<img height="1" width="1" style="display:none" src="https://www.facebook.com/tr?id=349935452247528&amp;ev=PageView&amp;noscript=1">
Find out where you can get a Taste of TAB... our global events blast is on!
Search
word-map-thumb

The Alternative Board Blog

Automate Small Tasks and Stay Focused on the Big Picture

May. 23, 2019 | Posted by The Alternative Board
Phil 1.22

A sizable portion of business operations involves tasks that are repetitive, annoying to those charged with handling them, and fairly easy to automate. In case you’re wondering which tasks fall into this category, here’s a (by no means comprehensive) list:

  • Invoices, budgeting and taxes
  • Data backup
  • Social media updates
  • Email marketing
  • Expense requests
  • Document approvals
  • Inventory management
  • Inputting data into contracts
  • Event registration
  • Task assignments
  • Employee leave requests

Ask employees who are currently in charge of manually attending to these tasks, and chances are they’ll tell you these and similar tasks are mind-numbingly dull and time-consuming (not to mention a significant drag on morale and motivation).

Of course, you’ve hired these individuals to attend these tasks, so their response might not be what you want to hear. On the other hand, what if you have other, more pressing and strategic projects and initiatives where these employees might be more useful to business operations? This could prove to be a much more efficient use of time, money, and resources on behalf of your organization.

Look for Other Ways to Maximize Efficiency

What about all the tasks involved in the sales process? Automated sales technology is available to handle tiresome sales-related tasks, starting with CRM systems that help nurture prospects, keep the pipeline moving forward, support timely communications with prospects, and compile data to aid in future sales endeavors.

Business cloud software also lends itself quite readily to automation. You can seamlessly integrate many third-party applications like those for payroll and customer support. Many accounting products, for example, combine accounting and digital invoicing in one process, helping businesses stay current with accounts receivable. They also provide timely reminders regarding unbilled time and deliver automated reminders to customers with outstanding invoices.

Want additional insight? Download Productivity Hacks for Business Owners 

DOWNLOAD

Yes, you’ve hired employees to handle these and other repetitive, time-consuming tasks. But what if you could leverage their skills and experience in more important areas? Business automation “helps minimize operational costs, freeing up personnel to perform higher-level tasks which add value to the company,” notes The Startup. Where relationships are important, automation can “enhance human interaction and decision-making, as well as create real-time transparency.”

Get Started (and Move Forward) with Business Automation

Here’s a quick look at steps to take to integrate automation into your key business processes:

Decide where to start.

Look at current tasks that consume vast quantities of time and might be easy to replicate through automation (like the tasks listed above). Don’t attempt to integrate automation into areas where creative thinking and collaboration are essential ingredients, such as graphic design, content marketing, and related processes.

Choose the right tools.

There’s an abundance of automation software tools out there to choose from. Depending on your strategies and objectives, seek out features specifically designed to address your needs. Also, be sure you select tools that can be easily integrated with your existing systems. If they don’t, you risk widescale disruption of the entire workflow process.

Train your team in the proper use of these new tools.

Automation only succeeds when employees use it properly. That requires some training to ensure competence and confidence in the use of this automation. Also, proper training helps employees see the value of automating processes and overcomes any internal resistance that might occur.

Think beyond today’s automation needs.

You’re looking for automation tools that address the needs and challenges your business faces today, but don’t stop there. What solutions are likely to work best in the future? The tools you select should have built-in flexibility to adapt to large-scale changes in the months and years ahead. Don’t go with tools that aren’t adaptable to the growth of your business.

Pay attention to security issues.

Introducing any new software inevitably requires addressing data security concerns. Work closely with the vendor to make sure the new system has built-in security features that protect against malicious hackers and attempted data breaches.

In today’s digital era, no business can hope to remain competitive without incorporating some business automation tools into its operations. The benefits far outweigh the cost and resources involved, so look for tools that most effectively address your needs and make them part of business processes ASAP.

Read our 19 Reasons You Need a Business Owner Advisory Board

DOWNLOAD

Written by The Alternative Board

Related posts

The Most Common Ethics Mistakes Made by Business Leaders
Mar. 20, 2024 | Posted by Lee Polevoi
Most business leaders regard themselves as ethical individuals, particularly when it comes to running a business that values integrity above all else. At the same time, even the most conscientious...
How to Build an Ethical Workplace Culture
Mar. 6, 2024 | Posted by Lee Polevoi
Most of us understand what it means to act in an ethical manner. CEOs and business owners frequently advocate a set of ethics by which to run their organizations, helping the workforce maintain a...
Unlearning Conformity: How to Overhaul Old Business Paradigms
Feb. 14, 2024 | Posted by The Alternative Board
Industry is evolving at a record pace, particularly in the post-pandemic era. While COVID lockdowns and shutdowns temporarily changed the way businesses operated and employees engaged, today’s...
Ay Yi Yi: The Fascinating World of AI
Jul. 12, 2023 | Posted by The Alternative Board
Artificial intelligence. What once felt wildly futuristic has suddenly become mainstream and is growing more ubiquitous by the minute. You are likely already interacting with AI, even if you are not...
3 Surprising Trends That Will Change the Way You Run Your Business
Feb. 9, 2023 | Posted by The Alternative Board
There has been a lot of talk lately about Artificial Intelligence and how it is poised to change how nearly every business owner runs and grows their company. And it’s already happening. The recent...
Ways to Handle Supply Chain Shortages
May. 17, 2022 | Posted by The Alternative Board TAB
You don’t need a crystal ball to see that supply chain disruptions are likely to continue for some time to come. As we are all becoming painfully aware, supply chain disruption “is a major factor ...
How to Achieve Business Success by Knowing Your Strengths and Weaknesses
May. 10, 2022 | Posted by Phil Spensieri
Over my years as a business coach, I’ve heard hundreds of stories about how and why my clients got into business. Each story differs, but one thing remains common: every one of them got into business...
Inflation Busters: 15 PAINLESS ways to Reduce Your Business Expenses
May. 5, 2022 | Posted by Joe Zente, TAB Austin
Inflation Busters: 15 PAINLESS ways to Reduce Your Business Expenses April 20th, 2022 “Frugality drives innovation, just like other constraints. One of the only ways to get out of a tight box is to...
Clamoring for Talent: 3 Ways To Improve Employee Retention
Apr. 29, 2022 | Posted by The Alternative Board
It is still a tough labor market out there. The Great Resignation and the dearth of eager job candidates are keeping business owners shorthanded and clamoring for new talent. In many cases, this...