Office Automation Definition:
Replacing manual, off-system office processes and workflows with automated systems that coordinate tasks and use business logic to make previously human decisions.
Office Automation Efforts Deliver Efficiency
Automation efforts in the office are intended to reduce manual processes, reduce paper use, and provide a consistent framework for getting work done accurately. This means digitizing tasks and paper-based processes. To do this, tasks are defined in a digital workflow tool and connected into a series of actionable, automated steps that are carried out consistently every time through office automation software.
Some back-office areas that can leverage an office automation system include:
- Finance
- Human Resources
- IT
- Marketing
- Sales
- Compliance
- Product Development
- Security/Maintenance
In many cases, even for large organizations, systems and “processes” routinely consist of people emailing spreadsheets and documents around for review. One classic example is one person emailing another person with information to be entered into another system, (e.g.”Please post this in the CRM!”). Another is someone making a request by emailing a PDF or Spreadsheet form to a departmental mailbox instead of entering the information directly into a digital form for automated routing, review, approval, and insertion into a common system.
Obviously, these are not best-in-class ways to handle the flow of information between people and systems. In fact, all these manual methods are more likely to frustrate and impede business goals rather than accomplish them.