Business Process Automation Tool / BPA software

Business process automation (BPA) is the process of using software platforms to automate repetitive tasks that have been previously completed manually. The aim of incorporating BPA into a particular IT infrastructure is to enhance existing business processes and operations, as well as improve productivity and business efficiency.

The benefits of incorporating BPA into corporate solutions are limitless. A BPA solution is particularly beneficial to:

• Store all files in a centralized location, eliminating the need to rely on disparate systems and numerous digital files, such as Excel.
• Increase process efficiency, leading to business process optimization and effective workflow management.
• Enhance visibility into business operations and management processes, ensuring continuous process optimization and transparency.
• Minimize potential risks, preventing technological failures and recurring errors. 
• Reduce labor and operational costs, eliminating the need to invest in additional manpower and allowing employees to undertake higher-level activities.
• Improve security and compliance through the automation of tasks pertinent to the cybersecurity field.
• Bring customer service to the next level, resulting in process improvement, reducing wait times, and providing immediate updates.
• Pave the way to the digital transformation process, fostering the use of advanced solutions and technologies at all organizational levels.
• Facilitate data exchange between platforms through systems integrations.

The use cases of BPA are numerous and include the following:

• The automation of work processes that present high-level risks to humans.
• The completion of a diverse array of back-office operations, for example, the automation of reporting, related to customer service, finance, accounting, sales, inventory, and more
• Documentation handling, which is made possible through the automation of document flows.
• Data collection, further followed by data processing and data analytics.
• The automation of operations pertaining to HR and talent acquisition processes, including employee onboarding, offboarding, training, and more.

Without exaggeration, businesses of all sizes and across all industries can benefit from business process management and BPA platforms. Several prominent examples of verticals that massively tap into the power of BPA include manufacturing, construction, education, real estate, banking, healthcare, transportation, financial services, insurance, and more. To ensure workflow automation, business analytics, and an efficiency increase in addition to other significant benefits, companies integrate ERP systems, BPM software, and CRM platforms into their digital infrastructures.

The BPA process is typically composed of 4 important steps as set out below:

• Assessment and planning—involves evaluating current processes and workflows, as well as setting clear objectives and goals.
• Design and development—focuses on designing automated processes, selecting the right BPA tools, configuring these tools accordingly, and building automation workflows. 
• Implementation and deployment—the designed automation solution is implemented and deployed into a business environment, ensuring third-party API integrations.
• Monitoring and optimization—entails continuous monitoring of automated processes, as well as optimizing them according to user feedback, market changes, and more.

Before diving into the distinct differences between these two, let’s get to know what RPA (Robotic Process Automation) is all about. Put simply, RPA is the robotization of processes, where software robots complete rule-based manual tasks by imitating human workflows. When it comes to the discrepancies between BPA and RPA, RPA focuses on specific tasks kinda data entry, form filling, and data extraction. BPA aims to transform the entire way an organization operates. Both approaches contribute to operational excellence, but they address different aspects of process improvement.