Business Process Automation (BPA) is the automation of complex business processes and functions using sophisticated technologies. BPA takes an entire business process and automates it from start to finish. This includes event-driven, mission-critical, core processes. BPA goes well beyond conventional data manipulation and record-keeping activities.

Introduction to Business Process Automation

You’re probably reading this because you’ve been introduced to the term Business Process Automation – or BPA – and you want to find out more. You’re definitely in the right place. Perhaps you’re intrigued about how BPA could transform your business, or you’ve already identified processes that need to be streamlined. Either way, you will learn all about BPA on this page. From how businesses use BPA to what exactly the different types of technology deliver. Of course, if you don’t find the answer you are looking for you can always ask us. First though, it’s important to establish whether Business Process Automation is right for you, so let’s start by defining BPA. Then you can be sure the following information will be useful.

Business Process Automation

Chapter 1:

What is Business Process Automation?
Business Process Automation

Business Process Automation refers to the use of advanced technology to deliver repeated processes in a business. It refers to the entire process, rather than a single step. Each step in the process automatically triggers the next, so you create entire workflows for core parts of your business. BPA would typically replace manual processes. It minimises costs, improves efficiency and streamlines processes.

Business Process Automation should not to be confused with Business Process Management, which is the discipline of process optimisation to improve agility and performance. BPM is not a type of technology.

BPA is designed to save time, free your staff to focus on other tasks and be able to run continuously with no breaks needed.

 

Chapter 2:

Business Process Automation solutions

There’s a selection of Business Process Automation technology solutions to choose from, depending on which requirements you need to address.

Find out more by clicking on the solutions.

Managed File Transfer

Managed File Transfer

Cloud MFT

Cloud MFT

Automated File Transfer

Automated File Transfer

Robotic Process Automation

Robotic Process Automation

Chapter 3:

Resources to help you research Business Process Automation

Video: The role of MFT in Digital Transformation

Find out how MFT is the glue supporting your digital transformation. It integrates legacy and new cloud-based systems, automates processes and delivers in-depth reporting and visibility.

Video: What is Robotic Process Automation

Robotic Process Automation (RPA) automates tasks that would ordinarily be done by a person. It is ideal for repetitive manual tasks. Find out how it can help your business become more efficient.

Digital Transformation White Paper

MFT underpins digital transformation. This White Paper explains how it transforms your operational processes through automation, integration, improved visibility, security and compliance. 

Chapter 4:

Who uses Business Process Automation?

These case studies are just some examples of how different industries have leveraged the power of Business Process Automation.

Banking

A bank with over a hundred branches and a thousand employees performed most processes manually. This was time consuming and error-prone. Now the bank uses RPA to update customer account information, onboard new employees, complete payroll processes and more. They also automated testing and validation of over 300,000 customer accounts for a core conversion to a new system. They have 75 software robots in production.

Robotic Process Automation in banking

Public Sector

A local council uses Managed File Transfer to securely move sensitive information to third-parties. That might include reports concerning a member of the public, or a contractual negotiation with a supplier.

MFT also allows members of the public or suppliers to securely send information to the council. Much like a self-addressed envelope, a council employee can send an empty package to the third party, in which they can place their files and send them back securely.

Finally, it is used instead of email for the simple and rapid transfer of very large or numerous files to suppliers.

Robotic process Automation in the public sector

Insurance

Closing out each month’s claims is a long manual process for insurance companies. RPA completely transforms this time consuming task. A process automatically starts and runs unattended throughout the night. It will send an email notification in the event of an application malfunction, giving peace of mind.

RPA can also be set up to generate reports for regulatory bodies, who often request them without notice. It integrates with existing applications, like Crystal Reports, the Infinity system and Microsoft Great Plains, providing regulators with the information they request simply and quickly. This faster, more accurate report creation saves multiple employees days of work per month.

Robotic Process Automation for Insurance

Retail

A retail organisation was processing and shipping £250 million of food nationwide each year. But the high volume of orders would tie up their staff with mundane repetitive tasks.  Employees were manually faxing customer order files to their warehouse.

The business now uses RPA. Customer order files are transferred automatically to their warehouse. Then RPA runs other essential processes like monitoring supply levels and making SQL updates to their database.

RPA reliably delivers the files on time, without any manual intervention or monitoring.

Robotic Process Automation for Retail

NHS and the healthcare industry

A medical organisation wanted to remove their reliance on certain file integration protocols owned by their former parent company. They used Managed File Transfer to simplify and manage their automated and manual data transfers. This gave greater control and a more secure, reliable flow of data.

This was particularly important for financial information such as invoices, orders and Bankers’ Automated Clearing Services (BACs) files, among many others.

Managed File Transfer  greatly reduced their reliance on multiple solutions.

Robotic Process Automation for the NHS

Chapter 5

The latest Business Process Automation tips and news

Three big things wrong with the Software Reviews Info-Tech MFT Data Quadrant

Three big things wrong with the Software Reviews Info-Tech MFT Data Quadrant As 2021 draws to a close, Software Reviews have released their latest Info-Tech MFT Data Quadrant. Regular readers of this blog will remember we highlighted concerns about the 2019 report – namely that several of the featured products weren’t actually managed file transfer (see our full 2019 review below ).So, what does the 2021 report look like, and is it a more accurate reflection of the marketplace?

read more

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