The digitalization of business processes - why digitalize common processes and business processes?

How does a company manage to work more efficiently? How can employees reach their full potential and what ensures smooth workflows? If you start digitalizing your business processes now, you are backing the right horse. Digitalizing business processes creates the conditions for efficient operational workflows. Find out how it works with the digitalization of business processes.

Every business process consists of interdepartmental activities that influence each other and pursue a common goal. The many different processes are sometimes more and sometimes less interrelated. However, they all are part of the value chain of an enterprise, because they all ensure the business success of a company. For this to work in the long term, the digitalization of business processes is essential.

Processes on the operational level always begin with an exchange of data and information. The amount of data that has to be managed, processed, sorted and archived daily by employees and managing directors has increased immensely. Asset- and paper-based processes used to work well in the past because of their manageability, but today they have no future. Digitalizing processes means saving time and investing it in profitable projects.

Business processes are, as already briefly outlined, interrelated and mutually influencing activities or procedures that are executed step by step. They always serve to create a certain result. Input is followed by output. The big overall goal is to increase the added value.

Every company has to cope with a multitude of processes every day. Requests from employees are completed, agreed upon and submitted, the department concerned must read them, reject or approve them, forward them and send them back to the employee. It’s hard to believe, but in many companies such a process still runs with a handwritten form. Everyone is aware of the amount of time involved, which will be significantly reduced with the digitalization of business processes.

So, the question is not whether, but which business processes can be digitalized and how it is best to proceed. We at Appollo Systems support you in identifying business processes which we digitalize together and accompany you on the way to a holistic and individual digitalization of business processes. On the basis of a digital strategy and a digitalization concept, we make your processes as efficient as possible in terms of profitability and success.

Expect the following services in the context of business process digitalization:

• Analysis of the status quo of your IT systems and business processes
• critical evaluation of all results
• Development of solution proposals and a comprehensive digitalization strategy
• Development of prototypes and demos
• Support during implementation
• Creation of a manual
• Staff training
• annual stocktaking and optimization

Digitalization today offers countless opportunities that will grow continuously in the coming years. What they all have in common is that they are important key factors for automating recurring processes involving several process participants. What happens if this does not happen? If you don’t define workflows, chaos will quickly result. Employees and management lose the overview, multiple workloads can occur and, in an emergency, even serious errors can be made. The digitization of business processes provides the framework and the right software to automatically ensure smooth processes. This makes processes transparent and easier to optimize. Digitizing processes means becoming more efficient and maintaining competitiveness.

With the digitalization of business processes you get completely new possibilities for the optimization and automation of your enterprise. The transformation from analog processes to digital formats is a priority, so that future viability is still guaranteed. And that’s better yesterday than today, because if you don’t start automating workflows slowly, you’ll sooner or later miss the boat.

The secret of successful digitalization of business processes lies in the right process management. This refers to the planning, modeling, control and analysis of the workflows around all departments of a company, which can have different contents and focuses. Currently, business processes in the areas of accounting and personnel management are the main beneficiaries of automated workflows.

What digitalization brings with it in every area is an almost infinite mass of data that can hardly be managed efficiently or used effectively without business intelligence (BI) systems or similar BI reporting tools. At the same time, it is essential today to analyze competitors and customers in order to remain competitive in the market. This makes it essential to design successful digitalization with the right applications from professional providers and thus to digitalize business processes sustainably.

Let’s take a step-by-step look at the path of business process digitalization and how you can benefit from the advantages of digital transformation in your company right from the start:

1. Digitalization of business processes: Analysis of the Status Quo

If you have decided to digitalize your business processes, this means saying goodbye to old structures and established habits. Above all, it means doing it without paper. But don’t worry, you will save a lot of time and costs if you stop using paper. On top of that, you are doing something really good for the environment. Automated and adaptable processes can ultimately only be implemented digitally, so you’ll soon be happy to have traded efficiency for paper. The digitalization of business processes frees up capacity that employees can invest in profitable projects, because innovative process management means managing all data in a central application that can be accessed from virtually anywhere.

But how does the transition from paper to digitalized processes succeed? The first step is to take a closer look at the status quo, record it in writing and analyze it. This gives you a good overview of where your foot is still on the brake. The ACTUAL status quo forms the basis for defining where the digitalization of business processes will ensure maximum success. You should also take a look at the paper archive and digitalize important documents. These could be invoices, annual financial statements and balance sheets, which should now find a place on your server. To do this, you use a digital document management system.

2. Digitalization of business processes: Use a digital document management system (DMS)

What does it mean in concrete terms to digitalize business processes? Let’s take a look at the core with the example of invoice processing. In most companies, invoices are printed on paper and sent by mail, find their way to the customer, service provider or business partner by e-mail or scan. These processes cost a lot of time. With a DMS, invoice management becomes much easier. For example, the digital system automatically captures all incoming invoices, depending on their format, upon receipt. Data such as suppliers, invoice numbers or amounts are automatically captured and compared. Furthermore, correct archiving is guaranteed.

Similar processes can be established for the personnel department. Here, it is not uncommon for daily administrative routine work to take place, such as payroll accounting or time recording. Furthermore, personnel development is planned, recruiting is carried out and important and confidential documents such as certificates of incapacity to work or notices of termination are managed. Careful sorting and archiving are essential. The digitalization of business processes offers great potential for personnel employees.

3. Digitalization of business processes: Finding a reliable cloud-based system

Cloud solutions are a crucial factor for digitalizing processes today. With the help of cloud-based services it is possible to manage the growing amount of data, to process and store it. Its use will be one of the key success factors if companies want to react quickly, agilely and flexibly to changes in the market. As you strategically plan the digitalization of business processes, think about which cloud solutions you want to use.

The advantages: With the possibilities offered by the digital platform for data storage, you do not need additional hardware such as external hard drives, which usually only incur costs and take up space. Storing data in the cloud with unlimited storage space is smart when it comes to digitalized business processes. Flexible cost models usually only calculate the actual consumption, so you enjoy full cost control.

If you are looking for a cloud solutions provider to help you digitalize your business processes, make sure that the security factor is guaranteed. Standard for reputable providers is end-to-end encryption, which ensures that no one but authorized persons can view stored data. At the same time, the provider’s data center itself should be equipped with high security measures and you should be given the option of regular backups and recovery procedures.

The first three steps towards the digitalization of business processes

With the first three steps presented here, you create the foundation for digitalizing business processes. This is the only way to achieve effective process management. With the right software, like the Appollo Low Code Platform, the digitalization of business processes is no longer a magic wand. This allows you to drive forward the digital transformation in your company in the shortest possible time and you can respond to changes in the market in a cost-saving, efficient and flexible manner in order to assert yourself against the competition. One important factor that you should always keep in mind: Get everyone on board for the digitalization of business processes. Only if everyone in a company pulls together, the implementation will be successful. Let’s take a look at concrete measures in the following.

How to digitalize business processes in a smart way

Digitalization is much more than just a trend; it forces companies in all industries to rethink and develop to a new level of action. What happens if you miss the digitalization of business processes now? You will no longer stand a chance against your competitors. Today’s digitalization makes it clear that the time has come for companies to decide, regardless of industry, whether they want to take the next step into the future or give up their market position. If you decide to invest in the digitalization of business processes, the following six factors will help you to immediately exploit the full potential of digitalized processes.

1. Digitalize business processes with a professional change management

Act now yes, act rashly no. The digitalization of business processes requires a comprehensive strategy that must be planned and developed jointly by executives, managers and IT experts. Here, for example, you determine where processes need to be digitalized, what changes in workflows are necessary and how these can be established as new structures in the long term. To do this, you can pick up your employees where they are at the moment. Ultimately, the digitalization of business processes always means changing and letting go of habits. This can initially cause uncertainty and fear. If you manage the new situation well, the first “shock” is quickly followed by insight and acceptance. So, use change management as the basis for digitalizing business processes. Rather be successful in a marathon than failing in a sprint.

2. Digitalize business processes with realistic goals

On the basis of a well-performed change management, initial project teams can work on measurable goals for digitalizing processes. Make sure that management, IT department and business departments go hand in hand and together define medium and long-term goals that can be measured and enable step-by-step implementation. Established goals are your guiding star in the digitalization of business processes and regular checks ensure that you can quickly correct your course.

3. Digitalize and make business processes transparent

Take the opportunity and bring transparency to your business. When business processes are digitalized, all processes in a company must be uncovered. Record the status quo in writing and evaluate the actual state honestly and critically. Use the synergy effect of team collaboration and identify digitalization potential.

4. Digitalize business processes and remain dynamic

A key feature of digitalization is its fast pace. Tomorrow there will already be technologies that we could not even have imagined today. And you too must remain as flexible as possible. To remain capable of acting while business processes are being digitalized, set priorities and digitalize processes one by one instead of throwing everything over at once. This will enable you to react to sudden market changes on the way.

5. Digitalize and optimize business processes in advance

Eliminate weaknesses and risk factors in the digitalization of business processes in advance. Unclutter processes and make process steps smart. This makes process automation and the implementation of your digitalization strategy much easier.

6. Digitalize business processes and use the right software

Establish a Low Code Platform that provides the digitalization of processes and that also includes dynamic case management for the digitalization of unstructured process, a rules engine to dynamically adjust business rules as well as a seamlessly integration of a document management system (DMS). As already introduced, you can use automation to make business processes faster, easier and more secure. But not every Low Code Platform on the market is equally suitable for every company.

We advise you to rely on an external consulting. Using the right Low Code Platform, which especially also provides business and requirements analysis features, an external consultant carries out a well-founded stocktaking and records the status quo of your company in a structured way. This forms the basis for the digital transformation that is tailored to your company’s needs, which in turn supports you in entering the digital future. Another advantage of a professional consulting is the knowledge of legal requirements and guidelines. These concerns, for example, the archiving of documents. This means that you are in compliance with the law and do not have to worry about it.

Ultimately, you win all along the line with the digitalization of business processes:

• You get more flexibility through automation.
• You improve information and document management sustainably and in the long term.
• You make your workflow more efficient and faster through process digitalization.

The individual digitalization strategy for business processes in the company

A properly implemented digitalization of business processes requires an individual digital transformation strategy. Why individual? Because every company faces different business process challenges. Therefore, it is essential for us at Appollo Systems to work out a sound strategy with you, which we then establish together. One method that is used for this is the workflow analysis, with which we first take stock. This concerns both your business processes and your IT.

Among other things, we focus on the following questions:

• How are business processes designed in your company?
• What are the challenges you are facing in process digitalization?
• How are you positioned in terms of personnel and technology?
• What digitalization potential exists?
• For which business processes can the profitability really be optimized or where is it not worthwhile due to high investments?

In this way, we determine the qualitative and quantitative ACTUAL status, which forms the basis for goals and digital strategy. Our solutions are always precisely tailored to your needs and are developed in close consultation with you and all parties involved.

Digitalization of business processes and the implementation of the digital transformation strategy

However, a good digital transformation strategy has to be breathed life into at the end and so our work does not end with the conception, but only begins with the implementation, which we are happy to accompany you. It is important that the entire personnel structure is brought on board and that new workflows and applications require training. The digitalization of business processes is a step-by-step project that requires the acceptance of all parties involved. The fastest way to gain this acceptance is with a good mix of slow familiarization and yet continuous automation and digitalization, so that the first results demonstrably deliver more efficiency already during the process.

Conclusion: The digitalization of business processes offers a lot of advantages, if you do it right

Many roads lead to Rome, and so the digitalization of business processes also knows many ways to reach its goal. Each of them has its own advantages and disadvantages, but one thing is clear today: those who do not act now will be rapidly overtaken by the competitors and it will be harder to catch up due to the ever faster pace of change. Use therefore NOW your chance and set with us to the change on the fast lane. Together we will find the best solution for your company and ensure that you become modern, progressive and flexible. Secure cost and productivity advantages through the digitalization of business processes. With us as your consulting partner, together with the Appollo Low Code Platform as supportive tool, digitalization of your company will result in a big success.

Get in touch with us right now.