Recent research conducted by OnePoll reveals that the average business owner requires an additional four hours each day to complete essential administrative tasks. If your employees are spending 20 hours per week on inefficient and unproductive admin, this can negatively impact both the business’s performance and operational efficiency. However, technological advancements and software automation can significantly reduce these burdens by streamlining low-level administrative processes.
Automation provides a valuable solution to reduce your business’s administrative workload. A wide variety of business applications and cloud-based systems are available to automate tasks, improving efficiency across key processes. With the rise of ‘smart business tools’, software is now equipped with automation algorithms, artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, and cognitive solutions to remove mundane tasks from your daily operations.
Processes that can benefit from automation include:
- Automated Bookkeeping – Simply capture a photo of your receipts, expenses, and invoices, and optical character recognition (OCR) technology will digitise the information and integrate it with your accounting software. This eliminates manual data entry, minimises human error, and ensures no receipts are lost.
- Automated Credit Control – Chasing overdue invoices can be time-consuming. Automated credit control software tracks outstanding debts and sends customised reminder emails automatically once an invoice becomes overdue. This improves cash collection, reduces time spent on credit control, and lowers your aged debtor figures.
- Automated Payment Collection – Making it easier for customers to pay you leads to quicker payments. Automated card payment systems and cloud-based Direct Debit solutions enable automatic payment collection when invoices are due. Some systems even automate invoice matching and bank reconciliation processes, further enhancing your efficiency.
- Automated Reporting and Forecasting – Accurate and timely financial reporting is crucial for effective decision-making. Accounting platforms and fintech tools now offer automated, real-time reporting and forecasting, giving you instant access to key financial data and enabling more informed strategic decisions.
- Automated Digital Marketing – Digital marketing is essential for building your brand’s presence. Marketing platforms provide time-saving solutions for creating, scheduling, and posting social media content, as well as automating email marketing campaigns targeted at specific customer segments.
If administrative tasks are holding your business back, we can help you implement automation solutions to reduce your workload and provide valuable financial insights. By reviewing your current processes, we can identify the best automation tools to drive efficiency and support informed decision-making.