Process Automation

Those who work with IT have surely heard of the concepts of process automation, collaboration, and business continuity. However, if your company's main focus is something other than IT, these ideas may be foreign and mysterious. That's because non-IT companies typically don't have to focus as much on some of them. Then, when the need for them arises, it leads to confusion and possible mistakes.

One thing that all businesses should have a plan for is business continuity. That's because unlike the others, it is a universal issue. If something happens that causes the loss or incapacity of a key employee, a business will be in big trouble without a good business continuity plan. It doesn't matter if your company is into cutting-edge technology or if it is an old-fashioned janitorial firm.

A business continuity plan provides answers to what to do if a key person is suddenly unable to contribute to the company. It often includes things like a designated successor, a way for other authorized personnel to get at critical files and access key programs, and copies of other important information. With all of this at the ready, it's far easier to switch critical duties to someone else and keep the doors open during a transition period.

Process automation and collaboration may sound like universal terms, but in reality, they are almost always used by tech companies. The processes in question are often related to coding, which can get quite repetitive when projects are large. Collaboration in an IT context refers to methods for programmers to work together to accomplish software development.

Despite the tech focus, non-tech companies may find themselves needing to implement process automation, collaboration, and related concepts. This is because they often end up needing custom software and other tech solutions, and this requires their IT departments to basically become developer groups. Then, using the methods of full-fledged IT companies helps them satisfy their company's needs in a more efficient way.

There are two big things companies can do if they are faced with having to incorporate these concepts into operations that didn't already have them. One is to hire an IT consultant to teach them the ropes and get everyone up to speed. An even easier solution is to outsource the entire project. Outsourcing gives instant access to an IT team that is already familiar with all of the latest strategies for managing program development.

A business continuity plan, on the other hand, is usually best devised in-house. Even so, a consultant's assistance will help to ensure that nothing is overlooked, so it's a good idea to bring one into the loop.