Do not forget to automate your sub-processes (it pays off more than you think)

Your core processes are digitalised. A fine step! But whatever you do, do not forget your sub-processes. Many organisations overlook them when they digitalise, even though that is exactly where a great deal of opportunity lies.

Your staff carry out small tasks all day long

Just sending an email to request leave. Just checking in Excel whether that member of staff still has enough holiday days.

Just asking a client for some details. And just retyping those details into a document.

It does not look worth paying much attention to processes like these. But add all those tasks up and you will be shocked at how many hours your staff spend on them. On top of that, tasks like these give little satisfaction and are often prone to error.

Digitalising and automating processes like these is often not at all complicated, and it pays off far more than you think.

So… take a critical look at your sub-processes

Because if you look carefully, you suddenly see opportunities for digitalisation everywhere.

Excel is often the first sign that there is something to automate. Chances are your staff use Excel for:

• Keeping track of leave days
• Registering contracts
• Monitoring deadlines
• Collecting management information
• Keeping track of stock

All those Excel sheets are really mini databases. And where there is a database, there is an opportunity for automation.

Repetitive, manual actions are a clear sign too. Look out for:

• Data that is constantly retyped from one system into another
• Documents that are filled in and sent by hand every day or every week
• Calculations that are carried out over and over again
• Reports that are put together by hand every month

Which processes are suitable for automation?

Not every process is equally suitable for automation. This is how to recognise the processes that do benefit a great deal from digitalisation:

There is a clear structure to it

The most suitable processes follow a fixed pattern. There are clear steps that are always worked through in the same way. Think of registering a new client or requesting leave. If you can explain the process easily to a new member of staff, it is probably suitable for automation.

The process repeats regularly

The more often a process is repeated, the more you gain from automating it. An action that only happens once a year? Then the investment is usually not worth it. But do your staff carry out certain actions every day or every week? Then automation can save a lot of time.

A lot of data is retyped

Take note of where your staff retype data from one system into another. Or where they have to enter the same information in several places. Those are often perfect processes to automate.

Staff have to carry out checks

Does someone regularly have to check whether everything is correct? Whether something has been ticked off? Whether someone has approved something? Then that process is probably suitable for automation. An app can carry out checks automatically, remind people of their tasks and flag anything that deviates.

This is how to automate your sub-processes step by step

By now you probably have a decent list of processes you could digitalise. But where do you start? How do you go about it? The good news: you do not have to do everything at once. This is how to automate your sub-processes step by step:

1. Start with one process

Pick one process first. Preferably something small that your team currently runs into regularly. Perhaps that invoicing process that is still done by hand? Or that stock administration that is currently kept in Excel? Start there. That way you can get results quickly with a small investment.

2. Learn from that first step

There is a reason we recommend starting with a small step. While digitalising that first process you learn a great deal. That knowledge is valuable when you automate your next process. What is more, a first step like this often lights a fire under your staff. Once they see how much easier this process runs, there is a good chance they will come to you themselves with ideas for the next step.

3. Create a digital ecosystem

You want to avoid ending up with a hotchpotch of assorted applications. That only creates extra work and chaos in the end, which is exactly what you do not want. Make sure from the start that you can connect all your applications easily. That way you build a digital ecosystem in which everything works together smoothly and processes run seamlessly into one another.

We are happy to help you think it through

Do you see the opportunities but not quite know where to start? Or are you wondering which processes in your organisation are suitable for automation? We are happy to help you think it through.

In a no-obligation conversation we look at your processes and your opportunities for digitalisation together.