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Author: Epic IT Automations

How To Use Time Inventory To Increase Productivity

Posted on by Epic IT Automations

If you ask most people, chances are, they’d say they’re pretty productive.

And while there’s no denying that there are definitely productivity powerhouses out there, the truth is, most people waste a lot of time. One study (outlined in a 2018 Inc. article) found that the average worker wastes a whopping 21.8 hours each week—including 3.9 hours on mindless online activities (like watching YouTube videos or checking social media), 3.4 hours managing low-value emails, and 1 hour sitting in non-productive meetings.

21.8 hours is a lot of time to waste. But the problem is, many people don’t have a full grasp on how they’re spending their time—or how they’re wasting it—which makes it hard to reclaim that time for more productive activities.

That’s where a time inventory comes in.

A time inventory is a time management strategy that helps you to gain clarity on where your time is going—and determine how you can get time back to focus on the tasks and activities that make you feel like your most productive self, both at work and at home.

But how, exactly, do you conduct a time inventory—and how do you use it to increase productivity?

Find The Right Time Tracking Tool

In order to successfully conduct a time inventory—and use it to increase productivity—you need a way to track your time.

And that means finding the right time tracking tool.

There are a ton of time tracking tools on the market (popular options include Toggl, TimeDoctor, Life Cycle, and Clockify); it’s just about finding the right time tracking app for you.

The “right” time tracking tool will depend on a variety of factors—including how you spend most of your time. For example, if you spend most of your day on your computer, a desktop time tracking app would likely make the most sense. If you’re more of an on-the-go person, you’d get the best data from a mobile time tracking app—and if you split your time between the two, an app with both desktop and mobile capabilities is probably your best bet.

When choosing a time tracking tool, you’ll also want to consider additional factors like price, ease of use, and reporting capabilities.

If you like to keep things simple, you might not even need an “official” time tracking tool—and instead, might prefer to manually track your time on a spreadsheet (or, if you’re a more tech-averse person, in a notebook!).

Track Your Time For A Week

Once you’ve got the right tool in place, it’s time to officially kick off your time inventory.

Keep track of how you’re spending your time each day. Categorize each block of time based on the activity you’re engaged in—whether it’s a personal task or work-related. When you move from one activity to another, mark it with your time tracking app.

And do this for at least a week. (In order to get a real sense of where your time is going—and see clear patterns emerge—you need to track your time for a significant stretch.)

The key to a successful time inventory is to track every second of every day—and to be as specific as possible when categorizing each time block.

For example, let’s say you spend 9am to 5pm working every day. In order to get the most out of your time inventory, you wouldn’t want to label that entire stretch of time with a broad category like “Work.” Instead, you’d want to get granular about how, exactly, you’re spending those work hours—which might look something like this:

  • 9am to 9:30am: Email

  • 9:30am to 9:40am: Snack break

  • 9:40am to 11:15am: Project work

  • 11:15am to 12pm: Conference call

  • 12pm to 12:30pm: Lunch

  • 12:30pm to 1:15pm: Exercise class

  • 1:15pm to 2:15pm: Project work

  • 2:15pm to 3:15pm: Team meeting

  • 3:15pm to 3:45pm: Break/walk outside

  • 3:45pm to 4:00pm: Email

  • 4:00 to 4:15pm: Check social media

  • 4:15pm to 4:30pm: Responding to Slack messages

  • 4:30pm to 5pm: Project work

The more specific you are as you’re tracking your time, the easier it will be to identify the most—and least—productive parts of your day, which will help you better formulate a plan to ramp up your productivity.

Dig Into Your Data

Once you’ve tracked your time for a full week, it’s time to dig into the data and see where, exactly, your time is going.

Most time tracking apps will generate reports that allow you to easily see each of your time categories—and how much time you’re spending in each. (If you’re using a spreadsheet or notebook, you may want to consider a coding system to make your data easier to visualize—for example, coding different categories by color). This allows you to clearly see where your time is going each week—and can help you figure out if how you’re spending your time aligns with how you want to be spending your time.

Pay special attention to any categories that are taking up significantly more—or less—time than you thought they would. For example, are you spending eight hours each week on social media—when you thought you were clocking less than two hours? Or, on the flip side, are you spending five hours of time with your kids each week—when you figured that number was closer to 10 hours?

Leveraging the data to get a clear idea of where your time is going is a crucial part of using a time inventory to increase productivity, as it allows you to…

Eliminate Time Sucks And Reclaim Your Time

Once you have your data laid out in front of you, it’s time to identify “time sucks,” eliminate them from your schedule, and reorganize your time in a way that’s more aligned with your productivity goals—both at work or at home.

Time sucks can be defined as any tasks, activities, and/or categories that are preventing you from spending your time in the most productive way. This can include:

  • Tasks you don’t actually have to be doing

  • Tasks you don’t enjoy

  • Tasks you can delegate to someone else

  • Mindless tasks that don’t bring you enjoyment (for example, mindless phone scrolling or internet surfing)

For example, let’s say you’re spending five hours every week in meetings you don’t feel like you actually need to be a part of—and you’d rather spend those five hours focusing on project-related work. In that situation, you might connect with your boss and ask if there’s any way to opt out of those meetings to get more done.

Or let’s say you’re spending five hours every week doing laundry—and you’d much prefer to use those hours relaxing at home or engaging with one of your hobbies. In that scenario, you might consider hiring a service that will pick up, wash, fold, and return your laundry each week—and reclaim those hours for yourself.

Increase Productivity With Time Inventory

The point of a time inventory is to eliminate time-wasters, streamline how you’re spending your time, and reorganize your schedule in a way that supports your highest level of productivity—so make sure to leverage your inventory to do so. Give Epic IT Automations a call at 608-496-8660 to talk with one of our experienced consultants and see how we can help streamline your time and increase productivity.

Source: integrify

Build Custom Notification Bots For New Leads

Posted on by Epic IT Automations

Hooray! Leads are flooding in from your website form, chatbox, and a new ad campaign. *Cue the dance music.* Take a moment to celebrate because having multiple lead channels is critical for business growth. But if those leads end up in different places, it can make it nearly impossible to nurture those potential customers effectively.

To make the most of new leads, your team needs to know when a new lead enters your lead funnel—so you can reach out and send them to the right place immediately. Instead of checking multiple inboxes, downloading spreadsheets, or manually alerting team members when new leads are ready. Epic IT Automations can help create custom notification bots, so your whole company gets info where they want it and when they need it.

Custom Notification Bots

  • Get notifications for new form responses.

  • Get notifications for new email leads.

  • Get notifications for new leads in your CRM.

  • Customize your notification bot.

Get Notifications For New Form Responses

Forms are the bread and butter of collecting new leads. And it’s essential to know when a new lead fills out your forms so you can respond and cultivate them immediately. But manually checking for new form submissions can slow down your response time. Instead, set up customized notifications that get sent to the right place at the right time.

Send notifications in your team chat app—where everyone hangs out anyway—so the right team member can take the necessary next steps. Or use SMS to send yourself (or the right team member) an automated SMS message with every detail you need. If you use your email as a to-do list, you can also set up an automatic email for every new form submission. Whatever tool you use, send notifications where you and your team will actually see them.

Get Notifications For New Email Leads

A busy inbox is a sign that business is booming! But it can also be overwhelming and messy—especially when a new lead emails you out of the blue. To stay on top of it all, send notifications about new email leads to where you’ll see them right away, like your team chat app or your phone.

Automatically forward lead emails to a specific channel in your team chat app. That way, the information you need is in the communication tool you use most often. Or set up to get an SMS alert for only the most important emails, filtering out the emails that aren’t urgent.

Get Notifications For New Leads In Your CRM

A new lead just entered your CRM. But that’s just one step (of many) in turning that lead into a customer.

Streamline your lead lifecycle by automatically notifying yourself or your team about a new lead added to your CRM. Use your team chat app if you want transparency across your team, your email if you spend time in your inbox anyway, and an SMS message if you want to give a lead a call instantly. This will make sure all new leads get the proper outreach right away.

Customize Your Notification Bot

Want to get a notification for a new lead sent to your chat app, email, and phone? You can! Epic IT Automations can help create a multi-step process that sends a customized message to multiple communication channels at one time.

Here are a few other ways you can take your notification bot to the next level:

  • Use a path step to send the notification to different places based on your lead data.

  • Add an item to your task management tool at the same time you send the notification.

  • Use a format step so your notification shows the info correctly, like splitting up the first and last name.

The Right Notifications Mean Easier Lead Outreach

Efficient communication is key to making sure your new leads are nurtured and turn into customers. Automation gives you the ability to control how you get notified—allowing you to make the most of every new lead as quickly as possible.

Ready To Create New Leads?

Turn to us at Epic IT Automations to assist in generating new leads and improving workplace process efficiencies. Our team works to provide the perfect strategy tailored to your goals through the use of technology solutions. Talk with any of our knowledgeable advisors to learn more on how we can assist with producing and implementing the right strategy fit to your business and goals. Give us a call at 608-496-8660 or schedule your consultation.

Source: Zapier

Digital Transformation And The SaaS Market

Posted on by Epic IT Automations

Digital transformation is affecting pretty much everything right now, and companies are being forced to adapt. But guess what? Software as a Service (SaaS) solutions might help them with all the changes.

If you read about trends and technology, you have surely heard about digital transformation or at least browsed through articles that talk about it.

The problem is, many companies that claim to have gone digital, have not properly carried out the process.

Digital transformation is not about building an app or joining social media.

It is about going completely digital. It is a structural change that involves inserting technology in all areas of your company.

This reality has already been adopted by many SaaS companies, which are often examples of businesses that find it easy to transform themselves digitally.

The simplification and optimization of internal processes are much more recurrent when using software as a service.

Plus, SaaS is web-based and more flexible as customer behavior changes.

So, in this article, you will see the benefits of digital transformation (with examples of successful companies) and how to change with the help of SaaS.

Check it out!

A New Business Model

Digital transformation is more than simply employing SaaS and expecting achievements to come without effort.

Organizations that invest in digital transformation and successfully drive it forward are growth-oriented and willing to put in the time and effort to make internal changes.

This is because technology doesn’t wait. It is always evolving, and society keeps up with its new possibilities.

This factor forces companies to start thinking from the inside out.

  • How do I put the customer at the center of my strategy?
  • How can I improve the customer experience?
  • What change is needed to improve retention?
  • How do I listen to my customers and deliver value?

These questions loom large in the minds of leaders responsible for digital business transformation.

And they really need to be considered.

Companies that decide to migrate to this new model have to change how they operate and the interplay of their functions.

This is especially necessary for the SaaS model, where technology is central, and the impact is more potent.

Benefits Of SaaS For Digital Transformation

As you can see, customer needs are not the only thing that is changing really fast.

Technological innovations are also arriving at high speed, and SaaS provides organizations with a cloud-oriented mindset.

This perspective enables business leaders to create solutions at scale together with the IT and Marketing teams.

Learn about some of the many benefits SaaS brings to digital transformation:

Cost Structure

Many organizations are in a situation where they can afford an ongoing structural cost but may struggle with huge upfront payments.

SaaS allows organizations the flexibility to pay for advanced technology within their operating budget, increasing the chances of approval for transformative projects.

Growth Possibility

Cloud-based software delivery allows even smaller organizations to become players.

As the cost of data storage continues to decrease, SaaS may be the biggest game-changer in business, offering greater growth opportunities to companies of all sizes.

Agile Change

Having the flexibility to make quick changes in your strategy is not an easy task in traditional software models and can include more than 12 to 18 months of scoping, contract negotiation, and finally, development.

With SaaS, new off-the-shelf features can be activated and configured quickly, promoting a reduced time to achieve higher ROI rates.

Scalable

Again, SaaS provides organizations with the ability to start with smaller budgets and scale quickly.

It also allows seasonal organizations to scale down for a certain period of the year and scale up quickly as needed when business picks up.

This would be nearly impossible to structure with traditional software collections.

Furthermore, SaaS uses traceable and measurable functionalities to understand which would be the best investment at any point in time.

Markets With SaaS-Based Digital Transformation

Several companies we know have taken advantage of this model to perform their digital transformations.

These companies are not only technology companies, and you probably know a few that we are going to mention throughout this article.

Various sectors are embracing the possibilities that technological advancement has brought us to change the way they work.

Let’s get to know some of them:

Industries

Businesses such as Uber brought a new mobility concept that affected several chains.

Car manufacturing companies that didn’t want to be left behind started to invest in the subscription car service.

Through an app, the user can purchase a high-end car and exchange it every 12 months, paying only a monthly fee.

Smartphone companies are already doing this as well.

Apple, for example, has the iPhone Upgrade Program, which allows you to exchange your phone every year for the newest model.

Quick delivery companies like Postmates, instant-read book services like 12min, and online movie consumption platforms like Netflix are making a difference.

And many other businesses are emerging on a daily basis to revolutionize industries.

Even the way we communicate has changed dramatically in the last ten years.

Instead of picking up a phone to contact someone, you are much more likely to send a message on social media, WhatsApp, or even Skype.

Therefore, leaders in these industries must be agile and able to change with customer demand — making the SaaS model so attractive.

Insurance Companies

Companies’ willingness to adopt SaaS depends on their comfort with data security, which is particularly true for insurance companies.

However, as cloud providers have increased investment in security and scalability over the past years, customers and prospects are becoming highly confident.

For instance, Microsoft alone invests over a billion dollars a year in security research and development.

With market speed, some insurers are completing digital transformation projects in months, not years.

In addition, they are launching new cloud products and segments — whether IT augmentation or the so-called “greenfield” opportunities — that are going into production even faster.

Another benefit relates to the fact that technology is constantly evolving.

Maintenance and upgrades are time-consuming and can have unintended consequences for systems, which can severely disincentive innovation.

In a mature SaaS environment, where the provider manages the maintenance, updates, and integrations, these problems do not arise.

So insurance companies reap the rewards of digital transformation almost immediately.

Financial

Although the financial services industry has traditionally been at the forefront of technological change, this sector has been cautious about adopting the cloud because of its data.

However, as the roles of the Chief Information Officer (CIO) have changed dramatically to strategically align IT with digital transformation, the overall goals of the entire enterprise are shifting.

In this context, using the cloud has become a priority.

With SaaS, finance professionals can:

  • Better manage their savings.
  • Easily migrate to better systems.
  • Increase mobility and agility.
  • Improve operational efficiencies.
  • Focus on business results.

It’s no wonder that the public cloud market is set to reach US $597 billion by 2023.

These significant investments are proving instrumental in bringing cloud-based software-as-a-service solutions to market, designed to meet the specific needs of users in the financial sector.

How To Do Digital Transformation With SaaS

Learn how your company can accomplish the digital transformation of your business with SaaS:

On-Demand Self Service

Organizations are rethinking their business models for the fast-paced digital age.

On-demand self-service models are creating new digital routes and services for consumers. Spotify, for example, offers music on-demand, Netflix offers video streaming services, and Uber offers mobility services.

Broader Access For Consumers

Consumers are connected via cell phones, tablets, laptops, and desktops. An online service model addresses all of these customers using an integrated platform.

This approach is convenient and easy for consumers, leading to widespread adoption across all geographic locations.

Speed And Scalability

The on-demand service model enables user applications to utilize resources in direct proportion to customer requirements.

Resources such as networks, servers, storage, and services can be scaled up or down depending on the application’s needs.

Measure And Configure Services

With on-demand services, customers pay only for what they use. Enterprises can also measure their service usage.

Therefore, a measured service allows an enterprise to examine resource usage, billing, and capacity planning, and to think proactively about the application’s use.

Site Independence

With software as a service, there are no restrictions on the location of customers. The service provider can choose and configure the options.

In addition, customers all over the world can access the same services. For example, media and news companies can use digital channels for expansion between locations. This allows users to access digital news from any place.

Integrated Data

The on-demand service model allows companies to integrate all application data. This integrated data is crucial for standards and information control.

Performance targets, customer service, and complete administrative activities can be planned using such data. For instance, you can extract information to look for user age groups, locations, times of frequent use, complaints, and more.

Infrastructure And Security Layer

The cloud infrastructure layer can be provisioned depending on the requirements of the enterprise’s applications and services.

With cloud capabilities, companies can reduce the IT infrastructure and the staff needed to manage them.

Another important issue is that you can achieve application security with the right cloud infrastructure, with security policies for access, permission, and identity management.

Seamless Integrations Of Legacy Systems

Companies are looking for digital ways to optimize their processes. When services are new and you try to introduce them into business processes, it is vital to integrate legacy systems and their data.

This happens, for example, when a real estate rental company starts using digital contracts and electronically signed documentation for leasing its properties.

All lease renewals, rent payments, and documentation now run on cloud-based services. In this context, data from legacy systems also account for the seamless transition.

Continuous Updates And Evolution

Digital transformation is a continuous process. Tools and technologies change frequently, and companies need to keep up with the changing times.

With SaaS, organizations can continuously update their services. In addition, updates and enhancements can be enjoyed by customers at once without significant downtime for the company.

Experimentation And Innovation

Innovation is a dire need in the business world, especially when waves of digitalization constantly challenge businesses.

On-demand services and cloud software make room for experimentation and innovation that encompasses new technologies.

Companies are using the SaaS model to reshape their existing products and services. They apply digital innovations to deliver customized experiences, enriching customer interactions and transforming their enterprises.

Ready For Digital Transformation?

As you can see, technology is a strong ally in the process of improving your marketing efforts if used effectively. Contact Epic IT Automations to access interesting insights on how to strengthen your marking strategies through technology! With our insight and highly trained staff, you can maximize the efficiency of your business workflow through successful digital transformation and effectively using SaaS solutions. Give us a call at (608) 496-8660 to discuss your needs with one of our team members.

Source: rockcontent

A Quick Introduction To KPI Dashboards

Posted on by Epic IT Automations

A well-designed KPI (Key Performance Indicators) dashboard can give you and your team key performance metrics at a glance, providing insight that can help drive business decisions at every level. By incorporating dashboards into your business workflow, you can shore up weaknesses, discover your strengths, and identify opportunities for growth. Here is an overview of KPI dashboards and how they can help your business thrive.

What Are KPI Dashboards?

KPI dashboards are pieces of software that display key pieces of data in an easy-to-read, interactive format. Your dashboard might show chats and graphics, key performance indicators, and progress toward goals. A well-designed KPI dashboard also allows users to click on certain reports to explore the data represented on the interface. For instance, clicking on the sales metric should take users to detailed records of sales totals for the individual user or the entire department.

These dashboards provide in-depth information that users may otherwise have to go looking for. Instead of compiling reports and metrics, these programs automatically integrate information that can guide decisions at both the individual, departmental, and senior management level.

For instance, sales agents can use these dashboards to track their activity in different markets. Adding these tools to their business workflow can help them target their efforts on the most profitable clients. Executives, on the other hand, can use a customized KPI dashboard to track responses on customer satisfaction surveys and the performance of each department.

How Can You Implement An Effective KPI Dashboard?

Effective KPI dashboards should be visually clean and streamlined and feature all the information the user needs on a single page. They should also be easily customized to show only the information users need. Additionally, the platform should be easily scalable, so it can be used by front-line employees as well as executives and decision-makers.

Ready To Build And Implement An Effective KPI Platform?

Building an effective KPI platform can be challenging, but Epic IT Automations offers the expertise and technology you need. With our insight and highly trained staff, you can maximize the efficiency of your business workflow and harness the power of modern systems. Give us a call at (608) 496-8660 to discuss your needs with one of our team members.

Automation Isn’t Just For The Shop Floor

Posted on by Epic IT Automations

Picture an autonomous mobile robot (AMR) moving through a factory. Quietly and efficiently, it moves materials, components, subassemblies, and finished products between warehouse, production lines, packaging, and shipping. There’s no human involvement, no accidents, and no mistakes; the movement just happens in a dependable and predictable manner.

Why can’t administrative processes happen the same way? Well, the simple answer is that they can. For a long time, manufacturers have focused on automating what happens on the shop floor. They’ve sought to eliminate manual labor, and this effort has yielded immense benefits. Now it’s time to apply the same thinking to office workflows.

Manufacturing Productivity And Efficiency

Recent years have seen many factories become highly automated. Not only do the machines themselves run without human involvement, but so too do the handling systems. These deliver products, load and unload, and take processed material or items to the next step in the process.

In high-volume manufacturing – consumer goods and automotive production spring to mind – conveyors of various types have provided the movement. Robots take the strain when parts need loading and unloading from machines, saving people from the heavy lifting. Today manufacturers are starting to deploy AMRs that move material, components, and even tools to where they are needed.

Factory automation is known for removing people from dull, dirty, and dangerous work, but there’s another, often overlooked, benefit: automation increases consistency. When a task is automated, it’s performed exactly the same way every time. That’s something human workers can’t manage, no matter how hard they try.

An inspection provides a good example. Tired and distracted human inspectors miss defects that should be caught before they reach the customer. At the same time, as humans are inherently subjective, a good product is sometimes scrapped unnecessarily. By being repeatable and consistent, automated inspection solves these problems.

Human variability is a problem when processes are supposed to be standardized. It leads to omissions and errors, and tasks can take longer than they should. That disrupts downstream operations and hits productivity and efficiency. Conversely, once automated, they are repeatable, consistent, and reliable.

Key Elements Of Factory Automation

Industrial manufacturing is currently going through a fourth revolution. The history looks like this:

  • Steam power takes over from human and animal energy sources – the First Industrial Revolution
  • The Second Industrial Revolution involved a switch to electricity, oil, and gas, accompanied by the development of the telephone and telegraph
  • Computers and PLCs brought about the Third Industrial Revolution and gave us the automation seen today in most factories.
  • Inexpensive sensors, coupled with internet communication, advanced analytics, and even AI, are bringing about a digital transformation, a Fourth Industrial Revolution sometimes referred to as “Industry 4.0.”

As we see it in factories today, automation is characterized primarily by PLCs and computers running programs that control motions and actions. Motors power slideways, spindles and conveyors, with encoders reporting speed and position. Solenoids open and close valves and gates in response to signals from the controllers while sensors report back so that processes can continue.

The digital transformation will reduce waste while increasing utilization measures like OEE and boosting efficiency. Breakdowns will go away as machines become able to report their condition to a maintenance system that schedules overhauls and repairs. Quality will rise as machines become able to adapt to changing conditions, environmental or material-related, and people will move from repetitive tasks to more creative, forward-thinking, problem-solving roles.

Office Workflows And Automation

Now and increasingly in the future, factory automation is essentially about moving data. The same is true of the processes used to run every business. In some cases, these are codified as procedures (usually when required for the Quality Management System (QMS)), and in others, there are informal or loosely defined ways of doing things.

Examples of well-defined work processes (in most organizations) include:

  • Paying bills
  • Documenting training
  • Calibrating measurement devices

Processes that are often poorly proceduralized, (or not at all) include:

  • Near-miss reporting
  • Supplier selection
  • Monitoring indirect material consumption

These, and the many others that exist, are characterized by paper forms, folders, spreadsheets, and the occasional template. For each, the workflow involves people creating or initiating documents, adding information, and passing them along to other people. In many cases – most types of requests, for example – need feedback from the originator that tells them what to do next. Many also need storage to provide an audit trail or a (somewhat) searchable history. In manufacturing terms, automation of office and administrative tasks is somewhere between the second and third revolutions.

What Is Workflow Automation?

For certification to a Quality Management Standard like ISO 9001, the way in which tasks are done is documented as a series of steps. This is the workflow. Most organizations used descriptive documentation, but flow charts work just as well. (Some will argue they are less ambiguous and therefore better.)

Workflow automation refers to using software that implements those flow charts. It doesn’t take away human involvement or decision-making but automates data movement. In a sense, it’s analogous to a factory conveyor or AMR: it moves the data from one step in a process to the next. Moreover, because it prevents shortcuts and non-standard ways of doing things, it could even be thought of as a poka-yoke for paperwork!

Taking the analogy further, in an automated workflow, the software notifies the “machine” that a new job or batch has arrived and is awaiting processing. This is like having sensors on a conveyor. We could even imagine monitoring the length of the queue and raising a flag if it becomes too long.

As is quality control, storage and analytics are integral to an automated workflow. Metrics are readily implemented. Errors and omissions are detected immediately they occur, or better still, prevented by poka-yoke type “mechanisms”.

Examples Of Workflows That Can Be Automated

Any sequence of tasks that needs performing regularly is a candidate. Examples can be seen in:

  • Document approval processes
  • Safety reporting
  • Raising purchase orders
  • Travel expense approval
  • Product lifecycle development

The Benefits Of Workflow Automation

Automating workflows in office and administrative processes yields very similar results to automating manufacturing processes. They include:

  • Higher quality – in an automated workflow process, the software can check for errors and notify those responsible immediately. Not passing incomplete or incorrect data through the system saves a lot of time and improves record accuracy. Workflow management also stops people from taking shortcuts and prevents promises of “following up with the paperwork later.”
  • Less manual work – completing the repetitive, predictable activities integral to so many office processes saves time, freeing up people for more productive work.
  • Faster processing – automation reduces the variable delays that clog bottlenecks and slow progress everywhere to a crawl.
  • Quicker new product development – documentation and approvals often cause delays while working on the next generation. By accelerating processing, automation helps get new products to market faster.
  • Lower costs – as with manufacturing automation, faster processing, higher accuracy, and less need for human input- lead to lower costs.

Process Automation In The Office

In manufacturing, using automation to cut costs, lead time, and improve quality has long been a way of life. It’s past time that the same thinking was applied to workflows in the office. Today it’s both feasible and practical to save time and money by automating many office processes.

Connect with Epic IT Automations today and learn how we can help you work more efficiently by automating repetitive, high-volume workflows. Call us at 608-496-8660 or schedule a consultation to get started.

The Best Way to Get Started Building Processes

Posted on by Epic IT Automations

When you first start with new workflow automation software, it’s important to have a game plan for how you will move forward. The best way to get your feet wet with our software is typically to dive in and start building a workflow.

Let’s take a step back – before we dive any deeper into stepping in the software. Let’s go over a few steps that you will want to take when wanting to get started building processes with Integrify. These tips could be used no matter what process you are working on getting started with – HR, Finance, Marketing; these tips will work for you!

Layout The Steps

Typically, your mind might be on autopilot when sending emails for approvals, forwarding a document for a signature, or sending something back to a colleague. But it’s important to lay out what exactly these steps are. Start with the process you’d like to begin on and grab a piece of paper or something you can lay out your thoughts on and make your own flow. Write down the forms included, approvals needed, PDFs used, etc. Lets say for instance, you want to break down the time off process your company does now. You may know that…

  • You have to send an initial request to your manager
  • Your boss approves your time off
  • HR gets involved to make adjustments to your record
  • Someone in HR will send you an email with your new time off approval and remaining time off

You’ve started your first step of building out your very first process!

Map Out The Steps

Start mapping out your thoughts above with step-by-step flow ideas of how this current process looks like on paper. This will be beneficial when it comes to building your first workflow. Where are the forms located? What forms would you like to include? What task do you want to come before or after something important? Do you want automation emails to populate and send throughout this process?

Plan Out Rules

When you look at that drawn-out flow, you now have a better understanding of all the steps involved. Do you want to add rules? Of course, you do! In this example, let’s say that your manager needs more information on your time off, for example, you left out the specific end date of your time off. They need more information! You might jot down that you would like to make a rule on step 3 that if they need more information, this rule will send the request off form back to the employee (requester) and have them refill the error on their end. Then after they complete that fix, it will automatically send it back to your manager so they can easily approve and it’ll be on its way to HR.

Have An End Goal In Mind

You always need to have that end goal in mind when laying out these rules, processes, and mappings. Let’s keep using the HR example – what is the end goal? We want it to be as easy as possible for the requester to get their initial form approved and sent to HR. If everything now is just via email, these requests may get lost in management emails and never gets passed along to HR. Our goal is simplicity. Automatic routing allows for documents and forms to be sent without the worry of things getting lost along the way.

You may want to send out automatic emails when you click “approve” or “need more information” this is a goal as well – being able to keep everyone in the loop.

Ready To Automate?

Contact Epic IT Automations and see how we can help you implement and automate business processes.

Zapier: A Tool that Bridges Gaps Between Apps

Posted on by Epic IT Automations

As a business owner, it’s important to ensure your applications are communicating. Moving business information automatically through your programs removes human error, boosts productivity, frees up time, streamlines communication, and more! But it can be daunting to think about getting started with automation if you are unfamiliar.

Evaluating your internal processes and systems is the first step in discovering where automation opportunities lie.

Some common reasons to automate workflows include:

  • Speed up data entry tasks
  • Connect people, apps, and processes
  • Gather data at scale to make smarter decisions
  • Spend less time managing the inbox
  • Omit manual tasks that are done by humans

There are many tools available to make automation possible, Zapier being one of them. Zapier is a tool that helps automate repetitive tasks between two or more applications. You can get started immediately with premade workflows, or if you are up for it, build something yourself by connecting your apps. With the ability to integrate over 4,000+ different applications, this do-it-yourself editor allows you to create automations without the hiring a developer: integrate apps, automate workflows, and innovate processes.

Automating tasks is a key component to running an efficient business and doesn’t have to be intimidating. Your first automation doesn’t have to be complex; it just has to work so you can focus on things that matter.

Interested in evaluating your processes and learning where automation fits in? Call us at 608-496-8660 or schedule a consultation and we can guide you through, step-by-step.

What CFOs Need to Know About Workflow Automation

Posted on by Epic IT Automations

Any CFO looking to maximize the effectiveness of their finance team needs to be open to workflow automation. Automation can open up a world of possibilities by shifting finance processes away from manual, spreadsheet-based methods. Nevertheless, implementing automation is not always a simple process. CFOs first need to understand some basics of workflow automation and how it would fit their situations.

Where does a CFO begin with introducing automation? What benefits can she expect? Are there any downsides to automation? And why should automation be implemented now? We explore these questions below.

Which Finance Functions are Ripe for Automation?

The automation-minded CFO first needs to decide how and where automation can best do its work. In other words, which finance functions would benefit the most from automation?

The answer lies in looking where manual processes are slowing down finance operations and creating bottlenecks. Many working in finance today already understand that paper-based documents, phone, and fax are outdated methods of workflow management. But they may not understand that even Excel spreadsheets and email while improving over paper and fax, are still overly cumbersome methods prone to errors and inefficiencies.

When considering where to start with automation, look first to finance functions that require a great deal of time manually entering data. Also, examine any processes where a lot of errors are made or an inordinate amount of time is spent checking for errors or correcting them. Finally, any workflow with an intricate request-and-approval process could be greatly streamlined with automation.

Accordingly, consider the intensive data entry of accounts payable and receivable. Think about how one error in a spreadsheet of vendor and contract approvals could carry over to other areas, compounding the mistake. Or think of a complicated request-and-approval process for capital expenditures (CapEx), where requests above a certain threshold need to be elevated to higher levels for approval — perhaps even to you as CFO. Automation can make a substantial difference in these and other areas of finance operations.

Workflow Automation Benefits

The CFO considering workflow automation must also weigh the costs and benefits of implementation. After all, this will require having your finance team become familiar with a new piece of software or platform. So what benefits can she expect from automation?

Increased Efficiency

Arguably the most obvious benefit of automated workflows in finance operations is greater efficiency. An automated platform can eliminate a great deal of manual data entry, which cuts down on the potential for human error. The system can make calculations and auto-populate fields. For a request-and-approval process, the automated workflow can automatically direct different types of requests to the correct approver. All these features increase speed and accuracy.

Better Transparency And Reporting

Other immediate benefits of automation are improvements in transparency and reporting. A customized dashboard can provide lightning-fast insights. If your invoice or CapEx approvals are hitting snags, you can identify the bottlenecks right away. And the automated system can provide accounting on a continuing basis, so you do not have to wait until the financial close to view insights from a report.

Free Up Your Finance Team For Higher Level Thinking

Various reports have shown that finance teams spend a large proportion of their time processing transactions. Much of this work tends to be a low-value activity that is inordinately time-consuming. By speeding up transaction processing, automation can free up your finance team to focus on more strategic and insightful work.

By allowing your finance team to focus on higher-level thinking, you are more than likely to improve team morale as well. Less manual effort and mistakes will bring peace of mind. The ability to focus on strategic efforts will likely increase job satisfaction among team members. The payoff here will be more motivated and decreased turnover.

Potential Challenges Of Implementing Automation

It is tempting to believe that automation will immediately bring on days of wine and roses with a new trouble-free finance department. But you must be prepared for some initial resistance to new technology and processes. It may be advisable to start small by automating only certain types of finance workflows, then build on that success over time by expanding automation to additional workflows.

Also, be aware that some amount of training will be required for the new automated system. Retraining may be necessary down the road. To minimize this training burden, seek out automation tools that are relatively intuitive and easy to learn.

What Are The Costs of Delaying Automation?

While automation might be a clear net positive for your finance team, any CFO has a lot of items on his plate competing for attention. It might appear easier to simply delay introducing automation into your finance workflows. If so, you should be aware of the costs of the delay.

Ongoing Inefficiencies

Without automation in place, all the inefficiencies and bottlenecks of your current manual workflows will remain. If your company is growing, these problems will tend to get worse over the long run. The current snags in the process could result in missed deadlines, additional mistakes, and possibly even hits to your bottom line.

Increased Risk

Since manual routines and spreadsheets are error-prone, any finance team using them will be subject to increased risk. Manual processes make it more difficult to follow internal controls, which are put in place for the precise reason of decreasing risk. Furthermore, manual processes make it more difficult to trust financial reporting.

Failing To Keep Up With Competition

The simple fact is that automation is becoming ever more prevalent for finance departments everywhere. If you are not implementing automation for your company’s finance functions, you can be assured many of your competitors are. Not only will these competitors reap the benefits of automation, they are more likely to attract top talent for their finance teams — possibly from your team.

Interested In Workflow Automation?

Connect with Epic IT Automations today and learn how automation fits into your organization and the possible benefits. Call us at 608-496-8660 or schedule a consultation!

Source: Integrify

A Beginner’s Guide To SaaS Integration

Posted on by Epic IT Automations

SaaS stands for software-as-a-service, a licensing model in which software is centrally hosted on external rather than internal servers. SaaS integration involves linking a SaaS application with other, separate systems or applications, resulting in one greater system in which all components work together. Here are some important things to know about the integration process and its benefits.

What Is SaaS Integration?

On a very basic level, SaaS integration connects various applications together and allows them to communicate with one another. It lets you synchronize data in multiple locations and move it from application to application, automating the processes that these tasks require. Common examples include emails, shared calendars, and office-related applications like word processing and spreadsheet tools. SaaS integration joins these products into one complete software solution, which you buy on a pay-as-you-go basis from a cloud provider.

What Are The Benefits?

Employee productivity and workloads are streamlined, resulting in greater efficiency and smoother workflow. Customers will reap the rewards of an easy, effortless system that generates the quality goods or services your business provides. Because data is easily accessible across all systems, your staff can locate information quickly. This improves transparency, keeps all team members on the same page, and ensures high levels of customer service.

SaaS integration also saves significant time since you don’t need to enter data in multiple, separate applications. As a result, you and your team have more time to focus on other responsibilities, and reduces the risk of human error. This system sends correct information from one application to another, requiring no middlemen to input data at every point. Using SaaS integration for hundreds of apps across multiple departments allows business processes to be more scalable.

Ready To Benefit From SaaS Integration?

You can experience these benefits for your business by turning to us.  Call us today at 608-496-8660 or schedule your consultation.

Leverage The Power Of SaaS Integration

Posted on by Epic IT Automations

Gone are the days when software platforms were limited to the devices they were installed into, strictly required an on-premise use for the employees to operate on the same. These were the software solutions that bound users to a specific device or location to avail of their functionality.

Over time, the need for flexibility has increased and employees wanted to break free from the pattern of working from a single dedicated device and location all day. Also, owing to an increase in the amount of data managed by organizations daily, the traditional software platforms often limited the storing and accessing of datasets by the users.

This issue was resolved with the advent of SaaS integrations.

What Is SaaS Integration?

SaaS stands for software as a service. As the name suggests, SaaS involves a dedicated service provider developing an application that can be implemented within your organization, according to your specific needs and preferences.

Integration into a SaaS application involves installing a software platform to serve specific purposes and achieving specific organizational goals. Whether you are willing to integrate a CRM platform to manage your customer database, an online collaborative platform to set up a virtual workspace, or a business analytics platform to make better sense of your datasets, SaaS integration helps you avail of the services that a dedicated local or global developer is willing to provide.

Advantages Of SaaS Integration

A Cloud Based Approach

SaaS integration often comes hand-in-hand with cloud management services. As opposed to traditional software development that restricted the use of applications to a great extent, SaaS integration involves setting up cloud-based platforms that are highly flexible and customizable.

With seamless cloud computing web services, you can get a software platform implemented that can be accessed by your employees from any location and at any time. All they need are their login credentials and an internet connection. This helps you and your team to keep everyone on the same page and make necessary updates in real-time.

Increased Transparency

SaaS integration helps you get rid of the rigid nature of traditional software platforms and increases transparency in the processes carried out.

Unless a user is restricted to access specific tools or records, each of your team member can have a look at the progress your company has been making, access important reports, and obtain valuable insights that help make them work better.

Seamless Upgrades

As mentioned earlier, SaaS applications are highly flexible and customizable. In 2021, technological advancements are rapid and an organization needs to be in sync with the latest trends to stay relevant.

SaaS integration allows you to upgrade to a newer edition of a software platform without having to go through tedious and time-consuming programming. A few simple clicks would provide you with upgraded tools and new editions to scale up your business processes.

Importance Of SaaS Integration for SMBs

Cost-Effective Solutions

Cost is always one of the primary factors influencing the decisions made by small and medium enterprises. Through SaaS integration, you can save up on the cost of heavy installation. As opposed to traditional software development, SaaS integration does not involve on-premise installation or infrastructure required for the same.

Moreover, you can reduce the costs involved in carrying our regular checkups, audits, and upgrades as it does not require you to spend money on hardware resources.

Also, several SaaS platforms come with a “pay-as-you-go” model. This allows you to spend money only on the tools you use instead of paying for the entire package at once.

Saving Time

Implementing a SaaS platform takes considerably less time as compared to setting up an on-premise software platform. All you need to do is go to the dedicated platform’s official website, register yourself as a user, pay for the package you are willing to install and start using it right away.

Even if you are willing to implement a personalized SaaS application within your organization, it does not take much time for the developers to make the necessary customizations and go live with the services.

Mobile Customizations

Not every employee working in a small business has access to a desktop or a laptop. In such cases, they can easily log into a SaaS application on their mobile phones or tablets and carry on with their work on the go.

Guarantee Of Service And Data Backup

Most traditional software platforms do not provide a complete guarantee of service and can crash if faced with unexpected circumstances. On the other hand, most SaaS applications provide users with a guarantee that the platform will be functioning all the time. Also, while backing up data in traditional platforms is quite labor-intensive, the same can be done on SaaS applications with a few simple clicks.

The Future Of SaaS Applications

Looking at how SaaS applications are being adopted by organizations across the world, it is safe to say that their prominence will only increase with time.

Since the summer of 2020, professionals have been forced to work remotely and organizations have started setting up virtual workspaces. In such cases, it is practically impossible to set up on-premise software going the traditional way. Some of the most commonly used platforms in the last couple of years are SaaS applications, whether it is Salesforce, Office 365, Workday, Sharepoint, SAP Concur would suite Fission’s expertise.

This makes it clear that SaaS is the thing of the future and it is advisable for businesses to integrate SaaS platforms before it is too late.

It’s Time For SaaS Integration

Connect with Epic IT Automations today and learn how we can help you implement SaaS into your business processes and strategies. Start reaping the benefits of SaaS integration, call us at 608-496-8660 or schedule a consultation to get started.

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About Our Guarantee Policy

For clients who purchase our business automation package, we guarantee that we will design and implement a custom IT automation solution that will save time within their business, reduce redundant workflows & manual tasks, and improve overall performance.

We partner with our business automation clients and provide them with an end-to-end solution.  If we do not fulfill our guarantee, then we will continue working with you until we find a solution that solves your specific business needs. 

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