Adopting Automation – 5 Benefits of Bringing Automation Into Your Business | The world is becoming less driven by manual labor every day, with technology and machines being introduced to take over processes that once required human intervention. We don’t even need humans to help us with grocery store checkout anymore. Some grocery stores are now operated solely on automation, without a single checkout operator in sight.
However, the benefits of automation go far beyond your local grocery store, stretching into your average workplace. If you haven’t yet thought about how your business could benefit from the adoption of automation, consider the advantages below.
Time Savings
Something as simple as an automated accounts payable feature in your accounting software can save you a considerable amount of time. You can scan in paper bills and receipts with ease and upload any electronic invoices you receive via email.
The time savings of not needing to enter information manually can be astronomical, and that’s only the beginning. Using clever technology, such software can also consider the data in each payment to know where it originated from or where it’s going.
Features like these are contributing to significant time savings in a wide range of applications. Business owners typically work long hours, so every minute saved is precious.
Money Savings
The less money you spend on your business, the more profit you have and the more you can invest in your business. While you will need to spend money to incorporate automation into daily tasks, the potential money savings may surprise you.
Time is money, which means that if you’re able to speed up processes, you’re already saving money. However, automation can go beyond that. Depending on the software and systems you use, you may be able to identify cost savings in your everyday operations, along with ways to reduce waste, which may help your bank balance and the environment.
Work Longer
The goal of any business owner is to work less, but automated machines allow you to work more and produce more without actually being there yourself. Many systems and machines can be made to operate without your supervision day and night. You can even receive email or text alerts if they encounter any problems.
Changed Staff Requirements
There has always been a concern that automation and technology will take over jobs, and we’ve seen job losses occur as recently as 2020. While automation can, of course, change and eliminate roles, it doesn’t have to make workplaces smaller.
Employees can be redeployed into other roles where they can make more of a difference. There will also always be a need for someone to maintain the machines and systems that provide that convenient automation.
Therefore, workplace staffing can change, but not always in a way that negatively impacts employees.
Improved Safety
Safety is an essential consideration in most workplaces, especially as an unsafe workplace can lead to high costs for employers and the risk of injury or death for employees. Automation in various work processes may be able to mitigate these risks.
For example, cranes with off-center pick technology systems can alert crane operators to the potential for load misalignment, which could otherwise lead to injuries and death. Upon using audio and visual warning signals, this same system can help operators align the load before hoisting it safely.
It doesn’t matter what line of work you’re in, automation can be integrated in a way that benefits your daily operations and bottom line. If your workplace is mainly manual, now might be the right time to start looking at your software and system options.
“Infographic created by DFIN”
