Boosting Efficiency With Microsoft Power Automate

Automating processes enterprise-wide is easier than you might think.

Like most office workers, you’ve probably been tasked with a repetitive, manual task before. Individually, these kinds of jobs might seem easy and quick. But over time, and in large quantities, these tasks can kill productivity, cause errors, and dampen morale.

Wouldn’t it be nice to be the one to free your coworkers from these painstakingly tedious processes? We’ll show you some examples of how IT organizations use a tool that you might already be paying for — Microsoft Power Automate — to do just that.

Using Microsoft Power Automate to boost efficiency is one of the easiest ways IT can impact cost savings within lines of business and accelerate business growth. And it’s easier for IT to get up and running than you probably think.

Introduction to Microsoft Power Automate

Microsoft Power Automate — often included as part of your Microsoft 365 subscription — provides users with a no-code interface to create automated workflows, streamlining business processes across various applications and services.

The user-friendly interface simplifies connecting and integrating disparate systems, like Microsoft 365, Dynamics 365, and third-party applications. This foundation allows users to build triggers, actions, and connectors to orchestrate tasks and automate repetitive activities.

The result? Lines of business are benefiting by reclaiming their time from tedious, error-prone tasks and finding more time for activities that move the business forward.

Automation Use Cases Hiding in Plain Sight

Are your teams currently using any of these document management processes? If so, you might be able to help free them from repetitive tasks.

• Finance/Accounting
  • Actuary documents processing
  • Invoice generation and management
  • Accounts payable and receivable
  • Travel and expense approvals and reimbursements
• Sales
  • Order processing
  • Customer updates and communications
  • Quote and proposal generation
  • Contract management
• Human Resources
  • Performance appraisal tracking
  • Leave and time-off request tracking
  • Training registration and follow-up
  • Benefits communications
  • Employee onboarding and offboarding workflows
• Marketing
  • Content approval processes
  • Content publishing
  • Email notifications and responses
  • Inventory management and stock alerts

Consider these customer success stories from various industries, including manufacturing, beverage distribution, and insurance, as potential use cases within your organization. The resulting efficiencies rescued employees from manual tasks, freeing them to focus on more value-oriented work.

Use Case 1: Automating Invoice Processing

The challenge

A globally recognized manufacturer of industrial machinery needed to process a high volume of invoices within their parts department. IT spearheaded the implementation of Power Automate and AI Builder to streamline the arduous task of fixing invoices.

Solution architecture

The solution integrated Power Automate for desktop and cloud flows, leveraging AI Builder for invoice data extraction. The extracted data was verified against purchase order data stored in an Azure Synapse data lake, generating a CSV file for upload into the necessary line of business applications.

Results

• Efficiency Gains: Automated processing of 1,200 invoices, projecting a 300-hour efficiency gain per year for one supplier.
• Error Reduction: Eliminated human data entry, minimizing errors and ensuring accuracy in invoice processing.
• Operational Continuity: Enabled 24/7 invoice processing, including weekends for overseas suppliers, ensuring continuous operations.
• Team Capacity Enhancement: Freed up the three-person processing team’s capacity, allowing them to focus on monitoring processes and handling exceptions.
• Scalability: Blueprinted automation for other top vendors, extending efficiencies.

Use Case 2: Streamlined Order Management

The challenge

A beverage manufacturer and distributor faced challenges in managing orders and invoices. The company needed an agile solution to handle increased demand and complex order processing.

Solution architecture

The team integrated Power Automate robotic process automation (RPA) bots to automate order and invoice processing workflow steps. They synchronized data between systems, utilizing Azure Data Factory to manage data flow and Azure SQL for data storage.

Results

• Operational Efficiency: Eliminated manual steps and complex back-office processes.
• Resource Optimization: Freed existing personnel for higher-value tasks.
• Error Reduction: Minimized order and invoice processing errors, improving accuracy and reliability.
• Scalability: Empowered the company to handle expanded orders and cater to various channels seamlessly.

Use Case 3: Automated Research

The challenge

The staff at a Massachusetts-based insurance provider frequently needed to spend hours manually searching various third-party databases and websites during the underwriting process.

Solution architecture

The automation project revolutionized the underwriting process, reducing the time and effort spent researching information for insurance accounts. Leveraging Power Automate Desktop, the solution seamlessly integrated Power Apps and SQL databases.

Results

• Efficiency Gains: Automated manual tasks, saving hundreds of hours annually in underwriting processes.
• Process Improvement: Transformed a complex manual task into a streamlined digital system, reducing errors and enhancing standardization.
• Scalability: Encouraged exploration of additional automation opportunities.

Take Your First Steps With Microsoft Power Automate

Introducing automation to your lines of business via Microsoft Power Automate represents a unique opportunity for IT to create tangible efficiency results. This can be a big win for your team that garners recognition across the board and up the ladder.

The first step is to meet with EchoStor. We can discuss how we’ve helped companies like yours in the past and identify use cases for document management automation within your organization. We can even help you estimate potential efficiencies gained and dollars saved.

Ready for a win with quantifiable results?

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