Digital Process

Automation Software
A 6-Step Guide

www.flowforma.com
 Table of
Contents
02 How Digital Process Automation (DPA) software is changing
the landscape of how work gets done

04 2023 business challenges and how to address process

automation this month, not next

08 Identifying where to start and which automated

processes will move the needle

09 The net effect of standing still

10 Leaner processes without over-engineered IT solutions

11 6 steps to Digital Process Automation success

17 Why leading companies choose FlowForma Process

Automation

1 | Digital Process Automation- 6 Step Guide

How DPA Software Is Changing the
Landscape of How Work Gets Done
It is difficult to remember a time when Digital transformation is no longer a
we did not communicate electronically, ‘nice to have’ but rather a business
however, it is surprising that some imperative. Organizations need to
processes within organizations are still embrace process automation and
painfully antiquated and often paper or understand the best ways to implement
Excel-based. We hear terms like digitalize, it, to meet demands for greater resilience
automate, and streamline when the topic and productivity.
of making processes more efficient comes
up but what do all these terms actually
mean for organizations and what are Did You Know...
the positive business outcomes of true
Over 50% of medium to large
digitalization?
enterprises will adopt no code/
low code platforms as part of
In reality some manual tasks will always
their overall IT strategy by the
exist, but leading companies are reaping
end of 2023 .
the benefits of digital process automation
(Source: Gartner, 2023)
and are transforming the way they work
to stay competitive, reduce costs and
ensure compliance by implementing
Digital Process Automation software and
automation tools.

The downside of repetitive manual

processes is time, cost, and inaccuracies as
well as the inability to identify bottlenecks
in processes. IT departments are tasked
with devising leaner systems but are
challenged by budgets, skills shortages,
and general capacity often resulting in
process automation requests being left on
the back burner or deprioritized.

2 | Digital Process Automation - 6 Step Guide

Meet No Code Digital Process Automation
Fortunately, no code, intuitive, ‘easy-to-use’, Digital Process Automation software tools
allow organizations to transform how all their employees address simple and complex
processes. The right digital process automation solution equips process owners to
replace manual time-consuming processes with accurate and efficient digital workflows.
Employees are empowered to build and implement seamless work streams
that encourage and ensure transparency, accuracy, and accountability across all
departments in any industry sector. This starter kit outlines what you need to consider
and how to get started.

3 | Digital Process Automation - 6 Step Guide

2023 Business Challenges and How
To Address
It goes without saying that the economic fallout of the Covid-19 pandemic has had a
significant effect on many businesses across all industries and sectors. The ripple effect
has undoubtedly forced C-level executives to make some tough decisions about their
overall operations and consider how to react to ensure business resilience.

Operational excellence has become a ‘must have’ and key ingredient in any long-term
organizational strategy. The need for this tighter rein on business workflows is attributed
to many drivers one of which being general skills shortages, which was also highlighted in
the Forrester 2023 Predictions Report:

‘The developer shortage is not

getting any better. It currently
takes 47% longer to fill
technical roles than
non-technical roles’.
- Forrester ‘Predictions and Robotics’ report.

4 | Digital Process Automation - 6 Step Guide

Doing more with less, increasing customer expectations, rising costs, growth targets,
copious amount of processes to be automated, the rise of digital nomads, building
resilience, legislation/regulatory requirement... do we need any more reasons to build
the business case?

“Businesses must build on the lessons learned from

the pandemic and drive automation to levels that
will stretch their creativity and staff.

Efforts will pay off for those with the mettle to achieve
what most will not — an overwhelming competitive
advantage powered by automation.”

- Forrester ‘Predictions 2023 and Robotics’ report.

It is clear that strong leadership and

the right tech stack (including a reliable
Digital Process Automation tool) is crucial
when trying to address the never-ending
list of reasons in favor of operational
excellence.

5 | Digital Process Automation - 6 Step Guide

Process Automation This Month, Not Next
Transformation can often be a daunting With a no code process automation
word and indicative of an expensive tool process owners (rather than IT
overhaul or replacement of existing developers) can automate a simple
systems, but this is not always the case. process in as little as one hour. More
We know that one of the many challenges complex processes take longer but the
currently is a skills shortage and/or being beauty of a no code solution is that
‘stuck’ with or invested in an expensive no coding skills are required which
solution. These challenges can also impact automatically removes the reliance on IT or
each other i.e. you have a solution but you significantly reduces the part that they play
don’t have the skills required to utilize it in a specific request.
to its full potential or vice versa. Another
obstacle could be that you already have a Organizations are digitalizing
Robotic Process Automation (RPA) solution ‘people-driven’ processes in a matter of
in place, which fixes repetitive tasks that do days and weeks rather than months and
not require humans BUT you have a laundry years.
list of people-driven processes, that need
to be streamlined and RPA can’t assist.

6 | Digital Process Automation - 6 Step Guide

“With FlowForma Process
Automation the only limitation is
your own imagination, it can pretty
much achieve anything!”
Karl Henderson
Digital Engineering Lead
Downer New Zealand

FlowForma
Customer Down
er
New Zealand
saved over 2,15
0
hours in under
12 months by
automating 3 k
ey
processes
.
7 | Digital Process Automation - 6 Step Guide
Identifying Where To Start and Which
Automated Processes Will Move the Needle

Like any tech project, it is often difficult to Taking baby steps is key to demonstrating
know where to start. As an organization success and then scaling at pace.
you know you need to be more efficient, Organizations will encounter the FOMO
you know Digital Process Automation will effect. The HR department might
help but you have a plethora of processes successfully automate a simple process
and it is difficult to identify where to start. such as leave requests then the Finance
team learn about efficiencies gained on

n’t try to
the grapevine. The data transparency,
T o p T ip : D o
n! consistent approach etc. may help
boil the ocea to visualize how other time-intensive
processes within their team could adopt a
It’s important to consider which processes similar approach e.g. PR approval/expense
are causing the most pain and weigh management. Transformation must take
that up against which of those could be place in an agile way led by the people in
automated in the shortest timeframe. the business domain.
Getting buy-in is key so, if you can,
ascertain which simple process is painful With the correct Digital Process
and extremely time-consuming. The Automation software the opportunities
benefits of automating that one process are endless and the beauty of it is that
first and using it as a benchmark for your it can be used within any industry for
first automated process success story is common business paper-intensive tasks.
that in a lot of instances the template used
for that process can be replicated across
many other workflows with tweaks here
and there depending on rules.

8 | Digital Process Automation - 6 Step Guide

The Net Effect of Standing Still
In an era where margins are slim, time is money, skills are stretched, and costs are soaring
it is a no brainer that Digital Process Automation can no longer be put on the long finger.

Organizations need to address process inefficiencies to remain competitive, grow, and

be successful. We are now in a do-or-die scenario, and it is not only the obvious business
goals that benefit from a Digital Process Automation solution but also staff morale and
overall customer satisfaction. If internal and external customers are happy it is a huge
plus for any organization. Efficient workflows benefit everyone from the bottom up.
People will want to work for you and with you when you have consistent processes in
place.

Areas of Your Business That Can Suffer From

Not Automating Processes:

Inconsistent processes and procedures leaving room for error and

misinterpretation.

Lack of planning due to inaccurate data/lack of insights can lead to poor decision
making.

Non-compliance due to manual processes not being completed, recorded, or

stored accurately.

Unnecessary overheads caused by poor workflow management and onerous

manual tasks.

Lost revenue caused by project overruns/inability to identify bottlenecks.

Staff attrition rates linked to rudimentary procedures that detract from a key role
within an organization.

9 | Digital Process Automation - 6 Step Guide

Leaner Processes Without Over-Engineered
IT Solutions
The last thing that any company needs is
another piece of tech that leans heavily
on IT departments before you even
get to use it. Expensive enterprise low
code and code-dependant solutions are
renowned for making life more difficult in
the short term for IT as they rely on skilled Customer Feedback
employees with coding experience to get
going. “I used to try and automate
processes using Python and other
Skills shortages is a huge issue in many programming languages and it
organizations of late and to overcome could take months. The logic is
this it is important to weigh up the overall still there with FlowForma Process
IT team capacity and skillset against Automation, but you don’t have to
the number of ideal processes to be learn any code or any syntax, which
automated. There are some out-of-the- is great - that’s what drew us to the
box solutions that on the surface lead solution in the first place!”
organizations to believe that they do not
need anything in addition to that but in
reality in order to leverage the capabilities Anthony Ngadimin, Sr. Building
of some solutions coding is required to Envelope Consultant
bring an ideal automated process to
reality.

Giving process owners the autonomy to

build and deliver their own automated
processes is invaluable. No one knows
their processes better than them and their
team/s so it’s important that they are front
and center of any automation project that
inevitably affects how they work. This
can only be achieved by using no code
Digital Process Automation software or
automation tools.

10 | Digital Process Automation - 6 Step Guide

6 Steps to Digital Process
Automation Success
Ready to get started and reap the benefits of agile Digital Process
Automation?

On average organizations are up and running with their first automated process within
2-4 weeks. ROI will differ from company to company, but financial gains are not the
only positive business outcomes to look forward to, with strategic differentiation and
enhanced customer satisfaction ranking high in terms of key drivers.

Follow these tips to ensure a successful

project and streamline your
labor-intensive processes.

11 | Digital Process Automation - 6 Step Guide

1. Find Your Internal Champion
Onboarding new software, or a tech solution can
be a challenge. Having an internal champion,
someone who understands the business need
to source and implement the right tool, is
paramount. This person will be at the helm of the
overall project and ensure they have the buy-in
required from all key stakeholders. They will often
be an end user who does not need convincing of
the benefits. They typically will be the person
who can make the introductions to the
correct people (often the buyers or decision
makers) so generally are well-connected
within your organization and respected
for their tenacity and communication skills.
An internal champion ‘gets things done’ and
ensures that the overall project is on track to be
delivered and implemented on time.

When selecting a Digital Process Automation tool,

a typical internal champion could be the CEO,
CIO, COO or Head of IT, Digital Transformation,
or Process Excellence. Other champions can often
be a Business Lead or a decision maker with access
to budget.

12 | Digital Process Automation - 6 Step Guide

2. Research Potential Digital Process
Automation Software Vendors
There is a wide range of Digital Process Automation software vendors each having their
own elevator pitch on why you should select their solution and with varying price tags to
consider. Selecting a new tool to help you address your process challenges is not a task
to be taken lightly and you should refer to a checklist to keep you on track, ensuring you
are making a fair and considered evaluation of potential providers. At a high level you
should:

List your objectives and desired outcomes.

Use a checklist to help you identify the right Digital Process Automation
software/solution.

Test multiple tools with a trial or proof of concept.

Utilize G2 or a trustworthy independent resource that helps business professionals

make better technology decisions.

13 | Digital Process Automation - 6 Step Guide

3. Get Key Stakeholder Buy-in
Demonstrating the value of implementing Forward-thinking leaders will be tuned in
your preferred Digital Process Automation to cost, gaining a competitive advantage
software is a must to get the commitment through innovative best practices, and
for the project from the top-down. There getting things done at pace. Bear these in
is a real misconception that true digital mind when looking for their commitment
transformation hinges on the technology, in this process. Be prepared for pushback
however, there are a number of key and tough questions. A McKinsey survey
ingredients (technology being one) such suggests that most organizations achieve
as the mindset of an organization and its less than one-third of the impact they
leaders. Highlight how you can help them expected from recent digital investments.
achieve their strategic goals. Things that can go wrong with digital
transformation projects are precisely
Digital savvy CEOs shouldn’t need what FlowForma proactively strives to
convincing, but it is always good to do avoid. Check out common challenges and
your homework and have some basic corresponding fixes here.
calculations and ROI stats prepared
to illustrate the benefits of automated
workflows. Consider spelling out the perceived
positive outcomes in the following areas:
Identify processes that cannot be
automated currently with your existing Anticipated cost savings per
tech stack by your IT team. This could process
simply be due to a gap in your technology
or a HR skills shortage. Processes that are Estimated increased productivity
labor-intensive, repetitive, and costing your calculations
organization time, resources, and money
Assurance of consistency and
will be most compelling. Do your math to
accountability
share the numbers that cannot be denied.

Enhanced visibility of process

Have some success stories in your back
bottlenecks
pocket, explore what your competitors use
and refer to case studies that spell out the Return on investment
need for and advantages of a solid Digital
Process Automation software solution, that Reduced reliance on IT
tackles senior management pain points
successfully.
14 | Digital Process Automation - 6 Step Guide
4. Start Small, Scale Fast!

You have successfully got the commitment you

craved from those who know you need this to
work for the long-term success of the organization,
so be sure you don’t let them down.

Be sure to involve key people, preferably a

process owner, and a business user. Select the
right mix of invested people to drive onboarding
and adoption. Remember that your first
automated process should be intuitive to use so
consider the user experience, wording used, and
call to actions.

Pick an uncomplicated process that will benefit

from automation and make an impact. If your
process works on paper, it will be easy to automate
and the benefits will be easy to measure (i.e.,
consistency, speed, visibility to bottlenecks, etc.)
Maximize your existing investment in Microsoft
Office 365 by selecting a solution that sits on top
of this suite.

15 | Digital Process Automation - 6 Step Guide

5. Get Feedback, Adapt, & Celebrate Success
Design and implement your first process and recruit several testers providing them with
clear instructions on how to road-test. Identify any glitches and encourage feedback to
strengthen the pilot process.

Implement changes and test again before rolling out to a wider team. Solicit ongoing
feedback and encourage users to tell you what is good and bad about the pilot
automated process. You will not take every recommendation on board, but it makes
sense to get a feel for how well this ‘new way of doing things’ is being received and
reflect on the positive and negative feedback. This will make future automated processes
stronger and instill confidence across the group of users which hopefully will have a ripple
effect and help with adoption from a wider group of users.

Review and improve over a brief period and be confident that

everything works as it should. It is important that the pilot
team can clearly measure positive outcomes before
the official roll-out to the wider group of business
users.

When your first automated process has

been successfully rolled out, you’ll
want to socialize this internally with
the relevant stakeholders. Don’t be
afraid to call out the positives to gain
interest and help build momentum.
A short email update or group
presentation will make everyone
feel involved and hopefully get them
excited about what is to follow.

16 | Digital Process Automation - 6 Step Guide

 6. Rinse & Repeat
You have done it! You have been part of a business users to automate their specific
pilot team who has designed, created, and simple use cases. In parallel, start mapping
implemented your first automated process out more complex processes to automate,
and you are starting to receive well-earned and using the same initial invested group
positive feedback from colleagues and start your phase II and design, create, and
senior management. Efficiencies are clear implement an automated process that is
to be seen but there is no time to rest on a bit more challenging. Luckily, with the
your laurels, there is work to be done. right digital process automation software
or automation tool, scaling should be
You will be confident now to take all the straightforward with the right superuser
learnings from your initial pilot process group to drive adoption. The world is your
to allow you to replicate the steps you oyster, and the possibilities are endless.
followed and start empowering other

Did You Know ...

According to a 2023
FlowForma Survey, 90% of
organizations still use outdated
methods (email, excel, paper
forms) for 25-100% of their
business processes... Do you?

17 | Digital Process Automation - 6 Step Guide

FlowForma Process Automation
FlowForma is globally recognized as FlowForma customers are live with digital
the leading no code provider of Digital processes, empowered and self-sufficient
Process Automation software and within 4 weeks of onboarding, and secure a
automation tools. The enterprise platform return on investment within 6 weeks. Users
is intuitive and affordable and empowers rapidly gain operational efficiencies, and
businesspeople to rapidly digitalize a resilience, and provide better customer
wide range of processes in-house, without experiences. FlowForma serves 200,000+
writing any software code. global users.

Why Leading Companies Choose FlowForma

Process Automation

3-in-1 Tool No Code & 5X Faster

Easiest-to-adopt ROI in <6 Weeks

Seamless collaboration and engaged experiences (internal and

external) with your business processes

18 | Digital Process Automation - 6 Step Guide

FlowForma HQ
Block E, East Point Business Park,
Dublin 3, Ireland.

(US) +1 (617) 398 4990

(UK) +44 (0)20 3481 1319
(IRL) +353 (0)1 5369 650

www.flowforma.com
info@flowforma.com

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