Monday 9 May 2022
The pandemic has created many challenges for businesses over the last couple of years, especially those that rely heavily on manual labour. During lockdowns many of these companies had to close their doors completely, and others saw a significant decrease in productivity.
Although many aspects of life have now returned to near normal, there are still obstacles for organisations to tackle. As businesses look to overcome these and continue to adapt to an ever-changing marketplace, it is vital to consider the role automation could play in the future.
Here's how automation can help your business to overcome challenges following the pandemic, and set it up for further success.
1. Automation can make it easier for your business to adapt
When the pandemic hit, many businesses had to change their ways of working in only a few days. For those with automated systems in place, this was an easier task than for those that relied fully on manual labour.
This was because automated processes enable businesses to react to developing situations, implementing any necessary changes quickly and minimising downtime. They can also monitor the impact of any changes, and alter variables accordingly.
This ability to adapt processes effectively and in a timely manner supports business continuity, reducing the likelihood of losing profits and market share.
2. Automation can help manage customer enquiries
During the pandemic, many businesses saw increased levels of customer enquiries, yet did not have the resources to respond to these quickly and accurately.
Even now, businesses are still seeing high numbers of customer questions following the impact of the pandemic, many of which require detailed consideration before they can be answered.
Investing in automated customer service tools (such as chat bots) will allow your business to resolve straight-forward customer queries quickly and easily. This gives your staff the chance to spend time on more complex issues and provide personalised support where necessary.
Automated customer service solutions can also operate on a 24 hour basis, making sure that customer queries are answered as soon as possible, reducing waiting times and staff workloads.
3. Automation can help to keep your staff safe
As we move forward from the last two years of the pandemic, organisations still need to ensure that their staff are safe at work.
Here's where automated robots come into play - although their capabilities are limited, they can be programmed to carry out straightforward, repetitive tasks quickly and efficiently. They also do not have to adhere to social distancing, mask wearing or handwashing, and can continue to work through lockdowns if necessary.
This leaves an organisation's human workforce to concentrate on more complex tasks that require careful consideration or creativity. These can often be carried out remotely or in further proximity from others, ensuring that staff are safe and feel comfortable during their work.
Investing in automation now can offer your business many benefits, including improved efficiency and cost savings. If you’d like to find out more about how Solweb can help you to understand the opportunities for automation within your business, simply contact us using the form below and a member of our team will get back to you.
