Automating Business Processes and Optimizing Operational Costs for Swiss Enterprises
Auteur n°3 – Benjamin
Tags
Business application, Digital Transformation, Digitalization of businesses, task automation
Business Process Automation (BPA) has become a priority for many Swiss companies, seeking to streamline their operations, reduce costs, and increase overall efficiency. According to a recent study by consulting firm Deloitte, 69% of Chief Information Officers consider automation a major concern. In this article, we explore why and how business process automation can be particularly beneficial for companies in Switzerland, focusing on solutions tailored to their specific needs.
Understanding Business Process Automation (BPA)
Business Process Automation aims to robotize repetitive tasks, traditionally time-consuming, within a company’s operational processes. Its goal is to accomplish these tasks more quickly and without errors through technology. This approach provides significant relief to employees by relieving them of tedious tasks while improving the overall efficiency of the company.
Definition of Key Acronyms
DPA (Digital Process Automation): Refers to digitalized process automation.
BPA (Business Process Automation): Corresponds to automation of business processes.
BPM (Business Process Management): Represents the management of business processes.
RPA (Robotic Process Automation): Means robotic automation of processes.
Correlation between BPA and BPM
Business Process Management (BPM) is a strategic approach involving analysis, modeling, and optimization of processes. It is not software itself but guides the development of effective solutions.
In contrast, Business Process Automation (BPA) is operational and involves the use of applications designed to meet specific business needs. BPA encompasses all automations resulting from the BPM approach, thus ensuring practical and sustainable solutions.
Relationship between BPA and RPA
Robotic Process Automation (RPA) is a subset of BPA, focusing on the use of software robots, computer bots, and artificial intelligence to automate specific actions. In Switzerland, this could mean automated data export between CRM and ERP software, thus improving operational fluidity or implementing any IT system that automates certain information processing.
It is crucial to note that artificial intelligence is not always necessary in the context of RPA. Simpler solutions can bring significant improvements in operational efficiency.
{CTA_BANNER_BLOG_POST}
Advantages of Business Process Automation for Swiss Companies
1. Operational Optimization
By integrating automation to handle repetitive tasks, Swiss companies can bring significant optimization to their daily operations. This results in a substantial reduction in human errors, a notable acceleration of processing times, and an overall improvement in operational efficiency. By relieving employees of these tedious tasks, automation frees up valuable time that can be reallocated to higher value-added activities. Furthermore, implementing these solutions helps create a smoother and more responsive work environment, thus fostering better productivity within digitized companies and organizations.
2. Reduction of Operational Costs
By reducing dependence on human resources for manual tasks, Swiss companies can not only achieve substantial savings in operational costs but also unlock considerable financial potential. This approach promotes more efficient budget management while providing financial leeway for companies and organizations, thereby strengthening their resilience and ability to invest in key areas for long-term growth.
3. Regulatory Compliance
Business Process Automation in Switzerland goes beyond operational efficiency; it also represents an essential bulwark against the risks of non-compliance with strict Swiss regulations. It thus reduces legal risks and enhances the reputation of companies. Customized applications offer an agile solution, ensuring quick adaptation to regulatory changes and transparent traceability to meet compliance requirements.
4. Adaptability to Local Needs
Business Process Automation (BPA) solutions offer targeted adaptation to Swiss market requirements, thus enhancing their local relevance. This customization provides essential agility to quickly respond to market changes. By personalizing automated processes, Swiss companies remain competitive in a dynamic business environment.
By adopting automation of financial processes, Swiss companies can establish invoice management, payment, and financial reporting that transcends conventional standards. This approach goes beyond mere optimization, offering enhanced financial transparency and a higher level of regulatory compliance. This operational transformation thus goes to the heart of efficiency, accuracy, and financial governance, positioning companies to thrive.
Automated Human Resources Management
By opting for automation of human resources-related processes, companies can streamline crucial aspects such as leave management, performance evaluations, and payroll management. Moreover, it can establish a more agile and employee-centered organizational culture. This transformation goes beyond operational efficiency; it creates an environment where talent management becomes a strategic lever for growth and innovation. Thus, this evolution in human resources management offers Swiss companies a substantial competitive advantage in a dynamic and ever-changing labor market.
Customer Service Automation
By embracing customer service automation, companies can not only increase operational efficiency by automating ticket management, responses to common queries, and collection of customer feedback but also transform the overall customer experience. This transformation goes beyond reducing response times; it fosters deeper connectivity with customers, enhances customer satisfaction, and builds a reputation for service excellence. This evolution becomes a central element of differentiation strategy, positioning companies as customer satisfaction-focused leaders in an increasingly demanding Swiss commercial landscape.
Examples of Business Automations Developed by Our Teams for Our Clients
Designing custom software solutions to automate our clients’ processes is our specialty. Our multidisciplinary teams conceive, design, deploy, and maintain tailor-made business solutions that bring maximum value to our clients.
Investing in custom software creation is essential for Swiss companies looking to maximize the benefits of business process automation. Opting for a customized solution addresses the specific needs and unique challenges of each company.
First and foremost, this approach ensures a perfect fit with the company’s specific requirements. The inherent flexibility of custom solutions also allows for quick adaptation to changes in the Swiss market. Additionally, customization promotes an optimal user experience, increasing employee adoption of the new automated processes.
Optimizing Operational Efficiency: Workflow Automation Guide for Swiss Businesses
Auteur n°3 – Benjamin
Tags
custom business software, workflow, Workflow automation
At Edana, we observe this within our digital transformation engagements with our Swiss clients, ranging from SMEs to large enterprises seeking operational efficiency or effectiveness: automating workflows is a crucial aspect of a company’s development, especially in Switzerland, as it significantly enhances competitiveness on multiple fronts.
We also note that many business leaders struggle to navigate the various solutions available in the market, whether in terms of digital consulting, ready-to-use solutions, or custom business tool development. However, it is certain that there is a suitable solution for each practical case of workflow automation, and finding it is imperative for the success of a digital transformation project, where many other Swiss companies fail.
As experts in digital consulting and execution in Switzerland, providing tailored solutions, especially in software and application development for businesses, we have decided to create this practical guide to help local businesses get started in this area. It serves as an introduction to the subject. In this guide, we will explore the powerful lever that workflow automation represents, its key role in optimizing the operational efficiency of businesses, and most importantly, how it can be successfully implemented within a Swiss company, including a review of common pitfalls to avoid and the steps to take for a successful transition.
Understanding Workflow Automation
Workflow automation is much more than a simple application of technology. It is a strategic approach aimed at streamlining internal processes, eliminating repetitive tasks, and increasing productivity. In this section, we will detail the tangible benefits of automation, supported by concrete examples of solutions that enable companies to transform their operations through this innovative approach.
What is Workflow Automation?
At Edana, we typically distinguish four main aspects of workflow automation:
Process Streamlining: Workflow automation involves identifying, assessing, and streamlining an organization’s internal processes. This often includes reducing manual steps and simplifying procedures, enabling faster and more efficient task execution. Auditing work frameworks and task organization is imperative to ensure an optimal work architecture and identify existing optimization opportunities.
Elimination of Repetitive Tasks: It aims to eliminate repetitive and administrative tasks that can be automated. By freeing employees from these routine activities, the company promotes a more judicious use of their skills and time, contributing to increased job satisfaction by reducing the tediousness of tasks.
System Integration: Workflow automation often involves integrating different software systems within the company. This enables smooth communication between applications, eliminating information silos and improving data consistency.
Adaptability and Scalability: A well-designed workflow automation solution is adaptable and scalable. It can adjust to organizational changes and evolving needs, ensuring continued relevance over time. It provides flexibility in operations and often aligns working methods across teams within a company or organization.
Benefits of Workflow Automation for Swiss Businesses
Here are the main benefits that Swiss businesses, undergoing digitalization with our guidance, derive from properly executed workflow automation:
Time and Efficiency Gain: By automating repetitive tasks, workflows become more efficient, allowing employees to devote their time to higher-value activities.
Error Reduction: Automation reduces the risk of human errors, ensuring increased precision in process execution.
Improved Traceability: Automation solutions often provide complete traceability of processes, allowing businesses to track and analyze each step of the workflow.
Enhanced Collaboration: By integrating systems, automation promotes collaboration between teams, enabling more effective information sharing and transparent communication. See our article on intranets and custom collaboration tools that greatly enhance team efficiency.
{CTA_BANNER_BLOG_POST}
Key Steps in Workflow Automation
To embark on this operational revolution, it is essential to understand the key steps of workflow automation. In this section of our guide, we will present the important stages of this process, some examples of business operations automation, and the tools that our consultants and experts use in the field in Switzerland to digitize our client companies.
Successfully Achieve Your Automation in 10 Phases
Workflow automation involves several key steps to ensure successful implementation and seamless integration within the company. Here is a list of important steps to consider:
Analysis of Existing Processes:
Identify key company processes.
Evaluate the complexity and frequency of tasks involved.
Identify friction points, delays, and inefficiencies.
Definition of Goals:
Establish clear goals for workflow automation (e‧g., reduction of deadlines, improvement of accuracy).
Involve stakeholders to understand specific needs.
Design of Automated Workflows:
Map current processes and design automated workflows.
Define rules and conditions for triggering automation.
Integrate exception and error management.
Selection of Tools and Technologies:
Choose suitable automation tools and platforms.
Consider integration with existing systems (ERP, CRM, etc.).
Evaluate user-friendliness and flexibility of proposed solutions.
Custom Solution Development:
Engage developers to create custom solutions if necessary.
Ensure modular design for future scalability.
Integrate reporting and analysis features.
Thorough Testing:
Conduct thorough testing to ensure proper functioning.
Validate automation on real cases to detect any issues.
Involve end-users in the testing phase.
User Training:
Provide comprehensive training on using new automated workflows.
Raise awareness among employees about the benefits and impact of automation.
Establish support resources if needed.
Continuous Integration:
Ensure continuous integration with operational teams.
Gather regular feedback to adjust workflows over time.
Implement mechanisms for continuous improvement.
Performance Measurement:
Establish key performance indicators (KPIs) to evaluate effectiveness.
Monitor time savings, error reduction, and other benefits.
Adapt workflows based on achieved results.
Change Management:
Proactively communicate upcoming changes.
Involve teams in the automation process to foster adoption.
Evaluate and adjust the change management strategy as needed.
Concrete Examples of Workflow Automation
There are many ways to automate workflows within a company, both because there are numerous different tasks and various ways to solve a problem. Here are some examples of workflow automation that a company in Switzerland can implement:
Automated Invoicing Processes: An enterprise can automate the generation and sending of invoices, reducing payment delays and improving cash flow.
Leave Request Management: An automated system can process employee leave requests, check availabilities, and automatically inform relevant teams.
Project Tracking: Workflow automation can be applied to track and automatically update the progress of projects, ensuring real-time visibility for all team members. See our feature on custom project management software.
Customer Request Processing: An automated solution can classify, prioritize, and automatically redirect customer requests, thereby improving customer satisfaction and responsiveness.
Workflow Automation Software Designed for Swiss Businesses
Our consultants, software engineers, application developers, and UX designers create tailor-made solutions for each business, enabling them to control their internal processes without relying on external software (high licensing costs, low adaptation to company-specific needs, insufficient data security, etc.). Here are two case studies of projects led by our teams in this area:
Tools Used by Our Consultants and Experts in These 10 Key Steps
In the realm of workflow automation, our teams use a range of technological tools at different stages to facilitate an efficient transition to automated and optimized workflows. It is interesting to note that this depends on each digitization journey, as the specific conditions of each company involve the use of different tools, methods, and technologies to ensure automation truly tailored to its situation.
During the analysis of existing processes, modeling tools such as Lucidchart or Microsoft Visio can be used to map and understand existing business processes.
To define project objectives and track progress, Edana leverages project management platforms such as Jira or Asana.
The design of automated workflows is carried out using workflow management systems such as Kissflow or Nintex, allowing the definition of rules and the integration of specific conditions for each project.
The crucial step of evaluating automation tools is performed through in-depth analyses using tools like Zapier, Integromat, or Microsoft Power Automate to select the most suitable solutions.
Custom solution development takes place in integrated development environments such as Visual Studio Code or Eclipse, tailored to the specific needs of each project.
Thorough testing is automated using tools like Selenium or JUnit, ensuring the proper functioning of workflows in various scenarios.
For user training, online learning platforms such as Udemy or LinkedIn Learning are sometimes used (when live training is not possible or not sufficient) to ensure a smooth transition to the new automated workflows.
Continuous integration is achieved using tools such as Jenkins or GitLab CI, automating the process of integrating new features into existing workflows.
Performance measurement is ensured by analytics tools such as Google Analytics or New Relic, allowing real-time monitoring and analysis of the performance of automated workflows.
Finally, to facilitate change management, collaborative communication platforms such as Slack or Microsoft Teams are used, promoting transparent and real-time communication with all stakeholders.
The judicious use of these tools at each stage of the process enables any proficient consultant, digital transformation strategist, and specialist to offer tailor-made workflow automation solutions, adapted to the specific needs of their clients.
Overcoming Automation Challenges
Despite the considerable benefits of workflow automation, specific challenges may arise during the process. This section will delve into crucial aspects such as data security, team training, and the importance of a scalable solution. We will share our best practices with the reader to ensure a smooth and secure transition to an automated enterprise.
Data Security
Workflow automation often involves handling and transmitting sensitive data. To ensure the security of this crucial information, our teams implement strict data security protocols. This includes the use of advanced encryption, rigorous access permission management, and the implementation of firewalls and intrusion detection systems. Working closely with clients to identify vulnerable points and implementing security measures tailored to their specific needs is of paramount importance.
Best Practices for Data Security:
Advanced Encryption: Implement advanced data encryption to ensure the confidentiality of sensitive information during transmission and storage.
Rigorous Access Permission Management: Establish strict access control policies by assigning permissions only to necessary personnel, thus limiting the risk of unauthorized access.
Firewalls and Intrusion Detection Systems: Integrate robust firewalls and intrusion detection systems to monitor and prevent any unauthorized attempts to access data, reinforcing system security.
Team Training
Adopting new automated workflows requires a deep understanding from the involved teams. Recognizing the crucial importance of training is necessary for successful adoption. Customized training programs need to be implemented, covering both the technical aspects of workflow automation and the organizational changes that may result from this transformation. The goal is to ensure that team members feel comfortable and competent in using the new automated processes.
Best Practices for Team Training:
Customized Training Programs: Develop custom training programs that cover not only the technical aspects of workflow automation but also the organizational implications, tailored to the specific context of each team.
Continuous Training: Institute ongoing training sessions to keep teams informed about updates, best practices, and new features, fostering continuous and evolving adoption.
Personalized Support: Implement a dedicated support system to address user-specific questions and resolve issues, reinforcing team confidence and competence.
Need for a Scalable Solution
Companies evolve, and with them, automation needs. Based on our experience, we often emphasize the design of scalable solutions from the start. This means establishing flexible and adaptable architectures capable of adjusting to future changes in the operational environment. By anticipating long-term needs, our team always assures clients that their investments in automation remain relevant and beneficial over time.
Best Practices for Scalability:
Modular Design: Opt for a modular design of solutions, facilitating the addition of new features and adaptation to evolving business needs.
Integration of Open APIs: Prefer the use of open APIs that allow smooth integration with other systems and applications, ensuring the necessary flexibility to adapt to technological advancements.
Regular Evaluation of Needs: Schedule regular evaluations of the operational needs of the business to anticipate future changes and adjust automated solutions accordingly..
Overall, it should be noted that workflow automation is a dynamic process, and by proactively addressing these challenges, it ensures clients a successful and sustainable implementation.
Discuss Workflow Automation and Digitalization with Our Experts
Are you planning to automate the internal processes of your company? Our team of multi-experts is at your disposal to guide you through this process. Our strategy teams are here to analyze your business, propose solutions tailored to your goals and specificities, and address constraints. Our teams of software engineers and application designers are specialized in developing custom business tools.
The world is becoming more and more electronic. Our fantasies become real every year. We live in a futuristic movie world that gets better. Machine learning is one of the most significant achievements.
What is Machine Learning?
Machine Learning is a part of Artificial intelligence (AI). Artificial intelligence Machine learning is a field that explores new ways of “learning.” Machine learning is responsible for producing an algorithm that uses specific data, makes predictions, and chooses. It is used in many apps and provides algorithms when traditional ways do not develop beneficial results.
Machine learning programs are unique because they can perform tasks without being programmed to do them, so machine learning is close to computational statistics; the main idea, which is to make predictions by data analysis, is the same for both of them.
Machine learning incorporates different approaches to completing assignments. One of the most popular is supervised learning in which the control algorithm holds the correct answers to the given questions.
For example, in AI brought to learn characters, developers often use the handwritten symbol database (MNIST), popular in the field. This allows them to compare the responses of the AI algorithms they are learning with what they should be, to see which ones work best.
Using Machine learning in Website development
Machine learning is increasingly popular in any technology field because it improves the performance of algorithms and programs. Because of this, Machine learning is one of the best choices when you want to upgrade your website to its finest.
If you are searching for a better user interface, to improve the website’s protection, or upgrade the monitoring system, consider using Machine Learning for your Web.
It is not only desirable but crucial for Web developers to consider and focus on Machine learning because it makes the site efficient, functional, and user-friendly on mobile and desktop devices. In addition, machine learning implements automated chat usability, improves technological intelligence, and boosts user experience.
Benefits of Machine learning
When developers use machine learning in their development processes, time-consuming, complex, and complicated tasks becomes a job for algorithm and is done only in seconds. Plus, information and charges are more accurate, and all doubts are eliminated. Here are some most important benefits that can be obtained from incorporating Machine learning into the workflow.
{CTA_BANNER_BLOG_POST}
Examine customer attitude
Machine learning systems can be used to track and research users’ needs and behaviors. The algorithm allows having all the information in no time and using it to upgrade your customer experience. Abolish unnecessary things, and answer your customers’ needs faster and more effectively.
Flexible data collecting
Machine learning is impressive because it can do everything traditional methods do, but it also automates tasks and gives more accurate answers. For example, before Machine learning systems, collecting data was done manually and wasn’t perfect. But ML systems figure out what type of information is essential for your project, collect them automatically, and give you in little time.
Guarantee security
At this time, cyber-attacks are not a rare thing, all the data Machine learning systems can collect must be secured and safe. Machine learning can store all the information defended. It prevents attacks and allows you to track the algorithm that does that. That’s why it is twice secured.
Marketing strategy
No matter how surprising it is, using Machine learning on your Web applications will help you to upgrade your marketing strategy. One of the main features of Machine learning systems is predictions; it will forecast your customers’ choices and plans based on their activity. This kind of information can be used to boost retention and purchases.
Wrapping up
Automating simple tasks isn’t new, but Machine learning makes complicated tasks automated; this is why Machine learning systems are innovative and the future of technology. It already has a significant influence on web development which will grow with the years and new creations.
What We Offer
For more similar articles, make sure to scroll through our Publications on Edana. Our expertise includes Web development Services, software and AI engineering, digital consulting and IT systems architecture. Feel free to contact us anytime.
PUBLISHED BY
Jonathan Massa
As a senior specialist in technology consulting, strategy, and delivery, Jonathan advises companies and organizations at both strategic and operational levels within value-creation and digital transformation programs focused on innovation and growth. With deep expertise in enterprise architecture, he guides our clients on software engineering and IT development matters, enabling them to deploy solutions that are truly aligned with their objectives.
Artificial intelligence (AI) plays a huge role in our lives. It entered in many businesses and made the work easier and also managed to become a part of marketing world. AI marketing is a method that uses technology to improve the customer journey.
Benefits of AI marketing
AI has many benefits. First of all, up until now conducting analysis and discussing the data was time-consuming, but now you can have a software that does the analysis and gives you the data. This way you can generate more return on investment and your colleagues will have more time to focus on more pressing matters.
Secondly, it works on anything as long as you have a data to process. This means that you can have a good grasp of your customer behavior patterns and make decisions accordingly.
Lastly, it can reduce costs. It frees up capital and helps you use it on other company divisions to increase reliability.
15 tips to boost you AI marketing
As a marketer you can use AI to ease your workload. There are 15 tips of how you can work smarter and not harder:
Predict customer behavior
We can all agree that there is no business without a customer. You may ask “How can I keep my customers if I don’t know what they want?” The answer is to know how they use your product, follow small trends and you will see everything. For this you need AI. Amazon is the best example of it. With the right algorithm it checks customer behavior and offers product that they will be interested in.
Decrease AMPs load time
We all have been in a situation where you are trying to purchase product online, but the webpage is not loading, so you get annoyed and just leave. With the help of AI you can easily solve this issue. For example google has the fastest load time using AI algorithm.
Provide a personalized user experience
At some point we all have an experience with chat bots, they can be helpful when providing general information, but receiving the same answer all the time is pretty annoying and in certain situations they prove to be useless. This happens because they are not real AI and at the end if you want to address an issue you have to speak with a real human. With real AI you would naturally deliver the desired answers.
For example, Sephora is using AI to help customers in various ways including scheduling an appointment.
{CTA_BANNER_BLOG_POST}
Create a content
You can take advantage of AI and use it to create content for your brand. You can create blog posts to drive traffic to your site and boost your SEO.
Boost sourcing accuracy
Generating leads is one thing but checking their validity is another. AI can look at all the data you have collected from various perspectives and determine which one will lead to success.
Predict customer churn
Prediction helps with prevention. After analyzing all the information artificial intelligence will be able to determine the reason behind customer churn and find solution before it is too late.
Profitable dynamic pricing models
When you have multiple store locations it is difficult to check the performance of them all, but AI can monitor it and notify you if there is a decrease of performance and find a solution to the issue.
Sentiment analysis
SA helps you see how your company, product and service is perceived. This helps you fix any issue that may arise and make changes almost immediately in the process.
Improve website experiments
If you want to check the location that will have the best response to your website before officially releasing it, you can use AI. It can determine which location will be more receptive to new features and will give you feedback on what to improve.
Prioritize ad targeting and personalization
Collecting data plays a huge role in having a successful business. You can use data to determine faster and efficiently what to do with ads. AI can find patterns that you might not notice and give you an insight.
Relevant recommandation system
When you have a huge amount of products it is difficult to connect each customer to the right one and keep driving customer retention. AI can easily find connection between the product and a consumer and run common threads between them.
Smart email content curation
If you want to keep your customers, you should stop sending irrelevant mass emails. AI helps you choose the content of the email based on the thing customers care about.
Interpret custom loyalty card data
Above we spoke about the importance of data collecting, but exactly where does this data come from? The best way to get it is by tracking the rewards or loyalty systems. This is a great way to see the patterns and make successful business deals.
Computer vision for image and object recognition
AI can be used to eliminate time-consuming manual tasks. You can use computer vision algorithm to sort through thousands of pictures and videos placed in social media. It has a good accuracy and offers client’s specific product that they are interested in.
AI-enhanced PPC
Artificial intelligence can help you discover new channels of advertisement, what’s more, when you make AI responsible for picking keywords, your PPC campaigns will be automatically updating.
Conclusion
AI is a very powerful tool, which can reduce your workload and increase productivity. There are many companies that are successfully using AI marketing to work efficiently and gain more profits.
So are you using AI and if not, what are you waiting for?
PUBLISHED BY
Caroline
Caroline is a branding and communication specialist. She develops brand strategies and visual identities in line with our clients' ambitions. Innovation and performance are her watchwords, transforming your brand into a powerful vector of engagement and growth, her specialty.
