Types of business automation systems. Optimization of business processes of the enterprise. Organization of the company

There are a lot of myths, stereotypes and prejudices around the term "business automation". For example, that automation is necessary only for accounting, and, say, it is impossible to automate managerial business processes. Or that automation is necessary exclusively for large companies, and small businesses it is quite possible to do without it. Or that automation systems are extremely expensive, and it is far from a fact that the costs will ever pay off. For this article, we have collected questions that entrepreneurs often ask about automation, prepared clear answers to them and illustrated with real cases.

Real automation - what is it

Business automation is the transition of a company from time-consuming manual operations to the use of modern information technologies in operational work. Also, automation means implementation modern technologies where previously they were not used at all.

In small business, automation is usually used in two cases:

in supporting processes that do not directly affect the increase in income, but are mandatory for the business - for example, accounting and reporting;

in the main business processes - this, for example, can be the automation of sales or the automation of interaction with customers (it is also the implementation of CRM).

Accordingly, the motives and goals of automation can be different - in the first case, it is necessary to ensure the stability of the business and reduce the time and resources spent, in the second, to increase the profitability of the business, to obtain competitive advantages, improve service, attract and retain customers, increase efficiency, etc.

The “watershed” between these two groups of business processes just shows the difference between “accounting automation” and real automation: the first helps to fulfill the company's obligations to the state and its fiscal authorities with minimal costs, the second helps the company to spend less, earn more and develop more efficient. So, automation is not limited to accounting alone, the range of its application is much wider.

What are automation systems

Automation systems are the very programs and services that are used to move from manual labor to information technology. In other words, both an integrated ERP-system for enterprise resource management and a "cloud" service for an online store is an automation system.

Any business automation system provides for several key processes: data collection (input), data processing and provision of the collected and processed information in the form, volume, format in which it is needed by the manager or a specialized specialist.

For example, if you enter information about contacts with potential customers in the system, then indicate at what stage the negotiations with each of them are, accurately enter data on the results of negotiations and completed transactions, then in a good sales management system you can instantly get a “sales funnel ", And with the accumulation of some statistics - and the forecast of sales, depending on how intensively your managers have worked today.

Automation systems work similarly for other processes. The manager can instantly receive information about the state of affairs in the company: how much money is in the accounts, how much you owe and how much you owe, what is the cost structure and profitability of the project, how many cold calls were made by employees, what is the real efficiency of each manager, etc.

Why do we need real automation at all,
what does she give to the company

In short, well-executed automation allows you to do the following:

improve the quality of customer service;

optimize logistics costs, improve the quality of logistics at all stages - from the receipt of the product at the warehouse to its delivery to the client;

efficiently plan the receipt of funds, prevent cash shortages;

calculate the profitability of orders;

quickly and correctly prepare documents for clients, contractors and partners - from a commercial proposal to a reconciliation act;

relieve the head and key managers from routine work, use them more efficiently work time for the development of the company;

promptly receive any reports on the real state of affairs in the company;

optimize personnel costs, make more efficient use of working hours and employee competencies;

to minimize the negative impact of the “human factor” on business;

store information safely - each employee works only with the data to which he is given access;

improve and speed up business processes in the company;

effectively support operational activities - organize accounting and control.

V small business these effects are usually noticeable after a few weeks.

What business processes can and should be automated

Usually, business automation begins with massive labor-intensive routine operations, with the processes that most affect the revenue and profit of the company, or with the most problematic areas.

At first, you can automate tasks that are very laborious or impossible to manually perform - take into account retail turnover, analyze the movement of goods, plan cash flows, plan and take into account working hours, calculate the cost, etc.

Secondly, you can automate the work of employees performing standard routine operations (telemarketers, logisticians, sales managers, etc.) or remove certain work from employees altogether (for example, set up automatic synchronization of data on the availability of goods in the warehouse and on the online store window) ...

Thirdly, you can use automation in order to "put things in order in the house" - to take control of accounts receivable, warehouse stocks, employment of employees, their compliance with the standards for calls and meetings with clients, etc.

It is not necessary to automate all business processes at once. You can gradually scale up automation in your company as needed. And create unified system management consistently.

The main thing is to remember the goals for which automation was started. Automation for the sake of automation is a waste of time and resources.

How to choose a software product for automation

When choosing a business automation system, you can go in two ways:

Use a standard ("box") product or cloud service.

Develop and implement an individual software solution.

A standard solution is easier to implement and cheaper. But you need to keep in mind that not every typical product can be modified to suit your tasks - in a number of programs, the possibilities for additional customization are severely limited or completely excluded. By the way, the same applies to cloud services.

The best option for many small businesses is to purchase ready-made solution with the ability to customize, quickly launch it so as not to slow down vital business processes, and, if necessary, start work on customizing the product, i.e. its customization for the specific tasks of your company.

The choice of the program is a rather responsible matter, it is necessary to work through a rather substantial array of information. There are many software products on the market, each with its own characteristics and advantages. You should receive answers to the following important questions:

what specific tasks and processes are planned to be automated;

whether the functionality of the system corresponds to the tasks that will need to be solved with its help;

is it possible to customize the system for your business practice;

whether it will be possible, when business processes or business conditions change, to quickly change the system without stopping its operation;

how easy and convenient the system is to use;

is it possible to integrate the system with other applications or services;

whether the system is supported on tablets, smartphones;

who will provide technical support and how;

how much implementation and support costs.

To answer these questions, it is advisable to consult with representatives of vendors (i.e. software companies). If possible, also communicate with fellow entrepreneurs who are solving similar problems; their experience will give you valuable information to help you make a choice in favor of a particular software product.

How much does the automation system cost

This is a rhetorical question, and there is no definite answer to it. How much does the repair cost? It can be done for 100 thousand rubles, or it can be done for a million, it all depends on the area of ​​the room, tasks, quality of materials, etc. The cost of a specific software solution will also depend on many variables: what tasks are to be solved using the system, is it a typical product or customizable, what resources will be required for implementation, how many workplaces will be connected to the system, etc.

The cost of automation consists of several components:

the cost of the system itself (the cost of a box or rental payments - in the case of using "cloud" applications);

the costs of setting up the system and training personnel;

the cost of regular maintenance.

To this can be added indirect costs - for example, the time spent by the director and key users to participate in the project.

How is the implementation of the automation system
and how to choose a contractor company

Implementation is the process of adjusting software for business and, in part, business - for software.

For simple tasks or processes, “implementation” will consist only in installing software on your computer (or registering in a “cloud” service) and entering initial information. Immediately after that, you can start writing out documents, filling out a customer base or issuing tasks.

For more complex tasks (for example, calculating the planned profitability of orders at the time of the transaction - in order not to work at a loss), it may be necessary to modify the system for the conditions and practices that have developed in the company. A properly selected system usually maintains some kind of typical process for such a task. But in practice, each company has its own methodology. It is this specificity in the implementation process that will need to be reflected.

Implementation can be done on your own or you can invite specialists. But do not hope that the contractor will do everything in in the best possible way without your participation; key employees and company management will have to actively participate in almost all stages, the deeper you plunge into the implementation process, the success of the project will largely depend.

Choosing an implementation partner is about the same as choosing a team for renovating an apartment. Conduct market monitoring and identify companies whose competencies are sufficient to solve your problems, and the conditions are optimal in terms of price / quality ratio. It is highly desirable that your potential partner has a certificate of compliance of the quality management system with the international ISO standard 9001: 2008. Hold meetings with specialists from companies from this shortlist (including be sure to talk with the employee who will accompany your project). Explore the portfolio, paying particular attention to whether the contractor has a track record of successfully implementing an automation system in companies whose specialties and lines of business coincide with yours. It is also advisable to talk with the top officials of these companies and find out their opinion about your potential partner - whether the implementation was successful, are you satisfied with the results of the work, whether the warranty service is well organized, what difficulties you encountered, etc.

Also, when choosing a contractor, it makes sense to use the principle of proportionality: if you have a small company, then it is advisable to do business with a small company as well - all approvals will be faster, it is easier to agree on controversial issues with an equal partner, etc.

What are the risks when implementing an automation system

Of course, when introducing an automation system, there are certain risks - from missed deadlines and exceeding the budget, to staff resistance and the need to change individual business processes to meet the requirements of the system. But most of the problems can be avoided if the tasks requiring automation are correctly identified, and the existing ones are monitored. software products and thoughtfully approach the selection of an implementation partner. Also an important condition successful implementation of the project is the personal participation of the first person of the company / business owner, in this case the risks of “getting the wrong thing” are significantly reduced.

As for the resistance of the staff, it is very important here, on the one hand, to carry out high-quality work to explain the benefits and advantages of automation for the company and all employees, and on the other hand, to create in all employees, including top management, a firm sense of the inevitability of change. If there are cases of disruption of some processes, it is necessary to sort out and remove obstacles in hot pursuit. A good implementation tool is to reward employees for involvement in the project and for some milestone achievements, this will help to achieve the loyalty of the rest of the team.

Leaders of companies often put a lot of effort into improving processes aimed at achieving specific goals and increasing the effectiveness of the teamwork of the employees involved. They really understand the importance of ensuring communication and efficiency between departments or teams on a larger scale. This search for an optimal approach to interaction is associated with the need to solve vital problems that inevitably arise when disunity in different departments and areas of the company. Doing the necessary work independently of other parts of the company can do more harm than good, because in this case employees are focused on solving specific issues, rather than achieving an overall goal within the process. Business process automation software - BPMS - provides company employees with the ability to visualize the role of their tasks in the business process, which helps to increase employee productivity, and can also bring a positive effect in other areas of the company and achieve the key goals of the organization.

What is business process automation?

The term "business process" is used to describe the organization and structure of interrelated actions of the company's employees with the sole purpose of successfully achieving the set goal. The essence of business process automation is to set a structure for the transfer of responsibility for the execution of the process and, therefore, the achievement of the goal. For individual employees, the business process represents the steps to achieve successful results. In the case of small and large groups, a business process is understood as the assignment of responsibilities that each member of the group must perform in order to complete a common task for the group. There are many examples of automated business processes, ranging from the process of preparing a dish according to a given recipe to the ramified process of taking over from one company to another. Companies that use business process automation in industries such as marketing, and others, note the positive results of using this approach to management due to the high level of work organization, the purposefulness of employees' actions and discipline in the performance of duties.

Certain irreplaceable components are the key to the success of a business process. First of all, data and materials are required for each step of the process. Second, you need an algorithm - a process - that people or software (in the case of automating a business process) could follow. Finally, an outcome must be defined to achieve which effort is made, time is spent, and data is used. It is important to recognize the importance of these components of business process automation and take the time to select and formalize each of them, since only by laying the right foundation can you expect the correct result.

Business process automation - history

The term was first used by Frederick Taylor and Henry Gant, mechanical engineers and management consultants, in the 1920s. Initially, this term was tied to production, but, obviously, in the process of studying and rethinking the term business process, it became applicable even to describe the dynamics of activities within the family. In the early 1980s, based on the work of W. Edwards Deming and Joseph M. Juran, a new concept of the business process was developed and the theory was supported by technology. For example, completely new ways of interacting, setting goals, and achieving results have emerged thanks to the advent of typewriters, photocopiers, and personal computers. The Internet has also become a major factor in the development of new approaches to business process management (BPM) and the development of business process automation practices.

The theory of business process management is almost a hundred years old, and it continues to evolve, so it can be useful for every business to achieve current goals by organizing and dividing processes into different stages performed by people and solutions for automating business processes.

Examples and ideas of business process automation

There are many examples of processes for the successful execution of which the use of business process automation is appropriate. Activities in areas such as finance, human resources and marketing can be divided into various processes, some of which can be automated. For example, by automating business processes for hiring and onboarding employees, processes for processing purchase requests and orders from customers, you can achieve excellent results in improving the quality of work performed and reducing transaction costs.

The main benefits of business process automation

The key idea of ​​using digital tools is to efficiently work with all data about customers, tasks and services / products of the company, as well as automate certain actions that can be performed without human effort. The goal of automating business processes is not to replace employees who perform repetitive tasks with software robots. Thanks to the automation of business processes, company employees get rid of routine and mechanical tasks and get the opportunity to focus on performing new duties, research tasks, or any activity that requires the use of the employee's experience and knowledge.

Business process automation also helps groups of people better coordinate efforts, so disorganization can be eliminated from the equation. Finally, automation of business processes can guarantee higher accuracy of results. All these advantages are the reason why more and more entrepreneurs, department heads, as well as small and large companies use business process automation in their work.

All these advantages are relevant for every organization that wants to stay competitive and grow. Every business in mind has competitors who are striving to conquer the current market, and the approach to managing work in the company can become a decisive factor in the competition. Often, it is the timely automation of business processes that decides which business will succeed and which one will balance on the brink of existence.

Elena Gaidukova, marketing analyst, brand manager of solutions based on, specialist in partnerships.

Continuously changing market conditions, high speed in decision-making, multitasking in asset management and the need to reduce risks require modern approaches to the organization economic activity... The way out in the increasingly complex internal and external environment of the enterprise is the integrated automation of business processes. It frees up precious resources for strategic planning and the concentration of management in key areas of the company. We will talk about what automation and the ERP system are, why you need a process approach and what software is most popular in the world and in Russia.

Business and automation: yesterday, today, tomorrow

Business automation is a partial or complete transfer of stereotyped operations and business tasks under the control of a specialized information system, or hardware and software complex. As a result, the release of human and financial resources to increase labor productivity and the effectiveness of strategic management.

Automation is usually carried out in two directions:

* Automation of key business processes: for example, sales management or customer service. In this case, it is carried out to directly increase the volume of sales, the number of products produced and increase the profitability of the entire business as a whole.
* Supporting process automation such as accounting, reporting, office work. Such automation does not directly affect the increase in income, but it helps to reduce the time and costs of doing routine work.

The main tasks of business automation are as follows:

* effective support of the operational activities of the enterprise, the organization of accounting and control;
* preparation of any documents for partners, including waybills, invoices, reconciliation acts and business proposals;
* fast receipt of reports on the state of affairs in the company for any period of time;
* optimization of personnel costs, increasing the efficiency of using working time by freeing employees from routine work;
* minimizing the negative impact of the "human factor" on the most important business processes;
* secure storage of information;
* improving the quality of customer service.

Automation of business processes can significantly improve the quality of management in a company and the quality of its product. For the enterprise as a whole, it provides a number of significant advantages.

* Increase the speed of processing information and solving repetitive tasks.
* Increasing the transparency of the business and its manufacturability.
* Increased consistency of staff actions and the quality of their work.
* Ability to control large amounts of information.
* Automation of manual labor.
* Reducing the number of errors and improving control accuracy.
* Parallel solution of several tasks.
* Fast decision making in stereotyped situations.

As a result of automation of business process management, the head of the enterprise receives more information for analyzing business processes in the form of detailed analytical reports and has the ability to qualitatively manage the company, taking into account external and internal indicators.

For example, when using the First Form software for the first six months of operation, the most important indicators of the company's activities increase:

* planning accuracy - by 40%;
* overall efficiency - by 50%;
* saving the manager's time - by 80%.

Most companies begin automation with routine labor-intensive processes, as well as with operations that significantly affect profits and revenue: finance and accounting, document flow, production and warehouse accounting. Automation of such areas of activity as enterprise management, marketing, quality management and external communications at most Russian enterprises is just beginning.

In the context of the economic crisis, the priorities in the field of business process automation are changing somewhat. The main trends of the current season include the following:

1. The use of cloud technologies... The main difference between this automation method is the absence of its own server in the company. Such systems are very popular with small businesses, as they cost significantly less than the traditional version.
2. Active automation of marketing tools: implementation of CRM systems, automation systems contextual advertising and BI systems.
3. Development of machine-to-machine communication technologies... The emerging trend of M2M - Machine to Machine - assumes minimal human participation in those processes where possible, since the complication of business processes and equipment does not always allow a person to adequately assess and respond to a changing situation.
4. Using big data tools... Another trend in the development of business process automation is attention to big data and related business intelligence. They are in demand by large companies, since specialized expensive equipment is required to process big data.
5. Real-time data analysis... Business automation systems will evolve towards real-time transaction processing, resulting in fully synchronized operations.

Key areas and software for business process automation

One of the main conditions for business automation is the use of a process approach by an enterprise. This term is understood as an approach that defines the consideration of the company's activities as a network of business processes inextricably linked with its main goals, objectives and mission. Process approach, in contrast to the structured approach prevailing in many companies, is not focused on the existing organizational structure enterprises, but on real business processes, the end result of which is the creation of a service or product.

The process approach helps to increase business agility, reduce reaction time to changes in market conditions and improve business results.

Each business process in a company consists of a set of separate operations with an order of execution determined by technology or instructions. The necessary characteristics of a business process are considered routes and rules, as well as inputs, outputs, consumed resources, participants and owners.

Before proceeding with the automation of business processes, it is necessary to carry out work on their isolation and description, as well as refer them to the group of main or auxiliary processes. This is a rather lengthy procedure; in practice, it requires the participation of all divisions of the company in close cooperation.

The types and number of business processes are individual for each company. All differentiated business processes can then be integrated into several main areas, for each of which automation can be carried out both in general and within a separate process:

1. Management:

* strategic management;
* economic security;
* legal support;
* Management Accounting;
* budgeting;
* Information Security.

You can use the 1C: Enterprise software system, control module SAP systems R / 3.

2. Marketing and Sales:

* management marketing activities;
* PR;
* management of advertising activities;
* sales management;
* customer relationship management (CRM).

To automate this area, software is often used: CRM systems - Megaplan, 1C: Bitrix24, Clientbase.ru, advertising management - EFSOL: AMS Advertising management, SIZiF, site management (CMS) - Bitrix, UMI. CMS, NetCat, HostCMS, AMIRO.CMS, DataLife Engine (DLE), etc.

3. Production:

* management production processes;
* enterprise inventory management;
* material supply management;
* management production equipment;
* logistics system.

Software products: Kraft systems, USU, production module AVA ERP, VOGBIT, Sage, Super Warehouse, Warehouse and Sales.

4. Quality management:

* quality management system (QMS);
* quality control of products and production indicators;
* work with claims.

Applied software: "Metrics Administrator", "FINEX: Quality Management", "Master: Quality Management", Wonderware MES Software / Quality, ProdX.

5. Personnel management:

* selection of personnel;
* training and development of personnel;
* personnel accounting;
* motivation and remuneration

Software products: "E-Staff Recruiter" from Datex Software, "1C: Salary and Personnel Management", Oracle / Personnel Management, "Pharaoh", "BOSS-Kadrovik".

6. Finances:

* Accounting;
* tax accounting;
* financial planning;
* management of settlements with clients;
* payment wages employees of the enterprise.

Automation software: 1C: Accounting, 1C: Salary, AuditExpert, Master of Finance Analysis, Fingrand.

7. Organization of the company:

* document flow;
* secretariat.

Software products: "1C: Document Management", "E1 Euphrates" from Cognitive Technologies, "Master Dock" from Master Group, QPR 2014, Орн Text.

ERP: a new stage in the evolution of automation systems

"Island" automation of individual business processes of a company sooner or later becomes ineffective, since attempts to combine several different systems automation is most often unsuccessful. When implementing the “island” approach, the goal of improving the overall performance of the enterprise is usually not set.

In contrast to this, an integrated business automation system is a system for managing the financial and economic activities of the company and ensures the conduct of operational, managerial and accounting generally.

The concept of an integrated enterprise management system - ERP - was developed back in the late 80s of the last century. In the early 90s, it began to gain popularity as control systems began to appear that could implement this concept. The ERP system is based on the principle of creating a single information space that helps to track in real time all information about business processes in all divisions of the company.

ERP systems are built on a modular basis, and their structure implies the presence of separate blocks that are responsible for a specific process. Thanks to this principle of organization, it is possible to refine and expand the functionality of the entire system as new technologies appear, changes in legislation or customer needs.

Most ERP systems include the following groups of modules:

* logistic;
* production;
* marketing
* providing;
* sales;
* other.

In Russia, ERP systems appeared only at the end of the last century and were initially used exclusively by large companies, but today they are being implemented at enterprises of any size.

After the implementation of the ERP system, the company can abandon the use of numerous disparate programs for working with finance, warehouse, office, logistics. This, in turn, will allow the business to significantly reduce the cost of IT support.

In 2016, according to the rating of the consulting company Panorama Consulting Solutions, SAP entered the top three leaders in the global ERP systems market with a 20% share; Oracle -13.9% and Microsoft -9.4%. Further, in descending order, the following companies are located: Infor, Epicor, Sage, NetSuite, IFS, IQMS, Syspro.

Oracle became the leader in the speed of implementation, and SAP in terms of return on investment.

In Russia, according to the analytical center TAdviser, 1C: Enterprise became the most popular ERP system in 2016 (see fig.). Among the most demanded software are products such as Galaktika ERP, SAP ERP, Microsoft Dynamics AX, Microsoft Dynamics NAV.

Rice. Diagram of software products used for business automation in Russia

How to choose a software product

When choosing software business process automation systems can go in two ways:

* use of a typical product;
* development and implementation of individual software.

On a note

A standard (boxed) product will cost the company less, and it is also somewhat easier to implement. But we must not forget that not every typical software can be re-profiled for the individual characteristics of the enterprise, since in a number of programs the possibilities for additional settings are limited or even excluded. The same problem exists with cloud services.

In order to choose a specific program correctly, it is important to answer a number of very serious questions:

1. What business processes are you planning to automate?
2. Will the functionality of this or that program correspond to the tasks assigned to it?
3. Is it possible to customize for a specific business practice?
4. Is it possible to quickly change the system without shutting down operation in the event of a change in business processes or business conditions?
5. How easy is the system to use?
6. Is it possible to integrate the system with existing services or automation programs?
7. Who will provide technical support and how?
8. How much will the implementation cost and technical support(possession)?

Since it is almost impossible to independently and at the same time competently answer these questions, it is advisable to get advice from vendor companies (software developers). In addition, you should talk with your business colleagues, as their experience sometimes helps to make a choice. However, it is important to understand that opinions in the business community can be very subjective, due to the specifics of the industry, the size of the enterprise, limited experience in owning various ERP systems and, as a result, the inability to see the whole picture as a whole and compare all products in relation to yours. conditions.

As for whether to automate individual processes or install an ERP system, it all depends on the specifics of a particular enterprise.

The cost of software and the cost of its implementation

It is very difficult to answer unequivocally the question of how much business automation will cost for a particular company, since the cost of a particular software depends on several factors, including:

* tasks that the software is designed to solve;
* type of program: typical or custom;
* resources required for implementation;
* number of workplaces connected to the system.

For example, the price of a license for the popular integrated program "1C: Enterprise" for 100 jobs is 432,000 rubles, for 50 jobs - 187,200 rubles, for 20 jobs - 41,400 rubles.

The cost of automation also consists of several components:

* the cost of the system itself, including the cost of the "box" or rental payments in the case of using the "cloud" version;
* the costs of setting up the automation system and staff training;
* the cost of regular technical support.

Indirect costs should also be added to the price of automating business processes, for example, the time spent by the manager and key users to participate in the project.

Automation of business processes is sometimes presented to the manager as a magic wand. Just how to automate business processes in the best way? So that the work is arguable, the papers are not lost, the regulations helped, the team acted like a well-oiled mechanism?

In the article, we will analyze the nuances of building and automating business processes, consider how to avoid mistakes, what are the goals and objectives of automating business processes and where to start. If you are thinking about improving business processes and possibly implementing electronic system manage them, read the article carefully. And take it on a pencil!

Three whales of chaos in business: how to automate processes that do not exist

Before talking about the opportunities offered by the automation of business processes, let's think about what difficulties you are facing now.

The three bad "whales" on which chaos in business rests are universal. Most likely, you are also familiar with them:

• Regular mistakes. Petrov made a typo, Sidorov signed an unverified document, Vasechkina sent an invoice with incorrect details. Such mistakes cause temporary and financial losses, twitching eyes and work at night.
• Downtime. The document is under approval for a week, then the second, the work is worth it. A key employee is on vacation or quit without transferring the case.
• General confusion. Where did the necessary paper go? Why did the secretary not see the urgent document in the pile of sheets? Where should a specialist run when a client contacts, if the right person is absent? This confusion and running through corridors with reams of paper is annoying and certainly not conducive to productive work.

Even 10 years ago, modeling of business processes seemed to most companies to be expensive, time-consuming and therefore unnecessary work. Some people think so even now, having read horror stories about unfinished projects and spent millions, or even having approached automation from the wrong side. But it turned out that companies working on the automation of business processes are growing faster, better overcome crisis times and bypass competitors. In such companies, employees feel more comfortable, which creates the right working atmosphere in the team. Examples include the stories of Toyota, Amazon, McDonalds, as well as our customers, whose feedback on business process automation.

Today, the ability to build business processes and the knowledge of how to automate them are becoming an important competitive advantage.

Business processes: what are we automating, comrades?

Sometimes the management of a company, busy with strategic issues, is delusional: everything is fine with us. But if Petrov knows that if a marketing problem arises, you need to contact Ivanova, this is not a business process. But a specific action map, which universally describes the steps that employees go through to achieve a specific result, it already looks like a business process.

A flow chart, to call it a business process, must take into account three factors:

1. Stability of the described connections: the multiplicity of choice of actions, transitions, conditions are taken into account.
2. Regulation of actions during the process: calls, letters, attachments, appeals, sightings.
3. Logical conclusion: specific achievable goal.

A clearly modeled business process will allow you to both see the result and control the work at all stages in order to prevent losses and mistakes "at a low start".

Depending on the emergence of "thin spots", the business process is changed, its stages are adjusted, and which links are weak. If you have any difficulties with the development of algorithms, we are ready to help you. After all, the development of business processes is preparation for the project of their automation.

Is your business heart healthy?

Contact today and receive a tailor-made offer Business processes are the heart of the company. How do you know if your business is in shape? Contact us and find out how to get the most out of your business processes and unleash the full potential of your company.

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The main goal of business process development is to magically transform chaotically intertwined chains of intra-company interactions into orderly, coherent and understandable algorithms. May there be order at work, in the office, in the heads of employees and in the minds of managers!

Uri, where is the button? Business process automation goals

Now the question is: how to manage all this? Well, you need a whole staff of employees - to keep your finger on the pulse and closely monitor the "thin spots", "weak links" and the execution of everything that should be performed!

A quarter of companies follow this path, expanding quality departments, expanding the management and secretarial staff. But it is much more useful to ask the question of how to automate business processes and transfer the function of control over them into one space. Such a business process management system will be both a designer and a monitoring mechanism, and a controller that gives signals when something goes wrong. But for the "magic button" to work, you still have to work hard.

Of course, the goals of automating business processes are not only about a convenient way to control. As a result, using automated system business process management will help:

• Arrange regular tasks.
• Minimize the human factor.
• Clearly separate areas of responsibility within processes.
• Keep all the details of the process under control.
• Include in the customer interaction scheme.
• Create a unified IT infrastructure with different access rights.
• Save time, yours and your employees.
• As a result - to save money on company management.

As you can see, the goals of automating business processes are largely the same as yours!

Business Process Management - One Company System

To make it even clearer, we will analyze the specific functions of the business process management system - "1C: Document Flow 8" - with examples.

We have clearly seen how the automated business process differs from the “designed on the knee”. It remains to be seen how to achieve this level of automation.

Secret Ingredient: How to Automate Lossless Business Processes

You've probably heard stories about company N, which implemented a supersystem, tinkered with it and, spitting, returned to Excel. This happens when a company is faced with unforeseen difficulties. Then the employees sabotage the unusual way of working. Then the established processes do not lend themselves to regulation. Then the implementation budget goes beyond the desired. Then the system itself is heavy and incomprehensible, but it is necessary that "there is a button here, I press it, and everything works."

Leaders often forget the rule: the first stage, from which the automation of business processes is built, is tasks. The document management system has a huge functionality that can satisfy the requirements of the most whimsical business. But first, these requirements must be presented.

Our research confirms that 70% of business difficulties arise precisely at the stage of recording requirements and results. Therefore, we provide initial consultations, as well as offer a pre-project research service. This step helps:

• identify "bottlenecks" in the company,
• determine what goals are set for the automation system,
• understand whether the typical functionality is suitable for the company or if changes need to be made,
• find out what set of functions will be optimal for the business,
• determine which processes to automate in the first place, and which can be postponed. For example, areas that hinder the work of the entire company should be prioritized, even if the work on them is not the easiest one.

Capturing system requirements and outcomes correctly is the secret ingredient to the success of an automation project. Sometimes at this stage it becomes clear that there is a problem with business processes. Then you need to modify them or build from scratch.

Having decided on the tasks facing the automation of business processes, we proceed to the formation of the project team and to the implementation of the project.

Do you want to know what results your specific business can achieve? Contact us for a free consultation - we'll tell you!

Cases of unsuccessful automation of enterprises are quite common. Therefore, before embarking on this very time-consuming and expensive event, it is advisable to understand why automation is needed at all. And what problems are supposed to be solved with its help.

Experts usually divide the process of enterprise automation into several stages:

1. Analysis of business processes, their adaptation or revision.

2. Determine the actual needs for automation.

3. Selection of software solutions or development of specialized software.

4. Implementation of software at the enterprise and training of personnel in its use.

Moreover, the first two stages are in no way inferior in importance to the last.

It's worth starting with a definition. A business process is a system of sequential, goal-oriented and regulated activities, in which, through a control action and with the help of resources, the inputs of the process are converted into outputs, the results of the process that are of value to consumers. A business process from the point of view of information technology is a stable information process (sequence of work) related to the production and economic activities of a company and is usually focused on creating new value. The business process includes a hierarchy of interrelated functional actions that implement one (or several) of the company's business goals in the company's information system, for example, the management and analysis of product output or resource support for product output (products are understood as goods, services, solutions, documents ).

Note: quite often, with the help of automation, managers want to coordinate the work of the firm. Of course, modern management hard to imagine without information systems... But automation will not fix mistakes in the organization of business processes.

For example, if the enterprise has a large amount of information that has become impossible to process manually or using outdated systems, then automation is the way out. If the necessary information is simply not there or it is unreliable, managers are mistaken, the work of departments is not coordinated, then the management system must be changed - no automation will help here.

That's why first of all, the leader needs to soberly assess the state of affairs and understand whether automation will solve the problems that worry him.

Automation of business processes at the present stage of development is capable of solving the following tasks:

• Increasing the speed of processing company information (for example, faster passage of the application from the sales department to the warehouse).
• Increasing the transparency of the business (for example, you can quickly see the debt of counterparties).
• Control over the amount of information (for example, customers can enter and leave orders themselves via the Internet).
• Coordination of actions (for example, a product already reserved for one client will not go to another).
• Improving the manufacturability of a business (for example, prices and taxes are calculated automatically), etc.

Automation does not directly affect the solution of other tasks, for example, increasing the flow of customers, timely delivery of reports or determining development prospects!

That's why automation is usually needed in the following cases:

• reorientation to new tasks (release of other products, entry into new markets, technical re-equipment);
• reforms or changes in governance;
• the inability of the old automation system to meet the needs of the enterprise;
• preparation of the company for sale (automation should increase its market value).

Next important point: it is necessary to clearly define which part of the work needs to be automated at the moment. Moreover, it is not difficult for small companies to do this. They just need to analyze whose activities in the company are related to the processing and storage of large amounts of information and the construction of reports. As a rule, these are units that deal with accounting and tax accounting, are responsible for the movement of inventory, etc. There are "generally recognized" processes, the question of the need to automate which usually does not arise. Traditionally, this is accounting, the movement of goods and materials, payroll and personnel records. These processes are initially automated, since the increase in their efficiency due to automation has been proven many times over.

Another way to find out what exactly needs to be automated: understand what exactly does not suit the head in the current work of the organization. The reason for dissatisfaction can be the time of the process, its cost, quality (the number of errors and failures). For example, production planning can be done manually, without the use of automation tools. But the accuracy of the calculations, as a rule, leaves much to be desired, and the execution time is about a week. In addition, there are a lot of mistakes in such planning. And the financial costs for the "manual" process turn out to be unreasonably high.

Only after that you can proceed directly to the choice of an automated system.

The preference is usually given to the program that best suits the technical requirements and will not become an obstacle to information growth in the future. Unfortunately, it is almost impossible to find a ready-made system that would be capable of one hundred percent meeting the needs of the company. Therefore, it remains to choose the most suitable software product in terms of functionality and cost.

All automation systems can be divided into two classes: rigid, with a set of standard settings (for example, mySAP Business Suite, Oracle E-Business Suite, Galaxy) and flexible, with the ability to change their functions (for example, 1C, Microsoft Axapta). This division applies to all programs.- from simple solutions for local tasks to complex automation systems for large enterprises.

Experts recommend: in order to determine whether a rigid or flexible system is needed in a particular case, it is necessary to understand how the company and its business processes will change over the next two to four years. If the organization works stably and no fundamental changes are planned in its management system in the near future, it is possible to try on rigid systems, including Western ones. They have an undeniable advantage - they are complete and well-oiled solutions that have incorporated the best management achievements. However, having opted for such a system, the company will have to "adjust" its work to the model of business processes implemented in it. For domestic enterprises, this is not always possible. If the business is often reformed, and the management system has not yet taken shape in its final form, the company needs a flexible system that can be modified without major costs. Such products are on the market. In addition, ready-made solutions can be implemented on their basis.