Organizations in all industries are automating their processes to make their operations more profitable, flexible, and productive. But some are better at it than others. At StoryShaper, we believe that you should never automate a bad process without prior expertise.

Likewise, it is illusory to define a process and then to automate it. The actual process taking place in your organization may be different from what it's supposed to be, and automating a version of that process that doesn't match reality will cause the unexpected or face resistance from those involved. By working with the right experts and analyzing your existing data, you can optimize the right process, with the best return on investment.

However, another common mistake is getting stuck at the analysis stage. That's why we recommend adopting a more agile approach. You need to do the analysis, but you need to have a clear goal to automate the process and then learn from the data and user feedback. This information will tell you what other iterative improvements need to be made.

What is process analysis?

Process analysis consists of assess your business processes and to find ways to improve their functioning. For example, you could analyze your inventory management process to see if there are bottlenecks, silos, or inefficiencies that prevent you from fulfilling orders on time and determine how to eliminate them through automation.

By analyzing the process you want to improve before introducing automation, you will be able toidentify your needs And ofinvest in the right solutions. This way you will get maximum value out of your automation projects.

What are the different types of process analyses?

• Process modeling

By creating a model of a process, you will have a clear visual representation of all the steps involved. This model should be easily understood by technical and non-technical stakeholders and help you: communicate, to Plan and to execute automation projects. A visual diagram also contributes to a better understanding of the steps and business rules that should apply.

• Process exploration or Process mining

The Process mining is similar to a X-ray view of the functioning of your business. Using a software application, you can monitor processes, analyze transactions, and gain performance information. This step highlights the possible problems and allows you to determine theThe improvements to be made as a priority.

• Process simulation

Once you've redesigned a process to automate it and eliminate problems, you can simulate the process. This will demonstrate the Value of improvements and will show you the effectiveness of the new process. This will give you an opportunity to explain to stakeholders how the process will work. Finally, you will be able to identify any adjustment possibilities before implementing automation.

• Automating the process

After transforming a process into an automated application and making it work directly in your organization, you still have the option toanalyze performance. One automation platform This process will provide you with performance reports, which will give you additional opportunities to analyze the process and find ways to improve it.

The 7 benefits of process analysis for your organization

1. Increased efficiency

By breaking down and thoroughly analyzing your business processes before introducing an automation solution, you will give it the best chances of having a positive impact very quickly. You'll also know that the process is truly optimized, which will result in more efficient business processes, lower operating costs, and better customer service.

2. Satisfied employees

Nearly half of employees will leave their jobs because they are unhappy or frustrated with the technology used at work. Therefore, streamlined and optimized processes in modern applications will make them more productive and fulfilled. The key is a better retention rate and sustainable competence within your organization.

3. Better compliance

By taking the time to identify the points in your processes that require compliance checks, you will be able to integrate these controls into your automated workflow. This way, the people responsible for carrying out the process will know exactly how stay in compliance with all regulations. This greatly reduces the risk of fines or damage to your business reputation.

4. A deeper understanding of processes

Business process analysis provides you with clear and synthetic image of each stage of your processes. For example, by automating order management, you will see each step of the order fulfillment process and identify immediately redundancies or inefficiencies that cause delays and cost you money. This understanding will also facilitate the troubleshooting in case of problems with a supplier or an individual order.

5. Performance data

Are your processes as efficient as they should be? Answering this question will help you determine the urgency of automation and the most appropriate way to implement it. From there, you'll be able tosetting priorities in allocating resources in order to address process inefficiencies in order of priority to achieve the best results as quickly as possible.

6. Fewer bottlenecks

By breaking down your processes, you'll discover where the inefficiencies and bottlenecks are, giving you the power to adjust and optimize By correcting these efficiency issues before automation, your business will be more profitable and your customers happier.

7. Standardization across your organization

Process analysis is an opportunity to review how processes work across your organization. You can document effective work methods and use them to communicate processes to your employees, ensuring that tasks are completed consistently across the organization.

About StoryShaper:

StoryShaper is an innovative start-up that supports its customers in defining their digital strategy and the development of automation solutions tailor-made.

Sources: StoryShaper, Bizagi