WORKFLOW MANAGEMENT
CONTINUED
equivalent), add in the savings of any material items – postage, stamps, paper, toner, etc. – and build a convincing value proposition and ROI. The FTEs cost savings can be a tricky subject, but in reality, most SMBs are keen to retain quality staff and realign them to higher value roles within the business.” The introduction of workflow management into SMBs can bring many other advantages, Ian adds. “The specifics will depend upon the process to be solutioned, but clients will often see improvements in one of more of the following areas: productivity, accuracy, customer service, compliance and audit trails and environmental and sustainability.” Mark notes that many SMBs are tackling a business ecosystem that operates in a distributed manner. “So the biggest advantage of a workflow management solution is that it can ease the burden that repetitive processes and legacy infrastructure place on an organisation and its resources,” he says. “Many SMBs are dealing with siloed data and unstructured data sets, and multiple versions of pieces of digital content without the ability to track them, such as sales contracts and datasheets. This can lead to difficulties when it comes to streamlining business processes across different applications and departments. “Countless hours are wasted by employees fulfilling administrative tasks that could easily be supported by a workflow management solution. Digital and automated solutions not only reduce the scope for human error, but they also reclaim significant amounts of time that can be redirected to supporting customers. ROI is easily demonstrated when artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning are used to streamline areas of the business and integrate processes that often experience delays, augmenting high-cost processes involved with compliance documentation to create better process cycles.” Trends There are certain trends among SMBs for what they want in their workflow management solutions currently. “Accounting and legal functions have always been popular targets for workflow automation,” says Ian. “Still, channel partners shouldn’t overlook industries where high levels of temporary workers are employed (ideal for HR-related onboarding workflows) or detailed compliance and traceability are required – typically food and manufacturing industries. “SaaS solutions with integrated AI, such
as our DocuShareGo offering, are high on the agenda, allowing for rapid deployment timescales and providing a scalable platform that can grow with their business.” David adds that SMBs are seeking solutions that emphasise simplicity, mobile accessibility and scalability. “With more distributed teams and remote workforces, demand is growing for secure, browser-based solutions that work seamlessly across devices,” he says. “AI has also become a game-changer, enhancing workflow automation by extracting data, flagging exceptions and enabling predictive analysis, which brings new levels of insight and efficiency.”
Ian Fox UK channel solutions and services specialist
www.xerox.co.uk/en-gb
“
Sell the benefits, not the features and make these tangible. It’s also sensible to adopt a phased approach, perhaps selecting a relatively simple workflow initially...
AI impact As David mentions, as with many other areas of technology, AI is beginning to make its presence felt in workflow management solutions in a positive way. “AI is making workflow automation solutions much more accessible and affordable,” says Ian. “Workflows that would have previously taken weeks of coding, design and testing can now be quickly generated using the integrated AI toolsets. If there is a good understanding of the process being optimised, this can often be done by some without coding skills, reducing the cost of delivery and implementation. “It also allows the solution to be trialled in a specific department and then quickly expanded to provide new workflows in other departments within the organisation.” Mark says SMBs are increasingly looking at workflow management solutions that allow for AI integrations to improve business- critical processes across the enterprise. “This includes customer acquisition, product development and service delivery, and
”
24
Powered by FlippingBook