In recent years, companies have placed a high emphasis on digital transformation. However, there is now a growing interest in the concept of digitalization, which is rapidly evolving. While the two terms may sound similar, they have distinct meanings and can impact businesses and workflows in unique ways. Thus, it’s important to understand the differences between them. Here is a brief introduction to digital transformation and digitalization, as well as an exploration of how digitalization can affect enterprise workflow automation.
Automation and digitalization are intertwined, with digitalizing workflow being a way for businesses to use automation to overhaul job roles and entire business processes. This is becoming increasingly important because while earlier technology advancements saved employees time, the sheer volume of administrative tasks now required to complete work often hinders productivity. For instance, a global study revealed that routine tasks such as data entry and file organization can consume as much as 60 hours per month per employee, taking away valuable time. Automating such tasks can free up this time for employees, thus enhancing productivity.
End-to-end process automation can liberate employees from the drudgery of handling routine administrative tasks, allowing them to redirect their specialized skills and talents towards more engaging projects that align with the company’s strategic goals. As a result, businesses can benefit from increased productivity and employee satisfaction. The study mentioned earlier found that employees anticipated that automation would enable them to focus more on their core job functions, enhance departmental productivity, and provide opportunities to learn new skills.
Digitalization can lead to a compounding effect of benefits, particularly when a business utilizes the time gained from successful workflow automation to automate additional processes and functions across the organization. By doing so, businesses can steadily generate more capacity to innovate and evolve, creating a virtuous cycle of growth and improvement.
Despite being a buzzword for a while, many businesses are now prioritizing digitalization to improve their processes and workflows. By leveraging digitalization to automate workflows, businesses can go beyond merely modernizing specific technologies or tasks, and instead, update their business model or discover new growth opportunities.
By utilizing low-code process automation to facilitate internal collaboration and embracing a digital-first perspective, businesses can enhance their innovation capabilities and gain a competitive edge in the digital era.
