When it comes time to implement business process automation for your organisation, you have three basic options:
- Build a custom process automation solution from scratch
- Use point-to-point integrations to automate only specific parts of your business processes
- Use ready-made business process automation platforms
A custom solution designed in-house will give you greater freedom in determining the functionality of your automations, but it may also end up costing you significantly more in terms of IT hours—both to build and to maintain. Fully custom process-automation solutions are usually used by organisations with complex legacy systems that are incapable of connecting to modern systems through APIs.
Point-to-point integrations cost less than custom process automation and allow you to pick and choose specific areas for automation, but often result in disorganised solutions that are difficult to understand, maintain or repair. Additionally, this kind of BPA comes with no user-guide; should the person responsible for setting it up decide to leave your organisation, you may have no way to keep it functioning in the long term.
Investing in process-automation tools offers a reliable, cost-effective solution that still allows for customisation. And, with tutorials, training and support from the tool provider, implementing your automation solution is often an easy, painless process.