Don't make it more complicated than it is...

Think business process automation is too difficult? Think again.

Riddle: A father and his son are in a car accident. The father dies instantly, and the son is taken to the nearest hospital. The doctor comes in and exclaims, "I can't operate on this boy."
"Why not?" the nurse asks.
"Because he's my son," the doctor responds.
How is this possible? 
Answer: The doctor is the boy's mother.

You probably heard this riddle long ago and many times since then. Be honest...the first time you heard it, it was probably a little difficult to figure out. It makes perfect sense after we know the answer. It's not as complicated as it first seems.

Business process automation, too, can be as deceptively simple as this riddle. Unfortunately, from our internally focused point of view, our business processes may seem overwhelmingly complex. We assume that there's no possible way a software solution could ever simplify our business processes. Ours are far more complicated than everyone else's. 

As explained in the article Don’t Panic, It May be Simpler than you Think! Business Processes and Business Rules need not be Complex, "By separating your process and business logic into their appropriate, and separate models, you will likely discover that your processes are simpler than you think."

As further advised in the article Developing an Enterprise Vision for Business Process Automation, "Streamlining for efficiency is always a wise move, but automation of every business process isn't always possible or practical. Understand why each process is being considered for potential automation." 

The article goes on to recommend that you distinguish whether your end goal is to:

• Reduce costs
• Improve cash flow
• Shorten turnaround times
• Improve service
• Mitigate non-compliance penalties or other risks
• Grow faster, efficiently

These answers will help you set realistic expectations, goals, budgets, and timelines for your business process automation project.

The bottom line:

If you're putting off automating your business processes with ECM because you think it's just too difficult, take a second look. It might be easier than you expect. Break it down logically and decide exactly which processes should be automated and appropriately separate those processes into models.

Talk with us:

Still think you need a little help? Contact us. We have the experience to know that, while ECM may not be as easy as loading an app onto your iPhone, it's certainly not rocket science.

For more information or to schedule a demonstration, please Contact DocFinity now.