Many people tend to think of SaaS automation as a singular technology category. But in fact, there are different kinds of automation software. And it’s important to understand the differences between them, because they matter when you’re trying to understand what tools and technologies you need in your organization—and what benefits you can expect as a result.
Automation, generally, is the use of technology that reduces or minimizes human input, effort, assistance, or intervention. It should make work easier and faster, and it should reduce the need for manual work.
Sometimes it involves the use of AI, but it often doesn’t. Fundamentally, all you need is technology that can execute when/do commands; that is, when a particular thing happens, it needs to do something specific. Some automation tools require deep technical expertise. A lot of the technology is low-code or no-code software, which typically offers graphical user interfaces and drag-and-drop features that allow users to create automations they need without relying on IT or dev teams to do much, if anything.
The truth is, there are lots of categories of automation. One critical category is workflow automation.
But why is this kind of automation important? And what sets it apart?
A workflow is a string of tasks and actions that reside along the same logic branch and are conducted in conjunction with one another over time. Often, a workflow will involve multiple automation tools, like iPaaS (Integration Platform as a Service) or RPA (robotic process automation), at points throughout.
But workflow automation is more about a slightly bigger picture—not just automating individual tasks within the workflow, but the entirety of the workflow.
Because workflows in most organizations involve multiple people, teams, or departments, workflow automation also includes notifying or pulling in the right people at the right times. For example, if you need to execute a contract, the workflow may include:
Those steps represent multiple people and tasks, but most of them are simple and easily solved through automation. Notably, such a workflow involves a lot of communication—using some NLP (natural language processing) to scan an email and then automatically sending a requester a document is not a complex task. (It’s even easier if there’s a simple, intuitive way for requesters to ask for what they need.)
Workflow automation is a critical part of the automation landscape because it allows you to map out and automate entire projects end-to-end. But how does it fit into the larger landscape of SaaS automation?
You can think of the various types of automation as components of a larger whole.
Task automation is the act of automatically completing very specific, singular, and typically simple tasks. There are numerous types of task automation tools—like RPA, for example.
Because workflows are composed of multiple tasks, there can be multiple automated tasks within an automated workflow. Thus, workflow automation encompasses task automation.
Business process automation (BPA), or just “process automation,” sits a level above both. (Here’s a way to parse processes from workflows: Processes are things you need to do, whereas workflows are the ways you do them.) In the context of an organization, process automation covers any and all workflows throughout the company, including the various automation technologies you may employ at the task and workflow levels.
Then, there’s process orchestration. A process orchestration platform can execute, monitor, and manage entire business processes across systems and teams. You can think of sets of business processes as sections of an orchestra, and the process orchestration platform is the conductor. Thus, process orchestration makes process automation more powerful and efficient.
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Workflow automation is important to organizations because these processes are core to your business operations. “Manual” and “menial” don’t necessarily equate to “unimportant.” Those tasks may entail maintaining communication across departments or with external clients, collecting leads, managing invoices, making sure policies are being followed, chasing down this or that party for a signature or approval, and so on.
There are numerous benefits to workflow automation. Some are obvious and direct, while others are knock-on benefits.
For example, because workflow automation by definition replaces manual tasks and processes, it increases efficiency and productivity while saving labor costs (and freeing up skilled employees to do work that requires their creativity and expertise).
It also enables you to standardize processes across your organization, which helps ensure process adoption. That leads to less human error, and when automation tools offer visibility into automated processes, it also promotes accountability and compliance and thereby reduces risk.
Workflow automation is a key part of a process experience platform like Tonkean. Tonkean gives organizations a way to combine elements of other automation functionalities to orchestrate, monitor, and execute complex business processes.
Tonkean seamlessly wraps around your existing policies and systems, allowing you to do more with what you already have. And there’s no change management, and no code required.
Workflow automation capabilities matter to your organization for broader reasons, as well. They’re instrumental to improving your operations at the process level. When it comes to your operations, your processes are everything. They’re the means by which you scale efforts to improve performance, implement innovative technology, and mitigate risk. Making them faster, easier, more accurate, and more efficient will have significant positive impact on your organization
Learn more about how Tonkean uses workflow automation to solve business process challenges, or begin a free trial and check it out for yourself.
