Delivering Automated Business Solutions in the Age of AI

And although the internet as an entity has existed, in one form or another, for about half a century, it only became widely available for commercial use during the mid 1990s. We’ve come a long way since then. Looking at the world around us, we've seen technology shift from mainframes, to client/server, and into the cloud where everything is connected — from friends on social networks, to mobile phones, and even to the household products.

With 8.4 billion smart things expected to be in use during 2017, customers and employees are creating an unprecedented network of information and trillions of interactions. Add to this AI and predictive analysis and recommendations, and we see what the potential inherent in automated business solutions to help businesses transform digitally.

Business Automation Is Becoming Vital to Success.

What is modern business automation? Simply put, it is the ability to let your computer systems do your work for you. A large portion of the time-consuming, repetitive tasks that once bogged down your workforce can now be placed in the virtual hands of automated programs. Tasks such as collecting and analyzing client data, managing interviews, gathering feedback, creating quotes, and more, can be automated, allowing your employees to focus their energies on other tasks. This means a significant boost in employee productivity, and better returns for your business.

According to a report by Mckinsey, automation has the potential to raise global productivity by between 0.8% and 1.4% annually, but improved productivity isn’t the only benefit of giving your business solution system automated capabilities. When built on reliable, real-time data, automated systems are more accurate and consistent. They can also perform tasks much more quickly, and even multitask in ways that would be impossible for a human workforce.

Marketing and sales are two business elements that have seen astoundingly positive results, thanks to automated business solutions. With the switch to digital channels, many marketing and sales teams are finding it difficult to give their clients the personalized, one-on-one journeys that they desire. Marketing automation, set to respond to specific triggers, can automatically collect relevant lead data, deliver personalized content, and even route leads to the best-qualified representatives when the time is right. In fact, 58% of top-performing companies use marketing automation.

Superior automated business solutions are fast, effective, and precise, but translating business needs into automated solutions isn’t a simple task. The technology behind modern automated business solutions is complex and state of the art, and is changing the way companies large and small are interacting with their customers.

The Right Technologies Are the Foundation of Effective Automation.

In order to automate business tasks in a way that is effective and accurate, organizations rely on a range of technological innovations — many of which have only become available in the past few years. Here are five relatively new tech advances that are making automated business solutions a reality:

1. Workflow and process builders
   There’s tremendous value for companies to attain or build custom automated business solutions that rely on CRM data. Workflow builder tools which leverage customer data can help execute informed actions at precisely the right time and in the right way. Accurate data from the right CRM tool, when coupled with other advances such as reliable AI, built-in analytics, and multi-system integration options, allows for effective, informed automation solutions.
   

2. Cloud service accessibility
   Often going hand in hand with workflow and process builder tools within CRM solutions, cloud services make automation and real-time updates to the underlying tools much easier. And while the cloud has been available for use since the early days of the World Wide Web, new advances are making cloud accessibility a much simpler prospect.
   
   With cloud-based software as a service (SaaS) and platform as a service (PaaS) tools, access to the cloud is made easy. User friendly design, built-in tutorials, and browser-based operating options mean that any user of any skill level can enjoy the benefits of the cloud without the hassle. The right cloud solutions provide the hardware and software tools you need to reap the benefits of off-premise data management, even without specialized training.
   

3. Big data analytics
   Although the collection, analysis, and reporting back of data are some of the most commonly automated business tasks, business automation in general also relies heavily on data analysis to be able to function properly.
   
   Data analysis helps automated systems identify patterns from among large data sets — a process known as ‘deep learning.’ Big data is analyzed and sent through artificial neural networks, where it is subjected to a large number of simple ‘questions’ in order to be accurately defined and catalogued. The system then learns from the experience, expands its working knowledge through machine learning, and becomes more accurate and capable of performing similar tasks, all thanks to reliable data analysis.
   

4. Predictive intelligence
   An extension of AI and machine learning, predictive intelligence uses complex algorithms and client data to accurately forecast clients needs. Predictive analytics empowers businesses to be more efficient, respond more quickly, and find solutions to issues before they become real problems. Businesses also use predictive intelligence to deliver targeted content to their clients, personalizing the buying experience in the process.
   
   Automation that implements predictive intelligence is better able to address client needs without employee intervention, and give each customer a one-on-one buying journey. According to Salesforce’s second-annual State of Sales report, high-performing sales teams are 2.8x more likely to effectively use predictive intelligence, and predictive intelligence is expected to be used by 86% of high-performing teams in the next three years.






5. Custom application development
   Easy-to-use application development tools embedded in CRM have made it possible for organizations to enjoy tailored solutions that use rich data about customers and the business itself. This is made possible, thanks to advances in off-premise app development PaaS solutions.
   
   Using PaaS custom app development services that include templates, built-in tutorials, and drag and drop tools, businesses can expand upon the out-of-the-box features of their chosen automation systems, making the perfect automation choice also potentially the most affordable.