Common Misconceptions about BPA

In its broader definition, Business Process Automation (BPA) stands for the use of a set of automation tools to automate and streamline high-volume and repetitive processes that were traditionally carried out by humans.

The benefit of using BPA to streamline your workflow generally means lower operative cost as automation tools can work around the clock without feeling fatigue like humans. It also means significantly lesser to nearly zero errors, which humans are susceptible to. In all, workflow automation gives the promise of better accuracy and efficiency, while reducing operational cost and time taken to complete otherwise human-centric processes.

And in the past few years, we have seen the raid adoption of automation by businesses around the globe. Yet, there are certain common BPA misconceptions that persist that often deter enterprises from adopting this transformative technology.

This post aims to bust some of those myths and bring more clarity as to what BPA truly is.

Business Process Automation Myths to Be Aware of

• Automation is a job-killer

One of the first apprehensions that comes to everyone’s mind is that in the long run, automation would result in widespread displacement of jobs and eventually lead to the replacement of all human roles. While it’s true that machines can handle large-volume, repetitive tasks more efficiently than humans and with almost negligible error, the reality is much more subtle.

Reality: Instead of worrying about machines taking over our jobs, a better question to ask is: how does automation impact employee roles? Forget about killing jobs for humans; BPA solutions are designed in such a way as to enhance human efficiency and productivity. Instead of eliminating jobs, BPA would result in machines handling high-volume, repetitive tasks, freeing up time for humans to concentrate on more business-critical tasks. In short, it will lead to creation of new roles and opportunities and give humans the opportunity to upskill and engage in more complex, creative and value-added roles.

• BPA is expensive and complex

Many consider workflow automation as overly expensive and too complex to implement. While it’s true that the initial investment can be on the upper side, it’s important to consider the long-term benefits it brings not just in terms of cost but also efficiency.

Reality: Modern BPA tools are designed to be more cost-efficient and user-friendly (almost plug-and-play), which makes its deployment easy for businesses of any size. Besides, there are many BPA tools out there made available to you on software-as-a-service (SaaS) platform, which you can subscribe to on a monthly, quarterly, or annual basis, making them more affordable to you.

• BPA is only for larger enterprises

Another common BPA misconception is that it is for and benefit only larger businesses with substantial budget, as the initial cost could be high and only useful if there are a number of processes to be automated. However, this is far away from reality.

Reality: BPA benefits for small and medium businesses are many. Modern automation tools are so designed to suit businesses of all sizes, including SMEs. Unlike its predecessors, today there are many affordable, customizable and scalable automation solutions. Even if you start small now, you can scale it later to suit your growing business needs. In fact, a survey conducted by Zapier in 2021 has shown that 88% of SMEs were able to compete with larger organizations because of automation.

• Automation is only for IT department

Yet another common misconception about automation in business is that it only benefits IT departments, as it basically improves system efficiencies and helps with managing infrastructure.

Reality: Implementing BPA not only improves system efficiency but helps to bring substantial improvement across other business units too – it would bring overall enhancement to your organization’s productivity and operations. For example, in addition to customer service being handled by automated chat bots, enterprises can also benefit from automation in HR and finance.

• Automation is a one-time project

Last but not the least, yet another mistake that people make is to consider automation as flawless – as in, to think of it as a one-time-project, which once implemented requires no further attention.

Reality: Any kind of automation is a dynamic and ongoing process, and requires constant monitoring, auditing and human intervention for it to adapt to your growing business needs and technological advancements. Also, organizations must invest in training their employees, technical support and ongoing maintenance of BPA tools so as to ensure that it continues to deliver value.

The above-mentioned are some of the most common myths surrounding workflow automation. You might have heard about others but many of them are still about its cost-effectiveness, ease of implementation and the general fear that one day they will replace us in our working space.

Hope we have been able to alleviate some of your concerns, and if you’re looking to improve the efficiency of your business, DeepKnit AI is a one-stop solution provider that can deliver customizable, and scalable automation solutions to suit your business needs.