Business process management has always been a tricky undertaking, especially in the past when most organizations were relying on manual paper-and-pen oversight frameworks. Today, this would be relatively impossible, as companies rely upon speedy and efficient management capabilities to keep pace with the ever-accelerating market demands so many industries have had to navigate in the past few years. 

Rather than simply sticking to the script and using antiquated oversight procedures to ensure that all processes are being kept in optimal form, businesses can now leverage workflow automation tools that strengthen overall efficiency. Not only can companies more quickly reconcile problems within these procedures, they will also be able to maximize the intelligence of their operations through more timely attainment of data-driven insights. 

The most successful firms are often those that find ways to bolster efficiency and productivity in every corner of the business, with departments working in an integrated fashion to reach optimal performance across the board. Without automation solutions in place, this can be a highly tricky matter, especially in the digitally driven private sector that is increasingly reliant upon mobile workforce procedures and speedy data access to succeed. 

Luckily, many of the solutions available to businesses today have become more affordable, intuitive and powerful, ushering in a new era of workflow management that is rich with opportunities to grow and improve. The trick is to proactively initiate these deployments so as not to lose a step on the competition, as so many businesses have already started to leverage workflow automation to become more flexible and modernized. 

Government sets the bar
Public sector agencies have had to get more done with smaller budgets since the Great Recession struck, and automation solutions have been at the center of a wealth of strategies to do so on the local, state and federal levels. GCN recently reported that officials in Durham County, North Carolina, have started to leverage document workflow automation tools to maintain exceptional performance despite the myriad challenges ​the region's government has faced in the past few years. 

According to the news provider, the Social Services Department completely revamped its approach to document management by overhauling its paper filing systems and replacing them with digital ones, then implementing an automated tool to seamlessly connect the dots. Populations are expanding in many areas, including North Carolina, while the public sector has faced consistent budgetary restraints that have made it difficult to get the job done. 

This is similar to the ways in which the Great Recession forced private sector firms to deal with higher demand and not allow inefficiencies or waste to sprout up, as finances are generally tight. 

Officials from the Durham County have lauded the new workflow automation tool for its ability to streamline operations in several departments. 

"It has changed the way the department operates," Jerry Sawyer, the county's senior program analyst, told GCN. "It frees up human resources to do other things. It has freed up caseworkers so that they can concentrate on those who need services."

The source pointed out that one of the main focuses of this initiative was contained within the deployment of the solutions, as county managers had to ensure that all requirements were clearly defined and met in real-time. Simplification and optimization of policies and procedures, as well as the use of a reliable vendor of workflow automation solutions proved to get the job done in this regard. 

GCN added that this project has helped to relieve the county's departments of their reliance on paper, and is already improving the ebb and flow of process management. 

Corporate considerations
Since a few years ago, the federal government has continuously called upon its own agencies, as well as those at state and local levels, to become more efficient through the use of advanced digital technologies and the eradication of antiquated processes. Businesses should be taking lessons from these projects, understanding that they too can survive harsher economic climates when workflow and processes have been optimized across the board. 

Automation is not necessarily the only way to go, but it is certainly proving to be the most effective in boosting the financial and operational performances of businesses and government agencies more each year. As long as the firm has a highly tailored and refined plan in place for each stage of provisioning, implementation, integration and long-term management, the chances of succeeding in these initiatives will be high. 

Remember, whenever there is any doubt of internal departments' ability to get the workflow automation solutions into the corporate framework and off the ground, leveraging the services of a reliable vendor will likely be the best option. This way, investments in these technologies will not run the risk of coming back with low returns due to poor integration or use among employees.