One day we may find ourselves in a dystopian future where robots are our overlords and we are but their humble servants. But, while some of you believe that the end of the world is going to stem from an Alexa integrated toaster, the rest of us are going to reap the benefits of machine automation. Let’s take a look at some of the most popular forms of automation.
Robots
Did you know that large parts of Lego factories don’t have a single person in it? Or that Amazon owns about 100,000 robots for their warehouse facilities. Or how about the drones that are delivering packages now in Australia? Oh! Or how about the… never mind, you get the idea. The point is that you could already start automating some of your processes using robots.
One of the coolest ways we found was with roofers: They’re using drones to analyze roofs and give estimates, take measurements, and more, all without putting a single person on the roof! Other forms of robot technology integration have been in construction for assessing the safety of locations, as well as minimizing human risk for inspections. They’re also a great way to get important photos of job sites for internal documents or sending to clients!
Marketing
According to Tanner, our Marketing Coordinator, not having some form of marketing automation would be akin to riding a bike without handlebars. Sure, you can do it, but the extra effort involved for less efficiency doesn’t make sense. The automation market for marketing is as varied as it is complex. How much so? Here are a few examples of the types of marketing automation: Email Marketing, Landing Pages, Campaign Management, Prediction/Scoring, Lead Management, CRM Integration, Social Marketing, Marketing Analytics
Now, as for what types you should get, that really depends on your needs. If you want something that just gives you a way to email contacts special deals or newsletters, you should consider something like Mailchimp. If you need something for automating your social media and web presence, an option like Buffer or Hootsuite may be in your best interest.
Documents
Having your documents in order is of the utmost importance. Make no mistake when I say having your documents orderly, accurate, and secure is the difference between life and death for your business. Don’t believe me? If there was a fire, a flood, or some other sort of catastrophic event that destroyed important files, 70% of businesses would outright fail in weeks.
And let’s look into your printing costs. Answer this question: Do you actually track your printing costs? Do you track the cost of your paper every month? How about the ink? How about how much time you spend printing something you already have? Cost to fix/replace the printer when it breaks down? How about how much it costs you when you have to recomplete important document that had incorrect information and you have to stop what you’re doing to fix it? Or the cost to mail it? How about the time in the field that you lost because your employees need to drop off paperwork? It adds up.
So instead of juggling an ever-growing catalog of mis-filed and inaccurate paperwork, switch to automated digital documents. Software like naturalForms are able to put all your documents all into your pocket. Instead of re-entering information time after time after time, it’s able to send the information directly from the entry to the backend of your business’s filing system. Make the smart switch and get your documents out of the filing cabinet and into your smartphone.
Accounting/Business Management
Sometimes, you just need help getting organized. Help with getting everything organized. That’s where business management software solutions come in handy. Some of the different benefits that these businesses can give include CRM, Project Management, sales and invoicing, database maintenance, and a whole lot more.
These automation software suites can help any business, or they can be focused on the specific needs of a particular niche. Three good examples of these management software include the following: JobNimbus, Commusoft, and PestPac all give a host of different solutions and options for you and your business needs. All of which come with the added benefit of being directly integrated with the aforementioned naturalForms’ document automation software.
Will you be automating any of your processes after reading this list? Or is there a form of automation that we didn’t mention that you thought you’d see? Tell us on our social media on Twitter, Facebook, or Pinterest.
See how easy it is to improve your profits with naturalForms. Click here to get started with a FREE fourteen day trial with naturalForms. Learn why over 5 million documents have already been automated, saving thousands of pounds of paper, millions of dollars for business, and given every business peace of mind.
naturalForms – Smart Forms for Smart Business
About naturalForms®
naturalForms is an innovative software company based in Dayton, Ohio USA and is the leader in natural input technologies and provides an end-to-end mobile data capture platform that automates the collection of natural input (such as handwriting, photos, notes, drawings, and signatures) instantly at the point of entry. Information captured with tablets or other mobile devices is immediately converted to digital data and seamlessly integrated to backend systems. Straight-through processing eliminates cycle time delays and human data entry errors, creating an unsurpassed workflow optimization and significant cost savings. naturalForms’ solutions are used around the world, delivering value in multiple industries. To learn more, visit http://www.naturalforms.com.