14 problems solved by digital process automation (DPA)

Efficiency and accuracy are of paramount importance in business. Most organizations are still dealing with manual workflows, which makes it harder to scale, ensure accuracy, and provide excellent customer experiences. Digital process automation (DPA) solves these problems, streamlining workflows and boosting productivity. Here's a closer look at a few problems DPA solves—and how it's transforming modern organizations.

1. Inefficient task allocation

Most organizations are still challenged by task distribution, which leads to unbalanced loads and delays. DPA automatically assigns tasks to workers according to their skills, workload, and availability. Intelligent task assignment frees up employees from backlogs and prevents them from wasting time determining who should do what. DPA ensures fair work distribution and helps teams stay organized to achieve their goals.

2. Delayed approvals

The typical approach to approvals is slow because it involves manual steps that create bottlenecks. DPA workflows ensure that the right stakeholders complete the request while automated reminders prevent delays in approvals. This makes the approval process faster and enables tasks to move forward more quickly to keep projects on track.

3. Data entry errors

Manual entry is time-consuming and often prone to human errors, which can create complications down the road. DPA can help automate data input by pulling and validating it automatically to enhance accuracy and data integrity across the organization. Employees no longer waste hours entering data, and costly mistakes are minimized.

4. Unstructured data management

Unstructured data, such as emails, notes, and scanned documents, is challenging to manage because it does not fit neatly into structured systems. DPA organizes this data by categorizing, sorting, and filing it according to set rules. The system thus makes unstructured data easily accessible and usable. Teams can access the information they need without searching through piles of disorganized files. DPA organizes unstructured data, ensuring nothing of value is missed and allowing easy access for employees.

5. Manual reporting

Preparing reports manually is time-consuming, and the information may be outdated by the time the reports are released. DPA automates reporting by extracting real-time data to produce updated reports immediately. This allows for faster, more data-driven decision-making and frees employees from manual reporting tasks.

6. Compliance risks

Organizations must remain compliant with industry regulations, but this can be complex and challenging. DPA systems simplify compliance by automatically tracking and documenting each step of a process to ensure a clear and complete audit trail. This guarantees that the necessary steps are followed while making it easier to review processes for compliance audits. DPA minimizes compliance risk by reducing the likelihood of human error.

7. Long response time to customer requests

Customers expect a quick response or resolution to their inquiries; however, this isn't often possible with manual handling processes. DPA streamlines customer requests by allowing automated intake and routing of each inquiry to the appropriate staff member or department. Priority flags may also be set to ensure that urgent requests are addressed promptly to maintain customer satisfaction. DPA minimizes customer wait times, fosters trust, and promotes brand loyalty.

8. Poor cross-departmental communication

This usually involves departments working separately without adequate communication. Lack of coordination and misunderstandings often reduce productivity. DPA consolidates information into a central location and integrates everything into one common platform to facilitate the access and use of data across various departments. This collaborative process eliminates delays and creates a smooth flow for projects.

9. Complexity in monitoring workflows

It is challenging to track whether projects are on schedule without real-time monitoring. This can lead to missed deadlines and wasted resources. Using DPA, a central dashboard can be set up to show the status of who is responsible for what and when tasks are due. This visibility allows managers to stay up to date on project progress, spot potential issues, and resolve them to avoid delays. DPA gives organizations more control over project workflows and ensures accountability at the team and individual levels.

10. Difficulty scaling operations

As organizations scale up, managing processes can become more difficult. DPA streamlines and expands workflows to allow the addition or alteration of steps as needed, without added complexity. With this flexibility, teams can scale operations smoothly, handle increased demand without straining their resources, and navigate growth with confidence that their business processes will run smoothly at any scale.

11. Employees take a long time to onboard

Employee onboarding can be time-consuming and repetitive. New hires are often presented with various forms, documentation reviews, and training sessions. DPA streamlines the hiring process by guiding new employees through every step and supplying all necessary documentation or training materials automatically. An easy and interactive onboarding experience ensures new staff members are equipped from day one to become productive in the team more rapidly.

12. Inconsistent customer experience

Delivering a uniform experience in every customer interaction is essential for building trust but proves challenging when different teams handle different stages. DPA ensures standardized workflows for all customer-facing processes to create a robust, reliable brand reputation by delivering the same high-quality service each time. This consistency fosters trust and loyalty among customers, which enables organizations to provide a positive experience that encourages return business.

13. Lack of transparency in workflows

Without visibility in workflows, problems are not easy to spot before they escalate into major issues. DPA provides real-time tracking and access to key performance indicators to allow stakeholders to monitor each step of the process. This increases accountability and enables quicker troubleshooting whenever problems arise. With increased transparency, DPA fosters trust among teams and creates a clear roadmap for everyone involved, ensuring smoother operations and less disruption.

14. High operational costs

The more manual and inefficient the process, the higher the labor and operational costs in the long run. DPA automates repetitive work so that human resources can focus on value-adding activities. As DPA helps organizations streamline workflows, resources can be better allocated  to take advantage of cost savings from DPA to reinvest in other areas to foster further growth and innovation.

Qntrl: Your digital process automation tool

Automate complex workflows and enhance productivity with Qntrl, a digital process automation tool. Qntrl is available with more than 70 prebuilt templates that teams can use to automate tasks with minimal complexity, provide real-time visibility, and support clear interdepartmental communication.