Table Of Contents
- The Cost of Manual Processes
- How Does Automation Help?
- The Business Value of Automation
- Ready to Embrace Automation?
Repetition kills productivity. If you’ve ever found yourself retyping details or slogging through the same tedious steps over and over, you’re not alone - and you’re not imagining the frustration.
Automation is already in our smartphones, cars, and everywhere in our homes. So why are your teams still stuck doing things that could - and should - be automated?
Time is money, and every wasted second adds up.
Business process automation is your shortcut to eliminating inefficiencies, reducing errors, and freeing up your people to focus on the work that really drives growth.
At Wakeflow, we build foolproof solutions that make manual processes a thing of the past. Curious about how it works? That’s why we wrote this article.
The Cost of Manual Processes
You can probably think of at least one process in your business that no-one likes doing. It’s boring, time-consuming, repetitive, or has to be re-done because data didn’t get entered correctly - whatever the reason, inefficient, manual processes frustrate your staff and drain resources.
If your team is stuck focusing on those processes, that also blocks more creative or strategic work. Businesses still using outdated methods risk falling behind in a world where speed and efficiency are everything.
Below is a snapshot of how these processes can hold you back:
| Manual Process | The Problem | Impact on Business |
|---|---|---|
| Data Entry | Repetitive tasks lead to errors and wasted time. | Employees spend hours fixing mistakes instead of focusing on strategic priorities. |
| Invoice Management | Tracking, filing, and processing invoices manually is tedious and prone to delays. | More admin and an increased risk of cash flow interruptions. |
| Approval Workflows | Paper-based or email-heavy approval processes cause bottlenecks and lack transparency. | Missed deadlines, slower project timelines, and frustrated employees. |
| Inventory Tracking | Spreadsheet-based tracking is time-consuming and error-prone. | Overstocks or shortages lead to lost sales or wasted inventory costs. |
| Customer Support Requests | Handling support requests without automation results in delays and inconsistent responses. | Reduced customer satisfaction and higher churn rates. |
How Does Automation Help?
Automation tackles specific pain points that hold businesses back. The results are fewer errors, faster workflows, and happier teams.
How does that work in practice? Let’s quickly look at a solution we developed for 360 Private Travel, one of our clients that creates luxury travel experiences for its customers.
Travel agencies capture and process a lot of data, including passport information. And you don’t want your passport details entered incorrectly.
Our solution was a cloud function that parses the passport information from a photo and automatically updates the record. It’s simple, and saves time on a crucial but tedious part of a travel agency’s job. You can see it in action here.
So, automation creates real-world impact by:
- Eliminating the Repetition Trap: Our passport parsing solution automated a necessary, but tedious, task. What used to take minutes for each entry is now done in seconds, error-free. That’s time employees can now spend delighting customers instead of typing numbers.
- Reducing Errors: Mistakes in invoice processing or approvals can lead to cash flow headaches or project delays. Automation ensures data accuracy - no more “Oops!” moments that derail progress.
- Turning Frustration into Focus: Repetitive tasks can leave employees feeling disengaged. We created an email ‘snooze’ system that gave teams a way to stay organised without the stress of juggling reminders manually. It’s the small changes that make a big difference in daily productivity.
Automation simplifies tasks, and by turning inefficiencies into opportunities changes the way businesses operate. Whether it’s saving time, improving accuracy, or lifting team morale, automation delivers results that matter.
The Business Value of Automation
1. Time Savings
Repetitive tasks can eat up hours of your team’s day. Automation gives that time back, letting employees focus on creative and strategic work instead of busywork. Imagine how much more your team could achieve with just one extra hour a day.
2. Scalability
As your business grows, manual processes often become unsustainable. Automation scales effortlessly, ensuring consistency and efficiency whether you’re handling 10 customers or 10,000.
3. Accuracy and Reliability
Mistakes in manual processes are inevitable - but they’re also avoidable. Automated workflows ensure accuracy every time, saving you the cost and hassle of fixing errors.
4. Employee Satisfaction
Let’s face it - nobody enjoys slogging through repetitive tasks. Automation frees your team from drudgery, boosting morale and engagement. Happier employees mean better results.
The Real Value in Automation - How We Helped Booking.com
Booking.com faced a common challenge: 20% of their customer service queries involved agents redirecting customers to long-winded self-help pages. The process was frustrating and inefficient. We saw an opportunity to transform it.
By feeding 1,800 self-help articles into a custom-built vector database and powering it with ChatGPT, we created a smart chatbot capable of delivering precise answers in seconds. It handled 91% of queries accurately in testing, escalating to agents only when needed.
The results were immediate for customers. Instead of navigating 800+ word articles, they got straight-to-the-point answers instantly - 24/7. And there was an unexpected win: the chatbot could respond in multiple languages, saving Booking.com the cost of professional translation for nine languages. Faster, clearer, and more cost-effective - this is automation at its best.
Ready to Embrace Automation?
You (or your team) may worry automation means replacing people - Elon Musk-style efficiency at the cost of the workforce.
That’s not what automation is about. Done well, it empowers your staff to do their best work. It’s a smart investment in your company’s future.
But knowing where to start can be tricky. At Wakeflow, we understand that every business has unique challenges, and we’re here to guide you through the process. Our tailored solutions help you transform your processes for greater efficiency and growth. Whether it’s automating data entry, simplifying customer interactions, or creating entirely new systems, we’re ready to help you take the next step.
Contact us today, and let’s turn “there must be a better way” into “we found the perfect solution.”
