Process Automation Software

In modern business practice it is quite popular to try different Process Automation Technologies (usually different sorts of process automation software) that are used to speed up performance, reduce the costs and allowance of defections on different working procedures and operations. Actually, while there are a big number of universal solutions boosting up performance (such as reducing turnover of papers in organization by transferring documents into digital formats), other areas of work may require a more specific approach starting with analysis of the needs. This turns into projects where every unit of money invested quickly brings significant outcome – employees become much more productive: they are able to produce much more during the same amount of time, and they need less resources to undertake their duties, etc. That workflow can be explained as a set of steps necessary to define the scope of work you would like to automate and objectives you want to reach, but basically in a result this effort can generate the following effects:

• Your business processes become more controllable and manageable;
• Your staff members obtain a better awareness and vision of their duties and goals;
• You can set and plan process goals in a more meaningful and objective manner;
• You can easily detect and measure job defections;
• You are able to plan work improvements in a more specific terms;

In order to select appropriate Software you need to complete the following steps (let’s consider them with a help of specific software example – VIP Task Manager which can be used to automate certain operations within your workflow):

• Framework – first of all it is necessary to determine the scope and constraints of the process you would like to automate – where/when the subjected process starts and ends its run, what means and operations it includes/requires, etc. For example: with a help of VIP Task Manager you can automate different working areas that are closely connected with collaboration between people on planning, reporting and tracking their work, goals, projects, etc;

• Operations – what operations (or tasks, steps, etc) are included into the scope of activities you would like to get automated? For example: VIP Task Manager can be used for the following operations which could seriously boost up your productivity:
  • Planning and sharing tasks, processes & projects in a paperless manner;
  • Sharing electronic documents associated with tasks or projects;
  • Instant collecting and communicating data pieces on performance reporting and feedbacks;
  • Calculating task durations and costs, working hours, wages, etc;
• Resources – this means a kind of matters which are used in process’s flow, let’s say it could be money (costs vs. budget), time, manpower, customer satisfaction rate, etc. For example: VIP Task Manager is an agile instrument for operating with matters such as  priorities of working tasks (assisting workers in concentrating their efforts at right things), tasks parameters (actual time vs. planned, etc), assignment of workloads (so you can examine if everyone is assigned to adequate responsibilities), and many other;

• Team – this a group of specialists engaged into the process performance. Everyone should get appropriate tools that facilitate his activities and enable him to get properly integrated into the common automated workflow. For example: VIP Task Manager allows everyone to get equal set of instruments on their computers – Task List to manage their daily to-do lists, Task Tree to manage hierarchies of tasks, and Calendar to display work on calendar, while all other specific tasks can be secured by settings of confidentiality;
• Time – this is a time which you are ready to invest into completing the effort (implementing your process automation software). For example: VIP Task Manager can be deployed over your LAN (corporate network) just in a few minutes, while it can be mastered during one-two business days.   

VIP Task Manager is recognized as effective task and time management solution for SME. Its features reside in providing workers and managers with virtual environment where they all can safely and quickly collaborate and report on their specific tasks, plan their individual productivity and agendas, and help in getting rid of excessive paper reports in work-related administrative relations.  This is not free software, but it provides you with free trial version to test out its features properly.