In the blog post below, Power Platform Manager Spencer Parry offers a handy overview as to why business process automation is important for your business and how it can empower your employees.

In today’s digital world, businesses have to think fast and act fast to meet customer demands and keep up with the competition. Business process automation is a way for companies to streamline work processes and remove human error, so they can scale operations without adding additional staff.

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IT Automation

Ever since IT was “invented,” we have looked for ways to automate manual/repeatable tasks within the business to drive efficiency, accuracy and look to improve the overall experience of our customers. This can be small tasks such as your “out of office notification,” to full-blown end-to-end business process automation such as HR and accounting systems.

Business Efficiency

Business process automation (BPA) is the technology-enabled automation of activities or services that accomplish a specific function or task. BPA can streamline an organisation’s internal processes, reduce costs, and improve efficiency.

When designing or redesigning business processes, it is important to consider how they can be automated. There are many different types of software and tools available to help with business process automation. The most important factor in choosing the right solution is to identify the specific needs of the organisation and the processes that will be automated. Once you understand these needs, it is much easier to select the best solution.

It is also worth considering that your employees usually know best how things should be done. If they have any issues or improvements they can offer, it is worth listening to them. To illustrate the value of employee input, just imagine one of your employees suggested an improvement that saves 15 minutes per day, which could equate to 34 days saved over a single year. But instead of just listening to employees, why not provide them with the tools they need to make these “micro” improvements themselves?

The Power of Power Platforms

With Microsoft’s Power Platform, employees can implement small improvements that make an enormous difference to the business. When business processes are automated, it reduces human error and employees spend less time on repetitive tasks which leaves them with more time for more interesting work. Employees also know their contribution is helping the business and they are operating in an engaging environment where they are learning new skills. The further benefit of this is that you are more likely to retain staff for longer.

Microsoft Power Platform is an inclusive technology. Its ease-of-use creates a culture of innovation, helping you realise the untapped value you could not access before.

Whether you are just starting out with business process automation or you’re a seasoned pro, Microsoft’s Power Platform can help you take your business process automation to the next level. It is a suite of four products that can be implemented individually but come into their own when implemented together. These include:

Power BI: Data transformation and visualisation tool.
Power Apps: Build “low code, no code” apps
Power Automate: Build automation easily
Power Virtual Agents: Build intelligent chatbots.

Here at Telefónica Tech, we use the Power Platform extensively to automate our processes and those of our customers. If you don’t know where to start or are already on your Power Platform journey but are unsure if you are using it effectively, get in touch.