver bullet for all business concerns. You should think carefully every time you implement such a solution. Step back and take a moment to analyze your workflow and then find the solution that will help you manage it in the best possible way. Contact Ezofis to get all the benefits of workflow automation.

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