The new era of modernising business processes

Garry Ackerman, CEO at Argantic

Automating paper-based business processes has been challenge and a costly exercise, but that has now changed. A new era of modernising business processes has arrived, there are tools available today that enable organisations to cost effectively automate all their processes.

Customers don't always realise the complexities of automating the simplest of paper-based processes. There is a total misconception that these processes are quick and easy to automate, they often don't understand the intricacies of information flow and integration between various systems.

Previously, there were general automation tools available. However, with all the complicated, sophisticated and unique business processes, companies needed to invest heavily in custom development. They then owner the software and needed to maintain it.

Furthermore, the biggest cost and most time-consuming exercise was building the integration between various systems. Transferring and recapturing data from one system to another was also a total waste of time and money.

However, there is now a cost-effective way using Microsoft 365 and Azure. This solution offers a cloud-based integration framework that reduces the time and cost significantly. This is an innovative approach to software development, businesses can now rent the infrastructure at a portion of the price on a 'pay-as-you-go' basis.

For example, with Azure Logic Apps one can quickly develop highly scalable integration solutions, it simplifies the way that one connects legacy and modern systems across cloud, on premises, and hybrid environments. It is a cloud-based platform for creating and running automated workflows that integrate apps, data, services and systems.

So if a company needs to automate a simple process like a leave approval or an expense claim, it can now be developed in a flash. A good example we experienced with month-end invoices. It would normally take 2 days and 3 operational finance staff to recapture information onto invoices. The new system automatically creates the draft invoices in minutes.

Many companies have ventured this path in the past and have hit a brick wall. Our message to them is, the brick wall is gone. Automating any paper-based business process is now simple and affordable. Companies can streamline repetitive tasks and paperless processes so that they can focus their attention where it’s needed most.

This new era of modernising business processes allows companies to keep all their existing systems, these automation tools have the ability to integrate the best of all worlds. Unlike the past where it took months and years, it is now possible to automate business processes in a few days.

The cost of manual processes is huge, companies that still expect clients to complete paper-based documents need to transform. It's now affordable and easy to automate any business process.