Less is more: advantage through automation

Software developers are the silent heroes in many companies. The key differentiator that often sets developers apart from others is their smart use of automation across their day-to-day work. By automating repetitive processes, developers are able to invest their resources in solving more complex problems. If that principle was adopted and implemented across all areas of business, the rewards would be great — and companies would find themselves in a better position to keep pace in the fast moving, new world of work.

Fewer manual tasks, more capacity for strategic focus

Tasks that don’t need the added value of human thinking, where the system or process remains largely unchanged and predictable, should instead be automated into a workflow to boost efficiency and reduce errors.

So, what’s a workflow and how can businesses automate it? Well, simply put, a workflow is a sequence of tasks from start to finish that allow you to get work done. There are powerful platforms out there that can help you automate your workflow — from ticket lodgement on IT issues to templated forms sent to employees on their first day for onboarding.

For SMEs, ‘embrace automation’ is far from a new message. But, as years have gone by, it was easier said than done. And with good reason — in the past, getting different computer platforms to speak to one another was a time-consuming task that often involved a lot of coding and expensive bills. For small businesses with limited resources, frankly, it was hardly worth the effort. The good news is that this is no longer the case.

Suppose you have a collaboration platform, like Slack, that allows your team members to message each other in real time. Depending on which platform you use, you can easily set up some integrations that will pull information from your other apps into your shared discussion. Most importantly, these integrations don’t rely on writing code for complicated APIs to set up.

Less pointless meeting time, more valuable work time

During the pandemic, we quickly moved to remote working models. Today, hybrid work arrangements are a permanent fixture for many organisations. But one of the consequences of this new way of working is videoconferencing fatigue. Companies need to look critically at the meetings they’re having to assess whether there are better ways to align and share updates — other than yet another meeting.

For example, technology companies typically have regular stand-up meetings to ensure everyone is aligned on priorities. For a fast-growing technology company with teams working across different time zones, the hours spent every week catching up on simple work updates in face-to-face or video meetings could be cut down to minutes, if people used a workflow solution to asynchronously update their status.

If your business has staff who work remotely, you can set up dedicated group channels for discussing projects. This doesn’t just avoid too many meetings, it also ensures you don’t create too much ‘noise’ for staff members who don’t need to be looped in on every detail of your work conversations. You can still organise video calls for stand-ups to discuss your priorities for the day, but smart, automated messages in your group chats will allow your team to check in on progress following this initial meeting. Afterwards, teams could move the conversation into group channels and private messages for further collaboration.

Less coordination time, more effective asynchronous work

As the world increasingly adopts hybrid ways of working and teams collaborate across time zones, the need for tools, workflows and processes that cater to the new world of work is essential.

By implementing automated workflows, you can ensure there’s an organisation-wide awareness of key initiatives, events and partnerships, from coordination to actual execution — allowing your team members more time to concentrate on core tasks.

Automating tasks in your business not only enhances productivity, but also leaves your team feeling empowered by the projects they’re working on. Alleviating your people from routine tasks for critical thinking, creativity and collaboration will ensure new and innovative ideas are at the forefront, allowing for long-term competitive advantage.

Image credit: ©stock.adobe.com/au/AndSus