Whether you are running a large-scale multinational company or a small local business, you’ve felt the effect of the coronavirus pandemic. There is hardly an industry out there that hasn’t changed and adapted to sudden and significant changes COVID-19 has brought.
Some, albeit few, industries saw an increase in revenue, while most had to figure out how to do more with less. Luckily, we are not as clueless as we were when the pandemic started. The past months have taught us a thing or two on adapting and implementing the latest technology trends. And seeing that we are still tackling this god-awful virus, let’s explore RPA and how automation ensures businesses stay afloat.
Why automation ensures businesses stay afloat during COVID-19
It can be surprising to consider that automation is not only a foreign concept to most business owners, but they practically consider it science fiction. While people know that robots exist and large companies use them, they seldom think that their businesses can benefit significantly from implementing automation.
When introduced properly, RPA can boost your revenue, increase your productivity and ensure stable operations. And seeing that CRM is a staple nowadays for reliable customer support, you’d be hard-pressed not to implement some form of automation.
So, what makes automation so important during these troubling times? Well, the COVID-19 pandemic has pushed a lot of businesses to the brink of extinction. Modern production has faced serious issues, both in human resources and logistics, while the customer demands and expectations have remained pretty much the same.
To make it in the modern, highly competitive environment, you need to be able to keep up with the best. And that is only possible through automation.
How automation helps
The ways in which automation can help a struggling business are manifold, to say the least. Depending on the type of service you offer and the management style that you use, automation can help in different ways. If you have never dealt with it before, we suggest that you outline an aspect of your business where automation will have the most significant impact. That way, you will get the biggest bang for your buck.
Cost reduction
Cost reduction is the primary business trend during the COVID-19 pandemic. As the situation has forced people to lower their overall spending, most businesses need to figure out how to stay afloat with limited income. This is one aspect where automation can be quite handy.
There is hardly a business out there that cannot have some aspect automated. Mind you; this doesn’t mean that automation can completely substitute a person. What it does mean is that the menial, more predictable tasks can be dealt with more easily and quickly.
This reduces the necessary work hours needed to perform these tasks, which in turn lovers the cost of operation. Keep this in mind as, at first glance, automation will seem like a costly investment. Just know that, in the long run, it always pays off and now you can also see that automation ensures businesses stay afloat during COVID-19 crisis.
Increased efficiency and safety
One thing you will notice, once you implement automation, is that efficiency and safety standards usually double within a couple of days. People are generally unaware of how inefficient they are, and if they work in a potentially dangerous workplace, how much potential harm they can avoid.
Efficiency
To give you an example for both, let’s first say that you run a moving company. While certain parts of your job, such as packing and transporting, do necessitate workers, one aspect can benefit greatly from automation— logistics. If you choose to have your field operations automated, you will ensure maximum efficiency for your moving teams.
The amount of information that a computer can gather is often staggering. Even a low estimate outshines the most dedicated of workers. This is why automated field operations ensure that your moving teams function at max efficiency.
Safety
When it comes to safety, you can easily consider automation as one of the best measures, especially during the COVID-19. The whole point of automation is that it reduces the need for personal presence and ensures better coordination.
Through CRM, this is more than possible, as the most recent updates make it much more intuitive and cost-effective. This allows your workers to be as productive from home as they would be at work, which is a major safety benefit during the pandemic.
Increased business stability
The beauty of having automated processes run tasks for you is that they cannot quit. They cannot call in sick or become lazy. Having a worker like this sounds like an HR’s dream. And it certainly will feel like it once you start. Having a particular aspect of your business automated means that it is stable, reliable, and void of mistakes. This, as you probably can guess, improves your business stability. Depending on how well you incorporate automation, this stability can come through both in business practices and customer relations. And if there is one thing that can help a business stay afloat during COVID-19, it’s stability.
How to know whether your business can benefit from automation
With all this in mind, should you try and incorporate automation in your business? Well, as a general rule of thumb, yes. Seeing that automation ensures businesses stay afloat and helps them run in a more efficient, stable, and safe manner, you definitely should invest in it. The key is to recognize where automation is most needed. While modern technology is advanced, it still cannot run your business for you.
Instead, you need to carefully consider your company and see where to incorporate automation first. Once you start reaping the benefits, you will soon realize how and where to expand. And, with luck, you will have even more technology at your disposal at that point in the future.
Author bio:
With over 20 years of experience in business management, Curtis Lewis has learned a thing or two about what makes a business function. Now, he uses the acquired knowledge to help improve businesses throughout the country and ensure their functionality.