What is the cost of automation and how do we measure it? This is a question we get asked all the time and it is a very difficult one to answer. I am not sitting on the fence here, but being realistic and I will try to explain my reasoning.
The first thing to think about is what your end game is. What do you want from automation? When you know that you can formulate a change plan. Then decide on the technology that will help you get there. For the purpose of this blog, I am going to talk about workflow automation and the cost of that. There is, of course, other types of automation such as robotic and control system process automation.
So what is the cost of automation
Can I put a price on workflow automation – yes around £15.00 per person/per month. But as I have already mentioned, it goes a lot deeper than that and first of all you have to consider if your business can afford not to automate processes?
First of all, let’s have a look at the Pros of workflow automation.
- More efficient processes
- Increased productivity
- Remove boring time-consuming work processes
- Reduce health and safety risks
- Give staff and customers a better more efficient experience
- You could reduce the working week and allow workers to finish early on a Friday.
- Or, you could eliminate overtime
- Reduce the risk of human error
- Predictable monthly costs
Against that, let us see some of the Cons
- Initial capital expenditure
- Some workers may lose their jobs
- Lack of empathy with automated procedures
- It isn’t broke so why would I fix it?
Looking at the above reasons then I am sure you will see the cost of automation far outweighs in the favour of Pros rather than Cons. Of course, there is a lot more to it than just cost. One thing is very clear, if you don’t plan your transformation then it will fail. Our blog page can help you to plan and manage change.
In Conclusion
Can we put a cost to automation, yes for budgetary purposes. As I already mentioned, around £15.00 per user/per month will get you the workflow automation system Kissflow and for that, you will get unlimited workflows. This means you can automate any manual process within the business. You will then need some consultancy to get you started, around £5,000.00 will get you a basic system up and running. Because Kissflow is a no-code system, if you have a bit of excel knowledge in the business you will be able to create and design your own workflows. The whole system can be up and running in a few weeks and each new workflow can be live and in production within a matter of hours.
We now know that the cost of automation is affordable, we know that the Pros far outweigh the Cons, so the next question should be when I can start? For that, you need to get in touch with Unleashed for a chat and to talk about your options.
Unleashed have been designing and implementing digital transformation solution for many years and are passionate about ensuring you are getting value for money and a good return on investment. With the current trend toward home working, now is the ideal time. As one of our clients said last week “Without Kissflow we couldn’t have kept working during this pandemic”.
