Bring efficiency, adaptability, and insight to your business with intelligent automation tools

Some parts of business will always need the human touch. You need great people to build relationships, plan bold new strategies, and find all-new innovations. You don’t need a person to manually reorganize spreadsheets based on alphabetical order or date — software’s much better at handling those kinds of tasks.

Intelligent automation solutions help handle the repetitive tasks a business needs so people can focus on where they’ll make the biggest impact. Unlike tools that require so much oversight and adjustment that they hardly save working time at all, intelligent automation software “learns” on its own. It does better as you give it more tasks and information.

What are intelligent automation solutions?

Intelligent automation solutions use computer algorithms to complete business tasks. Here are a few real-life examples of how businesses are applying intelligent process automation to existing workflows:

• Document automation tools help convert physical documents into digital files. They categorize and index documents based on content. They also help create new documents as needed based on templates.
• Chat agents help handle the first stage of client relationship management or customer support. They address common questions and then connect human agents as needed.
• Performance max marketing campaigns use AI to help companies reach key objectives. They intelligently optimize budgets and creative materials as needed.

Each of these examples fits into the broader trend of “implementing AI” across your business. They show specific, measurable ways this new technology can improve organizations.

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5 benefits of intelligent automation tools

Different businesses use intelligent automation solutions in different ways. However, there are some common benefits to all kinds of organizations, regardless of size. These are just a few of the reasons to invest in intelligent automation.

1. Efficiency and cost savings

One of the biggest benefits of building on an intelligent automation platform is greater efficiency. AI is much better at handling lots of little tasks in a row than people are. Machine learning means programs can respond to novel situations based on accumulated “knowledge” from their work. Then, the results of each situation feed back into their overall capability for future tasks.

This means more time on task with less need for oversight. It means employees are free to concentrate on higher-value tasks only they can handle. There’s also less need to invest in growing your headcount to expand what your business can do.

2. Consistency and compliance

Human attention naturally wanders when doing the same task over and over again. It’s almost inevitable that errors will sneak into any process when done manually enough times. This is especially true for rote work that doesn’t involve much creativity or judgment. AI doesn’t get bored, even if it does the same thing 10,000 times.

This is a great boon for areas that benefit from consistency. That includes compliance, where a single oversight could mean stiff penalties for your company. While a human must still oversee the intelligent automation solution to ensure it’s working well, the tool acts like a force multiplier for their labor.

3. Increased adaptability

Changing business processes takes time. You need to settle on a new direction, train staff to execute on it, then analyze the results and apply your learnings. Intelligent automation tools could help you brainstorm for that first step, but they’ll really shine for the following two.

Spinning up new AI-powered workflows is simple. You can look to established intelligent automation services to help with the task. A broader AI solution may even be able to spin up an agent for a particular task based on your plain-language request. The new agent probably won’t be perfect at first, but with a little feedback, it could make your proposed new processes a reality in a fraction of the time.

4. Insight and analysis

You need the right data to make sound business decisions. Yet we’re living in the age of information overload. Even small businesses may have access to enough data points to make a decision-maker’s head spin. Fortunately, intelligent automation software is adept at sorting through massive quantities of data to find relevant insights.

Using those insights to make the right move for your business should remain a human responsibility. Yet being able to obtain those insights more quickly, and to take a broader view at each step, could make a big impact on how competitive your business can be.

5. Future-proofing

AI is projected to contribute $15.7 trillion dollars to the global economy by 2030. This technological trend is only expected to have a greater impact on the business world as time goes on. Yet, for many organizations, the actual day-to-day uses of AI can still be unclear. Right now, one of the most practical and impactful ways your business can use AI is intelligent automation solutions.

Working with these kinds of tools and platforms now will set your business up for similar transformations in the future. They’ll give you the efficiency, consistency, adaptability, and insight you need to keep your company pointing in the right direction.

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Choose the right intelligent automation services for your business

You may be able to build your own intelligent automations from the ground up. But this kind of task can be demanding on both resources and talent. It may also be difficult to tell exactly what you need and how to achieve it if you don’t have experience in the area. This is where intelligent automation services can be a big help.

At RICOH, we’re proud to partner with a range of companies that can help intelligently automate your processes. Here’s just a small sample of some of our partners:

• DocuWare’s services help turn physical documents into digital ones that employees can find and access regardless of location.
• Automation Anywhere creates enterprise AI agents to assist with finance, IT, customer service, and beyond.
• Notice Ninja streamlines tax notice management with intelligent tools that cut through backlogs and ensure compliance.

We’re also proud to offer a line of tools that serve as the first line in your business’ automation efforts. Our high-quality scanners and scanning software help digitize your organization. They make it easy to store your documents wherever you need them, then use them to find the key insights you need. Book an appointment today to learn more about how Ricoh can help you find the right intelligent automation solutions.

Note: Information and external links are provided for your convenience and for educational purposes only, and shall not be construed, or relied upon, as legal or financial advice. PFU America, Inc. makes no representations about the contents, features, or specifications on such third-party sites, software, and/or offerings (collectively “Third-Party Offerings”) and shall not be responsible for any loss or damage that may arise from your use of such Third-Party Offerings. Please consult with a licensed professional regarding your specific situation as regulations may be subject to change.