Automations are one of the biggest buzzwords around – we’d likely all love to automate our mundane tasks at home, but how can they help in the workplace?

So what are automations?

Automations essentially are the use of technology to replace or reduce manual human input, and they come in two main forms;

• Physical devices Eg. the humble dishwasher
• Digital software Eg. scheduling a repeat event in a calendar app

The latter, digital automation, has become increasingly popular in business, with the Covid-19 pandemic triggering a steep increase in the shift towards automated processes, especially by small businesses and solo business owners.

In fact, McKinsey states that: 

“…recent data show that we have vaulted five years forward in consumer and business digital adoption in a matter of around eight weeks.”

(Click here if you want to read more on the digital technology uptake during Covid-19)

But why the rise in popularity? 

1. Automations save time

By reducing mindless, slow, recurring processes, there’s more time to focus on tasks that can’t be automated. For example, administrative work and responding to leads; two highly time-consuming aspects of business but don’t always require human input.

By automating these responsibilities, hours of an employee’s day can be saved. There is now more time available for your team to focus on devising and implementing innovative and creative solutions that will drive your business forward.

Not only this, but automations may also improve your employee’s morale. 

It goes to stand that increasing the time taken on menial tasks means more an employee can achieve in a day. This greater productivity can lead to greater work satisfaction and fulfilment. 

2. Quality assurance 

Automations are also helpful with quality assurance and improving consistency by minimising the potential of human error. 

Depending on the individual, people can sustain concentration anywhere from 10 minutes to an hour. Therefore, for tasks like data entry or those tending towards repetitive, frequent breaks are recommended to maintain focus.

Given the already significant to-do list most of us face on an average day, breaks are a commodity, with speed generally trumping accuracy. Mistakes are inevitable.

For example, a spreadsheet can be populated almost instantly using an automation. This is quicker than someone individually inputting data and reduces the chance of avoidable phase-out-induced mistakes.

3. Cost-effective

Automations are also a cost-effective solution for scaling up small businesses. 

As discussed, employees can achieve more daily by reducing the time spent on repeatable tasks. The increase in efficiency leads to greater productivity in the workplace. Therefore companies can function at a higher rate without requiring an equal uptake of new employees.

By investing in automations, small businesses can put their resources to better use and compete with companies that operate with a larger workforce.

Not ready to invest in fully automating your company?

Don’t worry. There are a few free softwares that are simple to use and don’t require any coding experience that can get you started on creating some simple automations.

In fact, our previous blog discussed one such software. Click here to find out more!