Workflow automation apps continue to gain in prominence and popularity with business across industries. These powerful tools allow businesses to automate various aspects of their daily operations, and with machine learning and artificial intelligence continuing to advance, the tasks that can be automated continue to be more sophisticated and complex.
There are tons of different suites of software designed to help businesses take advantage of automation and improve efficiency, and it can be hard to choose which one is best for the needs of your specific task, industry, or business. While we can’t make the ultimate choice for you, we have narrowed the myriad of software down to our picks for the top 7 types of automation apps of 2021.
This list is, of course, by no means exhaustive, but it covers a range of software tools of varying sophistication, utility, functionality, and cost. For most businesses, one of these pieces of software will be more than enough to dramatically improve the efficiency of many aspects of business operation.
Not all businesses will, of course, have a use for some of these tools, but it goes to show the wide range of functions that this type of software can perform.
Compliance and Policy Management Software
In many industries, a big part of administrative work is ensuring that the business complies with various state, federal, or even international reporting and compliance rules. Depending on the industry, there will be a whole range of things that you will need to report either internally or externally. This is the aspect of business that is charged with keeping records safe, providing transparency and information to various agencies, and for managing the utility and outcomes related to various business policies.
This part of business typically relies a lot on manual data entry and communication which leaves a lot of room open for error. With applications like Comindware’s compliance and policy management software, businesses have a powerful set of tools that can manage, automatically, this all-important part of doing business.
CapEx Approval Process
Business operations need to be transparent and efficient to achieve the greatest level of success. Cost containment and management are also of vital importance. With automated capital expenditure approval process software, called CapEx, this process is more transparent and efficient than ever before.
With this type of automation, businesses can create and manage web forms and basic financial workflows with ease, and without the need for technology-savvy people to oversee the process. This makes the process much less time-consuming and allows you to create unique, customized expenditure requests in an easy-to-use interface.
Time off and Extended Leave
Everyone needs a day off on occasion and sometimes we have the opportunity to go on a nice, well-deserved vacation, but this needs to be properly handled in the workplace and can take up a lot of time in administrative work. In the past, when someone wanted a day off, they requested it from a supervisor, who may have then sent it to human resources or some other administrative office, before it ultimately gets approved and the employee gets the go-ahead. It is easy to see that this is an inefficient process that takes an unreasonable amount of time.
Just think, at any point in the process there could be a bottleneck because someone didn’t check their email in time or perhaps someone else forgot to copy an important party on an email. To figure it all out, there will need to be a lot of communication and email, which takes time that the employee may not have. With automation software designed for this task, the process of requesting and getting approved for time off is incredibly fast and pain-free.
Purchase Requests
One of the most important parts of a business is managing money that comes in and money that goes out. All businesses need supplies and materials to operate, which they have to purchase from elsewhere. Automation software streamlines this process and rather than requiring the communication and input from multiple employees before a purchase can be approved, the software does it automatically.
Employee Onboarding
Employee onboarding refers to the process of hiring new employees and getting them through proper training and orientation. Anyone who has participated in the hiring process knows how much paperwork is involved. These are vital processes, as they help a new employee learn the proverbial ropes of their new position. Automation software for employee onboarding takes a lot of the confusion out of this process and provides for a comprehensive and cohesive means of getting a new employee up to speed.
Travel Requests and Reimbursements
Business travel is part and parcel of most operations. It involves a lot of planning and legwork in terms of making sure everyone’s travel plans are solid, hotels have been booked, and the like. Once back from business travel, employees will turn in their receipts and other forms of proof of purchase to get reimbursed for the expenses they took out-of-pocket. With automation software designed to handle this part of business, the process is far more streamlined and time-efficient. Employees get reimbursed faster and less time has to be spent on arrangements.
Purchase Orders
Purchase orders refer to any purchases that are made concerning the business. This can happen when an employee is on the road or in the office. Often, the person who is in charge of this task is managing purchase orders in various states of completeness and this can get confusing. With automation software, this process is simplified and means that accounts will be resolved in far less time.
It is easy to see how automation software can dramatically benefit businesses of any shape and size. There are tons of tools in a workflow management software by Comindware for various aspects of business operation that provide powerful tools that reduce the time it takes to perform certain tasks, as well as reducing the likelihood of error or a bottleneck in progress.
