Business Process Automation (BPA) can help streamline processes and reduce repetitive tasks to help increase productivity. However, it is important to ensure you are measuring your automation to ensure it is helping improve your processes.
Using metrics to map your processes means that you can link improvements with quantifiable results. This means you can track how well your processes are performing.
Tracking the correct metrics will help you set realistic goals, identify any bottlenecks and ensure automation is having an impact. Companies like Heloix can use these metrics to improve their workflows in a more informed way.
Why Tracking Metrics Are Important
Measuring metrics will give you tangible evidence that automation is helping you achieve your desired outcomes. Without measuring them you could struggle to know whether your automation is helping.
Performance metrics can help you:
- Measure efficiency - See if automation is reducing processing times.
- Identify bottlenecks - Understand where bottlenecks are occurring.
- Measure accuracy - See if automation is reducing any errors.
- Reduce costs - Compare the costs before and after automation.
- Improve accountability - Ensure everyone has an accountable role to play.
- Make informed decisions - Use real data to see which processes need improvements.
This will help you move from just implementing automation to actually having improvements.
Key Metrics To Track
There are various metrics you can use to track the effectiveness of your automation. The metrics which will be most beneficial to you will depend upon what type of process you have, what goals you have and what outcomes you want to achieve.
Process Cycle Time: The process cycle time will tell you how long a process takes to complete within your business. This is one of the most important metrics to track when using business process automation mapping as it will show you if automation is helping you complete processes quicker.
Error Rate: This tells you how often errors are occurring within your process. Manual data entry, incorrect information and missing approvals can cause issues with accuracy. Automation can help reduce these by having set rules, data validation and standardized processes. By tracking the error rate before and after will help you see if your automation is improving.
Cost Per Process: This will tell you the average cost to complete a process within your business. This could include staff time, resources, software and maintenance. By comparing the costs before and after automation you can see what improvements you are getting. However, take into consideration the cost to implement and maintain your automation.
Process Throughput: This tells you how many tasks, transactions or processes you are completing in a given time frame. Tracking this will help you see if your automation is helping increase your capacity.
Exception Rate: This tells you how often your automated process is hitting an exception which cannot be handled. This may mean manual intervention, extra checks or approvals are needed. If you have a high exception rate then you may need to improve your workflow configuration, data quality or add some extra rules. Tracking this will help you see any limitations within your automation.
Productivity: This will tell you how well your staff are working once automation has been implemented. Automating repetitive tasks will free up your staff to focus on more complex tasks, communicating with customers and making decisions. You can track improvements by seeing how much faster tasks are being completed, how evenly the workload is distributed and less manual tasks.
Return on Investment: This will tell you what value you are getting from your automation compared to how much it cost. Your net benefits could include reduced labor costs, fewer errors, reduced costs and increased productivity.
Other Indicators to Track: Alongside your key metrics there are other metrics which will help you see how reliable and effective your automation is.
Automation Usage: This will tell you how often your automation is being used. This will help you see if your automation is being used effectively.
System Uptime: This will tell you how long your automation system is up and running. If you are experiencing frequent downtime this can cause delays. Tracking this will help you see if there are any issues, help you plan maintenance and keep your processes consistent.
Adoption: This will tell you how many of your staff are using your automation. Compared to how many should be using it. If you aren't getting a high adoption rate then your staff may find it difficult to navigate or require extra training. Tracking this will help you see if your automation is being used effectively.
Customer Satisfaction: This will tell you how your automation is affecting your customers. Having faster response times, fewer errors and consistent service can improve the customer experience. You can track this by asking for customer feedback, satisfaction scores, complaints and response times.
Conclusion
Tracking business process automation mapping metrics will help you see if automation is helping you make improvements. By tracking metrics such as process cycle time, error rate, throughput, cost per process, productivity and return on investment you can gain valuable insights.
However, to implement automation successfully you should also consider the reliability of your systems, adoption amongst your staff, customer satisfaction and unexpected exceptions.
Companies like Heloix can use these metrics to improve their processes to be more efficient, have greater visibility and make sustainable improvements.
Sources
- Open Practice Library - Metrics Based Process Mapping
- Blueprint - 5 Process Metrics You Need for Better Business Process Analysis
- HEFLO - Process Automation Metrics: How to Measure Real Improvement
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