How does Amazon process thousands of orders every minute during peak times? This is possible with business process automation (BPA), which efficiently manages inventory, updates stock levels, and handles shipments with pinpoint accuracy. Handling such tasks manually would be impossible at this scale.
Going a step further, what if you apply similar process automation principles to areas such as finance, HR, or marketing where repetitive tasks often reduce productivity? Continue reading, we are actually going to talk about it.
But before we dive into real-world business process automation examples and best practices, let's take a moment to understand what business process automation truly means.
What is business process automation?
Business process automation leverages technology to streamline and simplify various tasks in organizations. It can take many forms, depending on the complexity and type of processes being automated.
What are examples of automated processes? For instance, robotic process automation (RPA) can handle structured tasks like migrating data between systems. For more advanced scenarios and more complex business processes, it is possible to use AI-driven solutions. They can tackle unstructured data, enabling processes like customer sentiment analysis or fraud detection.
Meanwhile, low-code automation platforms empower companies to create custom solutions for business process management without needing extensive programming expertise. Tools for automating business workflows can really help with complex tasks, like handling purchase order approvals or keeping supply chains running smoothly.
That said, it’s worth taking a step back before diving in. Setting things up can be expensive, and if the process you’re automating isn’t well thought out, you might just end up locking in the same problems – only faster.
To avoid these pitfalls and save time and money, it's recommended to consult with experts before diving into automating manual tasks with any solutions that you have never heard of before.
BPA services consultants will assess your unique needs, recommend the right automation platform, help to build efficient workflows, and ensure a seamless integration backed by ongoing support.
Business process automation examples: Top 6 cases
1. BPA software for finance
Case: automating financial reporting.
According to PwC, business process automation is a leading focus for improving efficiency in finance and accounting processes, with 94% of companies actively investing in it.
Automation streamlines time-consuming tasks, boosts efficiency, and complements other initiatives like upskilling staff and enhancing data management systems, which are prioritized by 92% of organizations, as per the same source.
If your company handles large volumes of transactions and requires precise compliance with regulatory standards, this automation can be a game-changer. Business process automation solutions paired with RPA and low-code AI, help to optimize the processes of collecting, validating, and consolidating financial data into accurate, real-time reports. Let's look at an example.
For instance, imagine a retail company needs to generate quarterly financial reports for compliance and internal analysis. Traditionally, the finance team would manually extract data from multiple sources – ERP systems, bank records, sales databases, etc. They would then “clean” and consolidate this data before running calculations and formatting the final report. This process could take days.
Using low-code/no-code development alongside RPA and artificial intelligence tools, the company can develop a customizable solution that automates the data extraction, reconciliation, and reporting processes.
This approach will enable rapid development and integration with existing systems. AI algorithms will further enhance reporting by identifying trends and anomalies in the financial data, offering actionable insights.
What results from automating business processes to expect:
- You can reduce the time spent on such business processes as manual data collection and consolidation.
- Your team can focus more on strategic tasks instead of dealing with routine tasks.
- AI-driven insights enhance decision-making by highlighting trends and identifying issues in real time, offering a deeper understanding of financial performance.
- Improved compliance through constant updates and proper data formatting reduces the likelihood of errors that can lead to regulatory issues.
2. How to automate business processes in customer support
Case: automating request processing and response times during large sales events.
Customer support departments often face a high volume of inquiries, from technical issues to billing questions, making timely responses challenging.
According to HubSpot, 92% of companies that implemented process automation in their customer support processes saw improvements in response times, and 83% found it easier to address customer inquiries.
This indicates the clear value of automation in improving operational efficiency and customer experience. Additionally, 79% of agents report that AI software solutions enhance their capabilities and reduce manual errors, empowering them to deliver exceptional customer service and handle tasks more effectively.
By deploying business process automation solutions, paired with robotic process automation and AI-driven ticket/request triaging, e-commerce companies can quickly categorize and prioritize customer requests based on urgency and issue type.
Routine business operations, such as checking order status or processing simple refunds, can be handled automatically by a chatbot powered by artificial intelligence technologies, including natural language processing (NLP) and machine learning (ML).
Meanwhile, more complex cases, such as shipping delays or product troubleshooting, are handed over to customer service agents who can provide personalized assistance.
For example, a large e-commerce platform typically experiences a significant increase in customer inquiries during “Black Friday”. With customer requests ranging from checking out product availability to updating shipping information, response times are often slow, and the system is overwhelmed.
By implementing business process automation software with AI-powered ticket triaging, the platform can automate the categorization of tickets into high-priority and routine issues.
At the same time, a chatbot can handle basic queries, while critical issues are routed to human agents.
What results to expect from implementing intelligent automation:
- Automated ticket triaging can reduce human intervention and response times, which ensures that customers receive quick resolutions during peak times.
- By automating repetitive tasks, support agents can focus on complex cases.
- The automated system can handle more inquiries during large sales events without requiring additional staffing.
3. Business process automation examples in marketing
Case: automating email campaigns for product launches.
Among business process automation examples, we should also mention solutions for marketing teams.
Marketing teams often struggle to stay on top of outreach during a product launch – especially when timing and personalization really matter.
That’s where business automation comes in. When tools like BPA are connected to your CRM, they can help keep everything organized and make sure your messages actually reach the right people, at the right time, in the right way.
For instance, a small skincare brand is about to release a new moisturizer. They are looking for a targeted and scalable way to notify their subscriber base, provide tailored content, and drive pre-orders.
By using business process automation platforms integrated with their CRM systems, the brands can automate their email marketing campaigns.
What's more, subscribers are segmented based on purchase history, preferences, and location. Each segment receives personalized emails featuring relevant product benefits, testimonials, and exclusive offers. The automation system schedules follow-ups based on user interactions, such as opening emails or clicking on links.
What results to expect:
- Automation of manual processes ensures quick and timely delivery of emails to all subscribers, critical for time-sensitive campaigns.
- Personalization and targeted messaging often lead to better interaction, with more subscribers opening and responding to emails.
- Pre-orders or early purchases can significantly increase as automation tools can ensure precise targeting and clear communication.
4. Business process automation examples in sales
Case: automating customer data aggregation for targeted campaigns.
In sales, knowing what your customers want and how they behave is key to building smart strategies. But when your team is stuck manually gathering data from all over – like websites, emails, and in-store systems – it eats up time and leaves plenty of room for mistakes.
Take a mid-sized retail company, for example. They’re trying to get a clear picture of their customers, but the data is scattered across different platforms. Because of that, their sales team struggles to group customers for targeted campaigns – it’s just too messy.
By bringing in a business process automation (BPA) system that connects with their CRM and marketing tools, they can fix that. The system pulls data from everywhere – what people are buying, how they browse online, what emails they click – and puts it all in one place.
Then, with AI helping out, it can automatically group customers based on things like how often they buy, how much they spend, or what kinds of products they like – making personalized campaigns much easier to run.
What results to expect:
- All data is accessible in one place, giving the sales team a comprehensive view of customer behavior.
- Automated segmentation allows the team to create highly targeted campaigns based on real-time customer data.
- Insights like the most popular product categories and buying trends help refine sales pitches and promotions.
5. Business process automation (BPA) in Human Resources
Case: automating employee onboarding processes.
Employee onboarding is one of the most time-intensive tasks for HR teams. This part involves document collection, compliance training, IT setup, and introductions to company culture.
A manual approach often leads to delays, inconsistencies, and a “lackluster” experience for new hires. This can impact their engagement and productivity from day one.
Imagine an IT company that hires dozens of people every month. The problem? Getting new hires up and running was taking way too long. Forms had to be collected by hand, someone had to manually schedule training, and equipment was assigned one by one. It dragged on for weeks, and new employees were left feeling stuck and annoyed.
By automating much of that process, the company can speed things up and make sure everything’s ready from day one. Here’s what that could look like:
- New hire documents can be sent, signed, and stored electronically using e-signature software integrated with the HR or payroll services management system.
- A workflow triggers automated IT setup requests, ensuring that laptops, email accounts, and software licenses are ready on day one.
- Pre-recorded compliance and introductory training materials are automatically assigned based on the hire's role, allowing self-paced learning.
What results to expect:
- With business document automation, employees are fully onboarded and productive within their first week.
- Standardized processes can reduce errors and ensure all necessary steps are completed for every hire.
- HR teams can spend significantly less time on repetitive tasks, focusing instead on personalized aspects of onboarding, such as one-on-one introductions or feedback.
Take a look at how we built a custom HR portal using Retool, tailored specifically to what our client needed. The final result? A more flexible system, better support for different regions, and noticeable cost savings.
6. Automation solutions for project management
In project management, automation has quietly become a lifesaver. Instead of wasting time assigning tasks one by one, checking in on progress, or pulling together status reports, teams can set up workflows that take care of all that behind the scenes. It doesn’t just save time – it helps keep projects moving without constant back-and-forth or reminders.
Traditional project management automation examples include:
- Task assignment and prioritization. Such tools can automatically assign tasks to team members based on workload, deadlines, or project phases.
- Deadline alerts. Process automation solutions can notify team members when deadlines are approaching.
- Recurring workflows. Teams can set up templates and recurring task structures for routine projects or sprints. Tools like Jira offer built-in Jira automation features that allow teams to handle recurring work without manual effort.
- Status updates. Process automation tools can trigger reminders for task owners to update progress. Teams can also use bots to collect status reports at set intervals.
What results from process automation to expect:
- Teams save hours per week on administrative tasks like status updates, reporting, and coordination.
- Automation allows project managers to work with more complex and larger-volume projects without increasing workload.
- Stakeholders gain instant access to project progress through automated dashboards.
- Automated processes increase visibility and reduce the risk of oversight or miscommunication.
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Conclusion
Business process automation helps teams work smarter by taking care of repetitive tasks, speeding up workflows, and cutting down on costs. It’s used across all kinds of departments – finance, HR, marketing, customer support – you name it.
For instance, AI can help sort support tickets so they reach the right person faster, and RPA can handle invoicing without all the back-and-forth. Workflow automation tools keep things like purchase approvals or onboarding running smoothly, while document automation takes care of contracts and compliance paperwork without the hassle.
In short, it helps businesses stay accurate, efficient, and on top of their responsibilities.
From automating routine tasks to empowering teams with actionable insights, BPA improves efficiency, helps to save time, optimizes processes, reduces human errors, and boosts productivity across the board.
The result? Businesses can focus on innovation and strategic goals instead of operational bottlenecks, even in complex workflows.
Our Akveo team can assist you in developing the best automation strategy and creating tailored business process automation solutions that are designed to fit your unique needs. How about making your business more efficient together? Feel free to get in touch with us!
