Boost your company with process automations complementary to ERP

3 de mai. de 2024

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Process Automation

Process Automation: Learn What It Is and Its Advantages!

Process automation is the best solution for companies already using ERP but still feel the need for more operational efficiency and maximized results.

This is because automation, when complementary to ERP, has the potential to implement other types of processes, such as request flows, HR, purchasing, budget planning, pricing, and much more.

Want to understand how all of this works in practice? Then keep reading with us!

ERP Process Automation: How Does It Work in Practice?

Process automation is essential because it optimizes business operations, significantly increasing efficiency, productivity, and value generation.

By using technology to automate tasks previously performed manually, organizations can reduce errors, speed up workflows, and direct resources toward more strategic activities.

In other words, this approach is essential because it enhances operational quality and contributes to innovation and competitiveness in today’s business environment.

And when considering automation in a scenario that already uses an ERP system, the opportunity arises to implement other complementary processes.

This strategic expansion goes beyond automating tasks traditionally associated with ERP, reaching specific areas that can benefit from a more automated approach.

For example, in the realm of Budget Planning, complementary automation can be applied to improve financial analysis, resource allocation, and detailed reporting, integrating synergistically with the existing ERP system.

This synergy between automation and ERP provides more comprehensive and efficient management, pushing the company to a higher level of performance and competitiveness in the market.

How Does Automation of Processes Complementary to ERP Work?

Process automation works by using software that incorporates algorithms and artificial intelligence to automate repetitive and routine tasks within an organization.

These programs are designed to perform tasks quickly and accurately, following specific rules and making decisions based on predefined criteria.

To illustrate its operation in a specific scenario, let’s consider Budget Planning.

In this example, automation complementary to the ERP system can be demonstrated by software capable of:

• analyzing financial data and historical patterns to optimize the budget planning process;

• automating resource allocation and budget distribution according to established goals and priorities;

• speeding up the consolidation and automatic updating of financial information, reducing the time spent on manual tasks;

• generating detailed reports on financial performance, allowing for more precise strategic analysis.

In this way, complementary automation to ERP simplifies routine operations and increases efficiency and accuracy in managing Budget Planning, providing significant productivity gains and strategic insights.

Process Automation Complementary to ERP: Example

A good example of a complementary automation solution to an existing ERP in a company is the pricing process.

This is because, by integrating automation with your business’s ERP, sales, marketing, and finance teams have access to the latest information, enabling more informed decision-making aligned with the company’s goals.

Additionally, automation in the pricing process complementary to ERP streamlines operations and reduces manual errors, providing superior consistency and reliability in pricing.

This integrated approach simplifies the complexities of the pricing process and contributes to strategic price management, resulting in a sustainable competitive advantage in the market.

Why Automate Processes?

There are many reasons to automate processes, and below we list the main ones!

Efficiency in Internal Processes

Process automation significantly contributes to the organization’s operational efficiency, providing time savings.

After all, by eliminating the need to perform time-consuming manual tasks, employees can direct their efforts toward more strategic activities, contributing to the company’s growth.

Improvement in Communication

Process automation also improves internal communication, mitigating failures that often affect business development.

This is because the use of integrated tools with user-friendly interfaces promotes more effective collaboration among team members.

For example, by employing a management tool for the sales team, it is possible to monitor the movement of employees who spend much of their time outside the company in real-time.

This implementation allows for instant communication through apps installed on their mobile phones.

Customer Satisfaction

Process automation plays a crucial role in customer satisfaction, both directly and indirectly.

Directly, processes linked to the customer, such as order processing or service delivery through digital tools, have a positive impact.

Indirectly, the internal efficiency resulting from automation frees up more time for dedication to customer satisfaction.

Information Integration

Integrating internal information is vital for total control over company activities.

This provides real-time updates, so this robust integration raises the quality of information available for company management.

In practice, Mitra, for example, offers your company complete integration, with meticulously designed Process Flows.

Thus, everything your team needs, from data entry to analysis, is carefully organized within our platform.

Competitive Advantage

With the numerous benefits provided by automation, companies that remain dependent on manual processes risk falling behind in a highly competitive market.

In other words, automation, even indirectly, offers several competitive advantages that boost the company’s position in the business environment.

What Are the Advantages of Automating Processes If I Already Have an ERP?

Next, check out the benefits of process automation for your company, even if you’re already working with ERP.

Reduction of Rework

Process automation is a crucial tool for reducing rework in business operations.

By eliminating repetitive tasks prone to human error, automated systems ensure consistent and efficient task execution.

This means your organization can avoid the need to correct mistakes and re-do work, optimizing time and available resources.

Additionally, automation enables the early identification of problems, allowing them to be corrected before they become more serious, contributing to a significant reduction in rework over time.

Compliance Support

Process automation within ERP plays a crucial role in meeting the regulations and standards imposed on businesses.

By integrating compliance rules into automated workflows, your company can ensure that all operational steps align with legal and ethical standards.

Furthermore, the traceability provided by ERP automation simplifies report generation and audits, making compliance verification easier.

This reduces the risk of fines and penalties and strengthens the company’s reputation among stakeholders.

Scenario Projection

Process automation empowers organizations to project and analyze future scenarios with greater precision and speed.

In practice, this is done by using advanced algorithms and analyzing real-time data, allowing automated systems to predict trends, identify patterns, and anticipate potential outcomes.

This enables your company to assess risks and opportunities more effectively, optimize resource allocation, and develop more assertive strategies.

Moreover, the ability to simulate different scenarios helps managers make more informed and proactive decisions, adapting to market changes with agility and confidence.

Faster Decision-Making

Process automation accelerates decision-making by simplifying and speeding up operational workflows.

By eliminating manual tasks and providing instant access to updated data, automated systems enable managers to evaluate information quickly and efficiently.

This means decisions can be made based on real-time insights, allowing a more agile response to market demands and changes in operational conditions.

Finally, automation promotes collaboration among teams, facilitating information sharing and joint data analysis for more collaborative and well-founded decision-making.

Improved Productivity

One of the most notable advantages of complementary automation to ERP is the improvement in productivity.

By adopting automation, your company can optimize task execution, reduce time spent on manual processes, and increase overall operational efficiency.

An example illustrating this advantage is Budget Planning.

Traditionally, this process involves a series of manual steps, from data collection to budget drafting and review.

But with automation, software like Mitra can integrate financial data, automate calculations, and facilitate collaboration among teams involved in planning.

This accelerates the process and reduces the likelihood of errors, allowing your organization to achieve greater efficiency in financial management.

Standardization

By implementing automation, organizations can establish and follow consistent standards in their operations.

This occurs because automated software performs tasks according to predefined rules, ensuring uniform and accurate process execution.

A practical example is customer service automation, where standardized automatic responses can be implemented to ensure a consistent approach across various interactions.

In practice, this use speeds up service and ensures that communication with customers follows predefined standards, contributing to a more uniform and efficient experience.

Cost Reduction

Automation, when complementary to ERP, provides a significant advantage in cost reduction, especially when compared to using spreadsheets to manage operational tasks.

As companies grow, management through spreadsheets can become inefficient and unable to keep up with the automation and scalability needed for more complex operations.

Thus, by replacing spreadsheet use with automated solutions, your company can considerably reduce costs associated with human errors, rework, and operational inefficiencies.

Tasks that were once repetitive and time-consuming, requiring manual updates in spreadsheets, can be automated, resulting in more efficient resource allocation and cost reduction.

Error Reduction

Among the benefits of process automation, we highlight the reduction of errors, especially manual ones, and an example is found in pricing automation.

By employing automated systems to set prices, organizations can significantly mitigate the risk of human errors associated with manual and complex processes.

In manual pricing, the probability of mistakes, such as calculation errors or data inconsistencies, is higher, resulting in incorrect prices that can negatively impact profit margins and competitiveness in the market.

However, by automating this process, digital solutions can apply precise algorithms and predefined rules, ensuring a consistent and error-free approach to price setting.

Scalability

As your company grows and faces increased demand, automation allows processes to scale efficiently without needing to proportionally increase the workforce.

In this scenario, scalability is particularly evident in automated systems, where repetitive and high-volume tasks can be easily managed and executed on a large scale.

For example, in a customer service context, automating responses to frequently asked questions or the initial screening of requests can be scaled consistently, even with an increased number of inquiries.

Types of Process Automation: Get to Know the Main Ones

BPMS

BPMS (Business Process Management Systems) is an approach that enables the definition, execution, measurement, analysis, optimization, and monitoring of each of the company’s processes.

It is designed with a focus on people, which enhances and facilitates its use by employees.

The effectiveness of BPM significantly depends on the information entered into the system and how it is input.

This interdependence highlights the importance of human work, which is just as crucial as the technology enabling process automation.

Hyperautomation

The concept of hyperautomation refers to the synergy of tools aimed at replacing operational activities and more complex functions originally performed by humans.

The fundamental premise of hyperautomation is recognizing that isolated tools are not capable of fully replacing human skills.

However, by combining and integrating various technologies such as RPA (Robotic Process Automation), AI (Artificial Intelligence), and iBPMS (Intelligent Business Process Management Systems), comprehensive substitution can be achieved.

RPA

RPA (Robotic Process Automation) is a technology that enables the automation of repetitive tasks in business processes. This approach allows the automatic execution of highly manual tasks, empowering robots to manage repetitive processes comprehensively and securely.

How to Implement Process Automation

You don’t need any specialization or course in process automation to adopt this procedure in your company; you just need to get to know Mitra, a process automation solution that complements ERP, focused on usability, customization, and efficiency.

One of Mitra’s features in relation to how to automate processes is its leverage of the team’s previous knowledge in spreadsheets. In other words, unlike other tools, Mitra takes advantage of this familiarity and provides a smooth transition to the new platform.

Moreover, the ability to create customized solutions without the need for complex coding or dependence on a software house sets us apart as a flexible and adaptable tool.

By opting for Mitra in your management, your team will enjoy several advantages, such as:

1. Ease of Use

With Mitra, building solutions is simplified, allowing the team to take advantage of existing spreadsheet knowledge.

2. Process Integration

Mitra allows the creation of effective workflows, automating processes even for those who already have ERP, freeing up time for activities that require special attention.

3. Customization

Our platform allows intuitive creation of interfaces and business rules, enabling you to have customized applications without depending on external developers.

4. Self-service BI

Mitra’s complete self-service BI experience occurs without needing to leave spreadsheets, offering an integrated approach to data analysis and informed decision-making.

Say goodbye to your company’s manual processes with Mitra.

Conclusion

Process automation is an essential strategy for boosting operational efficiency and innovation in companies, especially when it complements ERP.

In this scenario, Mitra, with its approach centered on usability, customization, and efficiency, stands out as a smart choice for complementary system automation.

Our tool offers advantages such as ease of use, process integration, customization, and self-service BI. Additionally, by integrating Mitra’s Artificial Intelligence (AI), your operations can reach even higher levels of automation and efficiency.

Thus, by adopting automation with us, your organization can reap benefits such as improved productivity, standardization, cost reduction, error reduction, and scalability, consolidating itself as a leader in the market.