In the last century, the idea of automation scared pretty much everyone. It conjured up little more than visions of bulky tin robots that helped us around the house and eventually took over the world.
However, today’s automation technology isn’t the result of science fiction. Automation is real, helpful, and transforming the way we work.
New advances in automation have allowed businesses to revolutionize the way they operate. What were once arduous business tasks involving multiple people can be automated and processed in a matter of seconds.
Don’t believe us? Take a look at some examples below to find out how you can make any business more efficient through automation.
1: Payroll Data
Gathering and processing data to determine how much a worker or employee should be paid can be a costly and cumbersome process at the best of times. But the latest technology can reduce the workload substantially.
Workplaces can install a biometric time clock system that tracks the movement of employees in and out of the workplace, automatically generating attendance records to calculate working time. Your team can transfer the records into automated accounting software to produce comprehensive payroll data, including associated tax and legal calculations and filings.
2: Employee Analytics
Which employee made the most sales last month? Who sent the most emails and who worked the longest hours?
Tracking employee activity and performance was once a time-consuming task, and can often be distorted by a manager’s personal preferences and bias. However, employee monitoring software coupled with powerful data visualization tools regulates HR oversight, so higher-ups have the accurate information needed to make the best promotion decisions.
Businesses can also use these tools to work out the cost of employee benefits and decide what perks are effective. You’ll have a clearer idea of what drives your staff to work hard and how to incentivize.
3: Customer Feedback
The most important component of a successful business is a happy customer. But without automation, it can be difficult to track where customers might be unhappy, and why.
New live-chat functions on websites allow users to interact with company bots, so customers can offer feedback or complaints without staff involvement. Bots can also interpret conversations and allow customers to reach the right business team members to assist them with their requests.
Customer feedback analysis tools enable businesses to pinpoint where customers encounter difficulty with their products, allowing a rapid response to deliver effective improvements and fixes. The result is improved customer satisfaction without the need for complex manual feedback analysis and costly call centers.
4: Recruitment Tools
Recruitment is one of the most time-consuming aspects of HR: it can take hours to process applications and get through dozens of face-to-face interviews. And did you know that men tend to be disproportionately selected over women with the same qualifications because of unconscious biases?
Automated recruitment software helps businesses to overcome these hurdles. Rather than conduct hours of face-to-face interviews, the software allows video recordings of interview answers submitted by candidates remotely. Responses can then be transcribed and anonymized. This increases the chance that you’ll see the best candidates for the job without the limits of recruiter bias.
Bottom Line
Sometimes, the old ways of managing a business are best. However, when it comes to technology, there’s always room for improvement.
We’re fortunate that the most time-consuming aspects of running a business can be replaced by with streamlined, automated processes. Take a moment to work out how these four automated processes can be introduced to your business today, to make it a more efficient, future-proof business for tomorrow.
