How does Amazon process thousands of orders every minute during peak times? This is possible with business process automation (BPA), which efficiently manages inventory, updates stock levels, and handles shipments with pinpoint accuracy. Handling such tasks manually would be impossible at this scale.
Going a step further, what if you apply similar automation principles to areas such as finance, HR or marketing where repetitive tasks often reduce productivity? Continue reading, we actually are going to talk about it.
But before we dive into real-world examples and business process automation best practices, let’s take a moment—to understand what business process automation truly means.
What is business process automation?
Business process automation leverages technology to streamline and simplify repetitive tasks in organizations. It can take many forms, depending on the complexity and type of processes being automated. For example, robotic process automation (RPA) handles structured and repetitive tasks like migrating data between systems. For more advanced scenarios, AI-driven business process automation solutions tackle unstructured data, enabling processes like customer sentiment analysis or fraud detection. Meanwhile, low-code automation platforms empower businesses to create custom solutions without needing extensive programming expertise. Finally, business workflow automation tools enable multi-step processes, such as purchase order approvals or supply chain management.
However, before considering BPA implementation, take into account that initial implementation costs can be high, while poor planning may lead to automating inefficient processes, compounding existing issues.
To avoid these pitfalls, it’s recommended to consult with experts before diving into BPA implementation. BPA consultants will assess your unique needs, recommend the right tools, and ensure a seamless integration backed by ongoing support.
Example of business process automation: top 5 cases
1. Finance
Case: automating financial reporting.
According to PwC, task automation is a leading focus for improving finance and accounting processes, with 94% of companies actively investing in it. Automation streamlines repetitive tasks, boosts efficiency, and complements other initiatives like upskilling staff and enhancing data management systems, which are prioritized by 92% of organizations, as per the same source.
If your company handles large volumes of transactions and requires precise compliance with regulatory standards, this automation can be a game-changer. Business process automation solutions paired with RPA and low-code AI, automates the process of collecting, validating, and consolidating financial data into accurate, real-time reports. Let's look at an example.
For instance, imagine a retail company needs to generate quarterly financial reports for compliance and internal analysis. Traditionally, the finance team would manually extract data from multiple sources — ERP systems, bank records, sales databases, etc. They would then “clean” and consolidate this data before running calculations and formatting the final report. This process could take days.
Using low-code/no-code development alongside robotic process automation and AI tools, the company can develop a customizable solution that automates the data extraction, reconciliation, and reporting processes. This approach will enable rapid development and integration with existing systems. AI algorithms will further enhance reporting by identifying trends and anomalies in the financial data, offering actionable insights.
What results to expect:
- You can reduce the time spent on manual data collection and consolidation.
- Your team can focus more on strategic tasks instead of dealing with repetitive tasks.
- AI-driven insights enhance decision-making by highlighting trends and identifying issues in real time, offering a deeper understanding of financial performance.
- Improved compliance through constant updates and proper data formatting reduces the likelihood of errors that can lead to regulatory issues.
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2. Customer support
Case: automating request processing and response times during large sales events.
Customer support departments often face a high volume of inquiries, from technical issues to billing questions, making timely responses challenging. According to HubSpot, 92% of companies that implemented automation in their customer support processes saw improvements in response times, and 83% found it easier to address customer inquiries. This indicates the clear value of automation in improving operational efficiency and customer experience. Additionally, 79% of agents report that AI tools enhance their capabilities, empowering them to deliver exceptional customer service and handle tasks more effectively.
By deploying business automation solutions, paired with robotic process automation and AI-powered ticket/request triaging, e-commerce businesses can quickly categorize and prioritize customer requests based on urgency and issue type. Routine inquiries, such as checking order status or processing simple refunds, can be handled automatically by an AI chatbot. Meanwhile, more complex cases, such as shipping delays or product troubleshooting, are handed over to customer service agents who can provide personalized assistance.
For example, a large e-commerce platform typically experiences a significant increase in customer inquiries during “Black Friday”. With customer requests ranging from checking out product availability to updating shipping information, response times are often slow, and the system is overwhelmed.
By implementing BPA with AI-powered ticket triaging, the platform can automate the categorization of tickets into high-priority and routine issues. At the same time, a chatbot can handle basic queries, while critical issues are routed to human agents.
What results to expect:
- Automated ticket triaging can reduce response times and ensure that customers receive quick resolutions during peak times.
- By automating routine tasks, support agents can focus on complex cases.
- The automated system can handle more inquiries during large sales events without requiring additional staffing.
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3. Marketing
Case: automating email campaigns for product launches.
Marketing teams often face the challenge of efficiently managing outreach during product launches, where timely communication and personalization are crucial. Leveraging business automation services, like BPA tools integrated with CRMs, ensures that marketing efforts are streamlined, effective, and tailored to the audience.
For instance, a small skincare brand is about to release a new moisturizer. They are looking for a targeted and scalable way to notify their subscriber base, provide tailored content, and drive pre-orders.
By using BPA tools integrated with their CRM, the brand can automate their email marketing campaign. What’s more, subscribers are segmented based on purchase history, preferences, and location. Each segment receives personalized emails featuring relevant product benefits, testimonials, and exclusive offers. The automation system schedules follow-ups based on user interactions — such as opening emails or clicking on links.
What results to expect:
- Automation ensures quick and timely delivery of emails to all subscribers, critical for time-sensitive campaigns.
- Personalization and targeted messaging often lead to better interaction, with more subscribers opening and responding to emails.
- Pre-orders or early purchases can significantly increase due to precise targeting and clear communication.
4. Sales
Case: automating customer data aggregation for targeted campaigns.
In sales, understanding customer behavior and preferences is essential for creating effective strategies. Manually collecting and analyzing data from multiple sources can be both time-consuming and error-prone.
For instance, a mid-sized retail company wants to streamline customer data coming from various touchpoints like website interactions, email campaigns, and in-store purchases. Their sales team finds it difficult to segment customers effectively for targeted campaigns due to disorganized data spread across different systems.
By implementing a BPA system integrated with their CRM and marketing tools, the company can automate the process of aggregating customer data. The system will pull information from all sources, such as purchase history, browsing behavior, and email engagement, into a single platform. Besides, using AI-driven analytics, the system will categorize customers into segments based on factors like purchase frequency, average spend, and product preferences.
What results to expect:
- All data is accessible in one place, giving the sales team a comprehensive view of customer behavior.
- Automated segmentation allows the team to create highly targeted campaigns based on real-time customer data.
- Insights like the most popular product categories and buying trends help refine sales pitches and promotions.
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5. Human resources
Case: automating employee onboarding processes.
Employee onboarding is one of the most time-intensive tasks for HR teams. This part involves document collection, compliance training, IT setup, and introductions to company culture. A manual approach often leads to delays, inconsistencies, and a “lackluster” experience for new hires. This can impact their engagement and productivity from day one.
Consider an example: an IT services company that hires dozens of employees monthly faced significant delays in getting new hires up and running. Manually collecting forms, scheduling training sessions, and assigning resources took weeks, leaving employees frustrated.
By implementing business automation services, the company can automate the following:
- New hire documents can be sent, signed, and stored electronically using e-signature software integrated with the HR management system.
- A workflow triggers automated IT setup requests, ensuring that laptops, email accounts, and software licenses are ready on day one.
- Pre-recorded compliance and introductory training materials are automatically assigned based on the hire’s role, allowing self-paced learning.
What results to expect:
- With business document automation, employees are fully onboarded and productive within their first week.
- Standardized processes can reduce errors and ensure all necessary steps are completed for every hire.
- HR teams can spend significantly less time on repetitive tasks, focusing instead on personalized aspects of onboarding, such as one-on-one introductions or feedback.
Explore how our team developed a comprehensive HR portal built on Retool and customized it to the client's unique needs. The result was increased flexibility, regional adaptability, and cost savings.
Conclusion
Business process automation simplifies tasks, accelerates workflows, and reduces costs across departments such as finance, HR, marketing, and customer support. For example, AI tools can automate ticket triaging in customer support, while RPA streamlines invoicing in finance. Tools for business workflow automation ensure that multi-step processes, such as purchase approvals or employee onboarding, run seamlessly, while business document automation handles contracts and compliance documents efficiently. Together, these solutions help businesses maintain accuracy and meet regulatory standards with ease.
From automating repetitive tasks to empowering teams with actionable insights, BPA drives efficiency and boosts productivity across the board. The result? Businesses can focus on innovation and strategic goals instead of operational bottlenecks.
Our Akveo team can assist you in creating tailored business process automation solutions that are designed to fit your unique needs. How about making your business more efficient together? Feel free to get in touch with us!
Billing Automation for a SaaS Company with Low-Code
Our client needed a robust billing solution to manage hierarchical licenses, ensure compliance, and automate invoicing for streamlined operations.
The solution:
We developed a Retool-based application that supports multi-tiered licenses, automates invoicing workflows, and integrates seamlessly with CRM and accounting platforms to enhance financial data management.
The result:
- Achieved 100% adherence to licensing agreements, mitigating penalties.
- Automated invoicing and workflows reduced manual effort significantly.
- Dashboards and reports improved decision-making and operational visibility.
Retool Dashboards with HubSpot Integration
Our client needed a centralized tool to aggregate account and contact activity, improving visibility and decision-making for the sales team.
The solution
We built a Retool application integrated with HubSpot, QuickMail, and Clay.com. The app features dashboards for sorting, filtering, and detailed views of companies, contacts, and deals, along with real-time notifications and bidirectional data syncing.
The result
- MVP in 50 hours: Delivered a functional application in just 50 hours.
- Smarter decisions: Enabled data-driven insights for strategic planning.
- Streamlined operations: Reduced manual tasks with automation and real-time updates.
Lead Generation Tool to Reduce Manual Work
Our client, Afore Capital, a venture capital firm focused on pre-seed investments, aimed to automate their lead generation processes but struggled with existing out-of-the-box solutions. To tackle this challenge, they sought assistance from our team of Akveo Retool experts.
The scope of work
The client needed a tailored solution to log and track inbound deals effectively. They required an application that could facilitate the addition, viewing, and editing of company and founder information, ensuring data integrity and preventing duplicates. Additionally, Afore Capital aimed to integrate external tools like PhantomBuster and LinkedIn to streamline data collection.
The result
By developing a custom Retool application, we streamlined the lead generation process, significantly reducing manual data entry. The application enabled employees to manage inbound deals efficiently while automated workflows for email parsing, notifications, and dynamic reporting enhanced operational efficiency. This allowed Afore Capital's team to focus more on building relationships with potential founders rather than on administrative tasks.
Retool CMS Application for EdTech Startup
Our client, CutTime, a leading fine arts education management platform, needed a scalable CMS application to improve vendor product management and user experience.
The scope of work
We developed a Retool application that allows vendors to easily upload and manage product listings, handle inventory, and set shipping options. The challenge was to integrate the app with the client’s system, enabling smooth authentication and product management for program directors.
The result
Our solution streamlined product management, reducing manual work for vendors, and significantly improving operational efficiency.
Building Reconciliation Tool for e-commerce company
Our client was in need of streamlining and simplifying its monthly accounting reconciliation process – preferably automatically. But with a lack of time and low budget for a custom build, development of a comprehensive software wasn’t in the picture. After going through the case and customer’s needs, we decided to implement Retool. And that was the right choice.
The scope of work
Our team developed a custom reconciliation tool designed specifically for the needs of high-volume transaction environments. It automated the processes and provided a comprehensive dashboard for monitoring discrepancies and anomalies in real-time.
The implementation of Retool significantly reduced manual effort, as well as fostered a more efficient and time-saving reconciliation process.
Creating Retool Mobile App for a Wine Seller
A leading spirits and wine seller in Europe required the development of an internal mobile app for private client managers and administrators. The project was supposed to be done in 1,5 months. Considering urgency and the scope of work, our developers decided to use Retool for swift and effective development.
The scope of work
Our developers built a mobile application tailored to the needs of the company's sales force: with a comprehensive overview of client interactions, facilitated order processing, and enabled access to sales history and performance metrics. It was user-friendly, with real-time updates, seamlessly integrated with existing customer databases.
The result? Increase in productivity of the sales team and improved decision-making process. But most importantly, positive feedback from the customers themselves.
Developing PoC with Low Code for a Tour Operator
To efficiently gather, centralize, and manage data is a challenge for any tour operator. Our client was not an exception. The company was seeking to get an internal software that will source information from third-party APIs and automate the travel itinerary creation process. Preferably, cost- and user-friendly tool.
The scope of work
Our experts ensured the client that all the requirements could be covered by Retool. And just in 40 hours a new software was launched. The tool had a flexible and easy-to-use interface with user authentication and an access management system panel – all the company needed. At the end, Retool was considered the main tool to replace the existing system.
Testing New Generation of Lead Management Tool with Retool
Our client, a venture fund, had challenges with managing lead generation and client acquisition. As the company grew, it aimed to attract more clients and scale faster, as well as automate the processes to save time, improve efficiency and minimize human error. The idea was to craft an internal lead generation tool that will cover all the needs. We’ve agreed that Retool will be a perfect tool for this.
The scope of work
The project initially began as a proof of concept, but soon enough, with each new feature delivered, the company experienced increased engagement and value.
We developed a web tool that integrates seamlessly with Phantombuster for data extraction and LinkedIn for social outreach. Now, the company has a platform that elevates the efficiency of their lead generation activities and provides deep insights into potential client bases.
Building an Advanced Admin Portal for Streamlined Operations
Confronted with the need for more sophisticated internal tools, an owner of IP Licensing marketplace turned to Retool to utilize its administrative functions. The primary goal was to construct an advanced admin portal that could support complex, multi-layered processes efficiently.
The scope of work
Our client needed help with updating filters and tables for its internal platform. In just 30 hours we've been able to update and create about 6 pages. Following features were introduced: add complex filtering and search, delete records, styling application with custom CSS.
Together, we have increased performance on most heavy pages and fixed circular dependency issues.
Creating MVP Dashboard for Google Cloud Users
Facing the challenge of unoptimized cloud resource management, a technology firm working with Google Cloud users was looking for a solution to make its operations more efficient. The main idea of the project was to create an MVP for e-commerce shops to test some client hypotheses. Traditional cloud management tools fell short.
The scope of work
Determined to break through limitations, our team of developers turned Retool. We decided to craft an MVP Dashboard specifically for Google Cloud users. This wasn't just about bringing data into view; but about reshaping how teams interact with their cloud environment.
We designed a dashboard that turned complex cloud data into a clear, strategic asset thanks to comprehensive analytics, tailored metrics, and an intuitive interface, that Retool provides. As the results, an increase in operational efficiency, significant improvement in cost management and resource optimization.
Elevating CRM with Custom HubSpot Sales Dashboard
Our other client, a SaaS startup, that offers collaborative tools for design and engineering teams, was on a quest to supercharge their sales efforts. Traditional CRM systems were limited and not customizable enough. The company sought a solution that could tailor HubSpot to their workflow and analytics needs.
The scope of work
Charged with the task of going beyond standard CRM functions, our team turned to Retool. We wanted to redefine how sales teams interact with their CRM.
By integrating advanced analytics, custom metrics, and a user-friendly interface, our developers provided a solution that transformed data into a strategic asset.
In 40 hours, three informative dashboards were developed, containing the most sensitive data related to sales activities. These dashboards enable our customer to analyze sales and lead generation performance from a different perspective and establish the appropriate KPIs.
Building a PDF Editor with Low-Code
Our client, a leading digital credential IT startup, needed a lot of internal processes to be optimized. But the experience with low-code tools wasn’t sufficient. That’s why the company decided to hire professionals. And our team of developers joined the project.
The scope of work
The client has a program that designs and prints custom badges for customers. The badges need to be “mail-merged” with a person’s info and turned into a PDF to print. But what is the best way to do it?
Our developers decided to use Retool as a core tool. Using custom components and JavaScript, we developed a program that reduced employees' time for designing, putting the data, verifying, and printing PDF badges in one application.
As a result, the new approach significantly reduces the time required by the internal team to organize all the necessary staff for the conference, including badge creation.
