Any business process in the program is represented in the form of a graphical scheme. The software allows you to design a scheme describing the processes in each specific company (after all, the same legal entities do not exist by definition). After filling in the general data, the programs allow you to customize individual elements - set tasks, create reminders for employees, procedures for exchanging data between employees of the company, etc.

Thus, we get a template. We decide when to start the process of implementation based on the interests and tasks of the company itself. This can be a strong-willed decision of the employee, or some event - for example, the flow of information from the client (complaints, letters, appeals). The modern system of business process automation does not work for the employee while he drinks coffee. It gives a signal about what exactly and when he/she should do. At the same time, it provides the employee with the necessary information on the issue. The system will record the fact that the employee has completed the task, and if there is a delay, it will remind the employee of this. This is important both for the employees and for those, who monitor their performance.

This is how the automation of business processes of an enterprise works in general. Such opportunities were obtained from systems related to the organization of workflow. Then, with the expansion of software capabilities - IT-technologies began to influence deeper into business processes.

Tasks

Any effort, especially in business, must be accomplished with an understanding of the intended purpose. In other words, why buy, implement and establish such mechanisms as ECM? It solves many important tasks.

For example:

• Support for operational activities of the company (some of the processes are not directly related to the personality of the employee, his skills and abilities);
• Automation may allow you to perform the functionality of any employee;
• Accounting of working hours and control of the tasks assigned;
• Sometimes the systems allows even to draw up the necessary documents automatically (invoices, advance reports, reconciliation acts, commercial offers, etc.);
• Employees no longer need to perform most of the routine tasks that do not require the application of creative abilities and analytical mind. This allows you to bring business to a qualitatively new level;
• It is possible to reduce staff costs;
• The human factor is minimized - there are fewer risks associated with the fact that the employee makes a mistake, looks at it, and simply gives slack in the work, which will lead to errors.

If the above tasks are successfully solved by automation, this will undoubtedly lead to an improvement in the quality of the provision of services (manufactured products). Moreover, this is a direct way to financial prosperity and development.

Types of Automation

Modern software allows you to automate different directions. Depending on this, there are:

• Automation of business processes of the company, which is associated with the implementation of related tasks (for example, accounting, logistics, records management) - this functionality does not directly affect the company's profit;
• Delegation of the main business processes to the machines, which directly affect the profit indicators.

The current situation is that most companies now automate routine processes - accounting, document management), and more complex technologies related to decision making and strategic planning are still not widely spread.

Automation and optimization of business processes is carried out in different ways in different companies. It depends on the scope of activity, on the number of staff, on the financial capacity of the organization, and so on.

In most cases, the following tools are used:

• Cloud technologies (convenient for small and medium-sized businesses);
• Inter-machine interaction (minimization of human participation in the process);
• Contextual advertising systems;
• Analysis of a large amount of information (relevant for large businesses);
• Online analytical technologies.

Development Prospects

If the automation of certain areas of the enterprise has been successfully solved and implemented in many companies, then the introduction of an integrated management system is only gaining momentum (although the concept has been proposed for a long time and implemented in practice).

Also, remember that the purchase of software is rarely limited to investments. Every ECM needs tuning, maintenance, etc.