What is BPA?
Any business task that is performed regularly by following a repeatable set of steps is a business process. Any process steps that involve applying some clearly defined logic or actions to a set of inputs to generate an output are candidates for automation.
At its most basic, Business Process Automation (BPA) is little more than a fancy name for what all business software does. Any business that uses an ERP system like Sage 300 has already taken a significant step down the road of BPA, even if they haven’t thought of it in those terms.
That said, use of the term BPA, also referred to as workflow automation or Business Process Management (BPM), usually implies taking a rigorous approach to auditing business processes, identifying and prioritizing candidates for automation, and putting in place an action plan to realize the benefits that BPA can deliver.
Why do it?
Many benefits can be attributed to BPA, but most will fall into one of the following broad categories:
- Improved Productivity (e.g. cost reduction, more efficient use of resources, elimination of redundant or mundane tasks)
- Improved Service Delivery (e.g. consistency, speed, error reduction)
- Increased Transparency (e.g. status tracking, issue escalation, support for business intelligence)
Where to start?
It's hard not have noticed recent commentary about the prospect of radical business transformation, and indeed societal transformation, through the use of artificial intelligence and robotics. 'Digital Transformation' is also one of the hottest terms in the corporate world. While some will aspire to such radical changes, or be actively planning for them, the first steps in the BPA journey of most businesses will be much more prosaic.
A sensible starting point is to ensure you are making the most of the automation features your existing ERP system already offers. This includes examining how that capability can be easily and economically extended by the judicious use of 3rd party add-ons.
For users of Sage 300, this is where many of the modules developed by Orchid Systems come into their own.
