Efficiency as a Competitive Advantage

Think about the daily activities that are the most frustrating and time-consuming for you and your team.

One of the things we hear about most often is the lack of access to information or people to make business decisions.

For example, you are hiring a new team member and the employee requisition needs two levels of approval. You complete the form and email it to your manager, or worse yet, print and deliver to him for approval. After a few days (at best), the form is approved and now requires the division or department leader’s approval. The paper shuffle and waiting game starts over.

Meanwhile, the workload of the role that’s being filled stacks up on the other team members, frustrating them and adding to their time demands, while they also have their own responsibilities to manage.

Here’s where the “efficiency factor” comes into play.

Imagine for a moment that the hiring process was as simple as completing a form and pushing a button (and not the print button!). The workflow process is automated and the necessary approvals happen in sequence and the form is managed in the same system. No printing or people chasing required.

Not only is the hiring process more efficient, but so is the ability to have the right person doing the job. When staffing and productivity levels are managed appropriately, the teams stay focused on their responsibilities. Product development is more efficient and better able to meet deadlines. Marketing is prepared to support product launch plans and deliver sales tools. Infrastructure teams are able to proactively manage systems. Efficiency… All because you automated one process that was previously many steps involving multiple people.

What does that do for your company’s ability to get to market faster? Spending more time focusing on your goals and hiring the right people more quickly to help achieve them. As each painful and time-consuming business process is automated, a new level of efficiency is achieved, preparing your company to increase your competitive advantage.

If you need some ideas for the best ways to get started, check out these business process automation case studies.

Image courtesy of David Castillo Dominici at FreeDigitalPhotos.net