3 Benefits of Automating your Business Processes

You want to take your business to the next level, but it can be difficult to discern where your team should put the bulk of its focus. So, you find ourself wondering about automating your business processes

Enter Zoho One. 

Most likely, you’ve noticed the influx of automation platforms businesses are implementing. Technology, no doubt, shifts drastically even within a year. It’s no wonder that you’re receiving targeted ads and emails for new, innovative automation platforms. Many of these companies present tall promises of cutting entire workdays, saving your business tens of thousands in operation costs, and generating triple-digit leads in half of the time.

The percentage of companies that have fully automated at least one function, however, has grown more modestly, from 29% in 2018 to 31% in 2020.
"The percentage of companies that have fully automated at least one function, however, has grown more modestly, from 29% in 2018 to 31% in 2020."

We’re here to level with you. Your needs and your strategy must be clear before you opt-in simply because a platform looks great on paper. 

So, what is the big deal with automation, anyway? Does streamlining your business processes really save time, money, and get you ahead of the competition?

Join us behind the scenes for a moment. We’ll tell you exactly how your business can benefit from automating your business processes. 

Automation is the Future

We may be showing our age, but to use it seems like no time at all passed between the iPod being all the rage to the release of the iPhone 12 Pro. Because technology is always moving forward, companies must educate themselves on the changes and respect that forward motion is the best flow for any business to adopt. Hey, no judgment if you’re still using an iPod, but we guarantee you that your friends that are rocking the newest iPhone have more storage space and less to carry around.

The percentage of companies that have fully automated at least one function, however, has grown more modestly, from 29% in 2018 to 31% in 2020.

Automating processes is an obsession of ours. That isn’t a sales pitch. We’re passionate because we watch it work for client after client. Here are the benefits of moving forward with automating your business processes. Yes, even implementing one fully automated process will produce noticeable, positive changes!

Industries spanning the spectrum and divisions within those industries are beginning to automate their processes. Here are the top trends we see here at Woggle:

Now, don’t ditch this blog post if you’re not in those niches listed. Automation is available and advantageous for any scope of business that you can imagine.

3 Benefits of Automating Your Business Processes

There are so many reasons why you should automate your processes, but we've narrowed it down to our top three. You can reach out, and we’ll give you our complete pros list! (Did we mention we’re obsessed?)

1. Gain time back and pivot

Automating your processes will indeed up-level the efficiency of your business. 

3 Benefits of Automating Your Business Processes

For example, HR departments can thrive with AI automation technology that seamlessly scans resumes and pinpoints candidates for consideration based on pre-determined keywords. On a smaller scale, entire departments can easily automate their client management systems. Hence, tasks are dependent on other team members and functions to move to the approval process.

So, how much time can automation save your business? Keep in mind that automation can work when humans can’t. An automated process doesn’t need sick days or the occasional vacation to Disney.

To find out how much time automation can save your business (down to the minute you want to get intense), just follow this formula.

Where did you spend the least amount of time? Now, work your way through each of your business processes and compare. Seeing how much time is spent on any given task will help you to see how automation can save you time in one or several areas of your business.

2. Ditch the mundane and delegate.

Once you see where your business would benefit from automation, you’ll be able to recognize areas where processes are bottlenecked. This will guide your team to delegate otherwise mundane, time-consuming tasks to a platform rather than a person.

3 Benefits of Automating Your Business Processes

Even beginning with automating a simple task such as emails to incoming inquiries can offload your team of repetitive, time-consuming tasks. When teams are able to focus on their zone of genius without the distraction of frequent tasks, your business not only becomes more effective; but your team’s morale gets a boost and they put their best work forward.
If you want to know more about how automation can specifically help your business thrive, book a consultation with us.

3. Save cash and reassess.
3 Benefits of Automating Your Business Processes

Instead of reigning in your ads budget just yet, think of how much your business can save through automating processes. Maybe your self-assessment of automated task vs. human performance showed a substantial loss of time responding to initial inquiry emails. 
It may be that you have brought in a contractor to help with the influx of inquiries during the holiday season. Your breakdown of time spent may mean that your team can integrate a platform to handle autoresponder emails. The cost per month for the platform almost always much lower than the salary paid to the temp contractor. We’re not saying to replace entire departments with AI or to overhaul your entire company’s infrastructure for the sake of automation. After all, automation can simplify your whole business, even if you just use it in a few select areas.

How to Implement Automation in Your Processes

We’re glad that you’ve made it this far because this is where the magic happens. Our Woggle team has seen automation in action, and it’s transforming businesses by increasing lead generation, improving the client experience, and helping their content be seen by their ideal customer/client. 

Zoho One is a robust suite of software that can help you automate anything from task delegation with your team to email campaigns. Oh, and loads of impressive stuff in between. We’ve watched Zoho One make such tangible differences for businesses that we dedicated a whole blog post to it. Check it out here

We mentioned in the beginning that we see where you are. Automation is such a buzzword these days that you probably know it’s the next best move for your business but aren’t sure where to start. The loads of information out there on automation is overwhelming, but we are here to do what automation can’t--talk you through your current hesitations, and your business goals. Together we'll find the perfect fit for you. We do the full implementation, too!
Woggle is a huge fan of making business simple, and we’re equally as passionate about seeing your business grow! Reach out today, together we'll get everything sorted!

-Off you go! Your horizon awaits.

We know that a lot of blogs and articles out there don’t answer the real questions. Sure, you know that a CRM helps business managers and owners in all sorts of ways. We wrote our own article explaining what CRMS do and how this technology can change your entire customer experience.

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We’re not that company that dances around the questions that might help you make big decisions about technology. Today’s question…

Where does a CRM actually exist?

CRMs, like many other software solutions, come in different types, and the most significant factor is where the CRM exists and how users can access it. Thankfully, multiple options mean that you can choose a CRM based on where you want it to live and how you want your employees to use the system.

Customer Relationship Manager Systems Are Not All Built The Same

Not all customers are the same, and not all businesses treat their customers the same. Any CRM system should allow businesses customizable options to improve customer care.

A CRM system should:

□ Replace your Rolodex and other archaic versions of client tracking

□ Access and monitor customer data

□ Gain insight and actionable information on business performance

□ Assess customer behavior easily

□  Streamline workflows and processes through automation.

Ultimately, the goal is to increase Customer Lifetime Value by engaging the sales flywheel and supporting your teams.

Desktop CRM Systems

A Desktop CRM system lives on one desktop. This situation could work for solopreneurs or freelancers who do everything themselves. These types of CRM systems only work on the one computer where the owner installs them.

 

For that reason, these CRM systems offer more affordability because of the restriction of use. Though, they may still offer the same range of features as other types of CRM systems.

Server CRM Systems

Client or server systems live in a database stored on the business or the client’s server. This means, users can access it through any computer with the coordinating software where the computer also has server access.

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"...these CRM systems offer more affordability because of the restriction of use."

With a CRM server option, you can expect:

□ Startup costs for the server purchase

□ Costs for server installation

□ Time spent setting up the server

□  Responsibility for IT security and server maintenance

□ Limited options for upgrading features or functions

Cloud-Based CRMs

A cloud-based CRM operates online, and the provider handles the CRM server allowing access to the data and system via the cloud.

With a cloud-based CRM, you can expect:

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"...users can access the system from nearly anywhere..."

□ Monthly fees for the supplier maintaining the server and providing updates

□  Lower initial costs

□  Easy to start right away

□ Remotely control features and functions

The biggest benefit of cloud-based CRMs is that users can access the system from nearly anywhere and don’t necessarily need that extra techy stuff like a secure VPN.

Factors That Can Help You Choose the Right Type of CRM For You

In the end, finding the right CRM is a huge decision because of the time investment and cost. You don’t want to go around trying a bunch of different options, so you need to make a decision with the information available. That’s tough in an age where everything seems so easy to implement or change.

  1. 1. Cost - Server CRMs can come with a hefty installation investment and ongoing server maintenance costs. Cloud-based CRMs do not but may have recurring fees such as a subscription.
  2. 2. Security - the security for a CRM server is only as good as your IT team and standard safety procedures. A cloud-based CRM puts the responsibility of security for stored CRM data on the supplier.
  3. 3. Access - Mobility is a big-ticket item with so many working remotely, and it can make it easier to work regularly and onboard new employees with a cloud-based CRM.
  4. 4. Integrations - CRMs can often connect with 1,001 different apps or tools. Of course, that is fairly limited to cloud-based CRMs.

Ultimately, what are the best options? A CRM server might be expensive, but it’s probably best for companies worried about security and control over the CRM. Alternatively, a cloud-based server might be the right choice for bigger companies that have remote teams and need easy mobile access.

At Woggle Consulting we’re always on the lookout for solutions that fit our customers best.

-Off you go! Your horizon awaits.

 

We’ve known that remote work has been on the horizon for a while, but the COVID-19 pandemic gave everyone a hard shove into the work-from-home lifestyle. Now that we’re starting to recover a bit, it’s clear that many employees want to stay home, and businesses want to avoid the hefty costs of keeping offices open.

Even if moving your staff to full-time remote work isn’t on the table, having a remote work software suite can deliver massive payoffs. Take a second and think of the companies that were “remote ready" in March 2020. Some companies only had to flip the metaphorical switch and send out a mass email telling staff to stay home.

Choose Flexible Tech  

Remote work offers a unique combination of benefits including raised morale and higher retention rates. So why didn't we all welcome remote work sooner? Companies reasonably were worried that working from home would come with security issues, kill collaboration, and cause communication struggles. In comes tech to solve the working world’s problems.

Now, there’s the issue of being overwhelmed with different tech tools and software that claim to be the key to making remote work, well, work. There cannot be one solution. But there are software suites that offer an array of tools and systems to keep your teams running.

We’re pretty lucky that Zoho has an entirely cloud-based remote system that ensures your team can always access the information and systems they need to get things done. You know, as long as they have internet access.

Zoho knows that you have concerns too. Yeah, your employees can get the information they need, but are they really going to work? Seamless reporting helps leaders know that teams are on track with sales goals and other performance metrics.  

Worried about choosing the right combination of Zoho systems? Take a breath because Zoho already solved that problem. Zoho Remotely allows your office to function from anywhere with a winning combination of their best remote work apps.

Zoho keeps going. They connect with nearly all the other apps you need to keep your team working, such as:

  • Lucidchart
  • Asana
  • Google Drive
  • Trello
  • Slack
  • WordPress
  • Twitter
  • Gmail
  • And more.

If you have apps that you already love, chances are you can integrate them with Zoho while cleaning out the apps and processes that are weighing you down.

Enable Your Employees, Support Your Business

Because of built-in analytics, Zoho CRM can measure and manage metrics across all of your business operations. Give your sales team powerful tools with one clear path for customer handling in the CRM. Automate escalations to protect customers and support staff while standardizing approval systems to reduce bottlenecks.

Meanwhile, leaders can use customizable dashboards to track team progress, who is landing the most sales, and which campaigns have the most leads.

Need More Than a CRM? We Thought You Might.  

Remote work software solutions often focus on the CRM to protect the customers' best interest. But, what about everyone else? Don't worry. Zoho has over 45 applications in their suite, and unlike other unnamed software providers, these applications actually integrate beautifully. It's the software suite with apps that know how to work as a team.

So, what do you need to know about Zoho and its many apps?

It doesn't matter if your top talent wants to move across the country or if you need to work while you're on the go. Leaders and staff can collaborate and crush it without being in the same physical space.   

Interested in setting up your company for remote working?  We'd love to chat with you.  

Schedule a Free Consultation today!  

-Off you go! Your horizon awaits.

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digital marketing support

Zoho is a CRM that has been around for over 15 years in the industry.  As a start up themselves, they know what it is like to be at every stage of a growing business.  The needs of their users is at the center of everything they do and create.  For starters, they have a whopping 50% faster implementation. Also, their marketplace has over 900 apps to help you integrate with the ones you already have. Don't forget it has a scalable ecosystem with flexible contracts. Finally, one the highlights that puts them at the forefront is their rating in mobile functionality. Of which, they are rated the best!

Your hub for customer relations

Zoho is your hub for building better customer relationships with features like sales pipeline management, marketing automation, analytics, and so much more.  Zoho CRM is big, so that with a little tailoring, it can fit any industry or business like a glove.  You can think of Woggle Consulting like your software tailor.  We listen to where it pinches here or is to loose there, and we work with it until it is the most comfortable thing for you and your team to use.  

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Remote Ready

Zoho is omnichannel and remote-ready for your workforce.  Nowadays, flexibility of where your employees work is at the forefront of every business owner's mind.  You can keep your peace of mind on communication because Zoho integrates emails seamlessly. Speaking of communication- Zoho's web conferencing, phone, chat and social applications make it easier for your employees to get the job done. No matter what the world throws at them!

Security and Privacy

Security and privacy are at the heart of everything Zoho does.  They've designed state-of-the-art and secure data centers, sophisticated network security protocols, and infrastructure to offer secure and uninterrupted services.  

-Off you go! Your horizon awaits.

Why Woggle?

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On our road to becoming Zoho Advanced Partners, we at Woggle Consulting have completed projects of all shapes and sizes. We take the time to learn about you and your business.  We work with you to understand what drives you to do what you do and we take the care and compassion you have for your customers to heart. Together we go through your current systems and help you find areas where automation and process management tools can help streamline the needs of your business while focusing on the needs of your customers. We help you to gather all of the varying pieces of your business like leads, making sales, sending invoices, keeping books, managing your employees and supporting your customers, and intertwine them into a seamless system.  Once done, you will know where you business is and where it is headed.

Great, but what even is a Woggle?

A woggle, or sailor's knot, is a decorative knot made up of a number of interwoven strands forming a closed loop.  It is usually made around a cylinder and primarily used to tighten up any underlying material.  

It was also traditionally tied to the king spoke of a ship's wheel.  The king spoke is upright when the rudder is in the central position.  Knowing where the king spoke is at any given time is essential to making sure that the ship is steering the correct way.  

Woggle Knot

What does that have to do with running a business?

This is much like running a business.  You have dry erase boards, spreadsheets, notepads, and sticky notes holding your company together.  It can feel like a huge jumble of rope all tangled up with no hope of organization in sight.  We take all of those loose strands and help you to weave them into a beautiful knot that keeps the core of your business exactly where you want it, on a steady course to success.  

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