Advancements in technology have revolutionized the automation industry. No matter if your business is big or small, every company can benefit from some form of automation. While you might associate automated processes with corporate behemoths — because automated systems are increasing in affordability and efficiency — smaller businesses and startups are able to take advantage of the technology as well. You can save time and therefore money by automating certain business operations and allow for you and your team members to focus on the core parts of your business. Here are just a few of the things you should consider automating to help your company’s growth and simplify your processes.
Customer Service
Customer satisfaction is a vital part of any business’s growth. But attending to any issues related to customer support can easily become overwhelming for a handful of staff members. Instead, automate your customer service and communication channels. You can do this by utilizing virtual call centers and chatbots that offer live chat features. Chatbots have become a lot more advanced since their initial debut, making them a lot more qualified to handle more complicated service requests. Take advantage of an automated service desk dedicated to ITSM solutions. Doing so can help deliver IT services to customers faster and more effectively. A self-service portal for customers can help to easily accommodate service requests sent to the IT department, making both the customer and the IT team happy.
Sales
Your sales team can benefit greatly from automation. One of the best ways to do this is by automating the leads process. Certain types of software can help identify and generate potential leads by location, personal information, prior contact, and online behavior. The automation process can even be the first to reach out to a potential customer. Automation simplifies the process for your sales representatives and presents them with leads that may fit better with your target demographic.
Marketing
A great digital marketing strategy can act as a goldmine for companies just starting out. Newsletters and social media accounts can help businesses better define their brands, broaden their customer base, retain customers, and attract a clientele that fits their target niche. Everything from social media posts to email marketing campaigns can be automated now.
Automation may not be able to draft a witty tweet, but it’s a great tool for scheduling out social media posts so you have a regular flow of content on your pages — a crucial part of any successful social media strategy. Automating certain aspects of social media marketing can also help you gather and process customer data with analytics. Doing so may influence your customer outreach methods and help you make more informed decisions. You may be able to determine the time, preferred channel, and kind of messaging that best fits with your target audience.
Workflow
You may be able to improve the efficiency of your day-to-day business operations by automating the company’s workflow. Automation can set up appointments, manage employees’ schedules, set reminders for meetings, and delegate tasks. Automating the workflow may improve communication and coordination between departments and may prevent common mistakes. Plenty of apps exist to help with other typical business operations such as warehouse coordination, printing, inventory management, accounting, timesheets, backing up files, billing, and expense and mileage tracking. Automation can streamline your company’s workflow—saving you time, money, and energy.
Recruitment
The hiring process can also become a lot swifter with automation. Automation tools can reach out to potential hires, collect resumes, and the vet or test candidates properly before an interview is scheduled. This way, you can ensure you are receiving candidate applications that have the set of skills and qualifications you are looking for.
