Do you know how automation can improve processes? Automation allows you and your team to have more time to spend on other tasks in your business. Instead of waiting for an email to arrive so you can respond quickly to a new client, you can focus on another task knowing that your clients will be taken care of.
If you automate your lead generation and new client onboarding processes, you also provide your clients with a better client experience. They don’t have to wait for someone to send an email because the automation will take care of that. In addition, a happy client is more likely to recommend you to their friends.
We used to think that our business would give up the personal touch if we used automation. That’s no longer the case. With automation tools today, you can still personalize your business and treat your customers with the respect they deserve. I would go as far as to argue that you actually will be treating them better because they will get a more timely response and move along in the process more quickly.
Document Your Processes
So, when was the last time you analyzed your processes? If it’s been awhile, you may find that there’s room for improvement.
Often when we first begin doing something new, we are simply focused on getting the job done and doing it well. We don’t really take the time to see if there’s a way we can do it better.
I do hope that at some point you documented the process in an SOP so you didn’t have to reinvent the wheel each time. Documenting the process in an SOP will save you and your team time in doing the process. But don’t stop there!
If you’ve been doing a process the same way for awhile, you need to take a serious look at how you are doing things and analyze if there may be a better way to get the job done by implementing automation.
To start, if you don’t have an SOP for the process, list each step of the process in a Google doc or create a flowchart. Be sure to list every single step. Do you send an email? List it. Do you add something to your project management tool? List it.
This activity will help you identify any gaps or if there’s an opportunity to add in some automation. If a team member helps complete this process, be sure to get them involved at this point.
Analyze Your Processes
Once you have your process down, begin to look at everything you are manually doing. Maybe even highlight those tasks so they become top-of-mind. Ask yourself if there’s a way to automate the process in that area. If you aren’t sure, ask around. Your friends may know or someone in a Facebook group may have an answer.
The other thing to do is to identify the points in the process that seem frustrating. Identify specifically what it is that is causing the frustration. Is it that an email isn’t getting sent to a potential lead in a timely manner? Or maybe a team member isn’t finding out that a task has been completed so she can begin working on her task.
Begin to search for answers to these problems. Most likely, there is a way to make most tasks within a process automated.
If you aren’t familiar with these kinds of answers, go in search of the answers. Once you find the answers, you can begin to implement the changes and fine tune your process.
Be sure to update your SOP as you go so everyone is clear on the new process. While you are at it, make sure you have a reminder set in your project management tool to review all your SOPs at least every six months.
The Benefits of Automating Your Processes
By taking the time to analyze and automate your processes, you will actually save time in the long run. Instead of having to send that email to a potential lead, your new software will do it for you. Wouldn’t that be nice?
Instead of chasing after emails in your inbox to make sure your clients are being served in a timely manner, you will be able to look in a project management tool to see what’s been done and by whom.
Ultimately, your goal should be to automate as much as you can and then have written processes for whatever you can’t. You and your team will save time. By having well thought out and documented processes, your team will be happier because they will know exactly what is expected of them.
Do You Need Help?
If you need help analyzing your process to find a more efficient way to get the job done, get in touch with me. Fill out my website contact form and schedule a call. I love the challenge of figuring out how automation can improve processes.
