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Australia-based OBS, an IT services company, provides business, creative, technology and training services, which let companies get more value from SharePoint and related Microsoft (News - Alert) technologies. So the company is very familiar about the need to improve efficiency among its customers.

Andy Neumann, managing director of OBS, recently commented on the benefits found with automation of many business processes. “While automation is a growing trend, many companies still don’t understand how to make the best of their automation opportunities or which areas of the business can best benefit,” he explained in an article appearing in Australia Business Review.

The automation of business processes can lead to fewer errors, lowering inefficiency, streamlining communications, improving accountability and compliance, and setting up a clearer approval hierarchy, Neumann explains.

In response to these issues, OBS named five processes businesses can automate relatively easily so they can lead to improved efficiency. The first relates to document and records management.

Globally, many businesses have found they need to comply with new privacy laws and a need to protect data. “It is vital that businesses have the right processes in place to remain compliant,” OBS advises. “An automated document and records management system improves governance and accountability around business documentation and reduces the risk of data loss or duplication. IT costs are reduced through consolidating existing platforms. This also means information is more easily accessible, improving productivity and efficiency.”

The second process involves claims, booking and invoice management. Many companies have automated a portion of the invoice process, already. But, “there are few that really have an end-to-end solution,” OBS said. Now that invoices are sent by e-mail, fax and the regular mail, keeping track of what needs to be paid by when, can be challenging.

“Each invoice must be captured, key information extracted, validated, input into the correct system, approved and stored for any future queries,” OBS explained. But sophisticated systems can automate all of these systems.

In addition, a third process relates to customer relationship management (CRM) and data management. “CRM … systems help businesses manage their relationships and plan, execute and measure their marketing campaigns more effectively,” OBS explains. By standardizing and centralizing data, information becomes more accessible, which means businesses can more easily identify target audiences and lower costs to acquire customers. CRM systems also make it easier to monitor customer satisfaction, lessen response times and improve forecasting of sales.

A fourth process relates to human resources. OBS says that, “Every stage of the employee lifecycle can be automated, including role and vacancy management, employee on-boarding and feedback and performance management.” That will lead to simplification of leave, expenses and travel requests. Also, “the best HR solutions” will provide “integration into a range of other enterprise HR and payroll systems such Microsoft Dynamics AX,” OBS adds.

And the fifth area relates to automation of IT processes. Automated IT is useful for access requests, asset management, change requests and issue tracking, OBS said. Also, automating IT processes improves networks.

It is clear that improving performance, compliance and productivity are important goals for any business. “By automating these five processes, most businesses can achieve significant savings and operational efficiencies,” Neumann said. “With a range of customer-ready automation solutions available, there is no reason why Australian businesses can’t enjoy the benefits of automation.”