Tips for Adding Automation into Your Everyday Work Tasks

In the 18th century, the Industrial Revolution changed work with new manufacturing processes. Today, 250 or so years later, task automation software is again changing work to make humans more efficient and productive. Adding automation into your work process isn’t necessarily an easy process. Finding the right ways to automate your tasks can take trial and error.

1. Task Automation

Task automation is using a tool or software to reduce manual effort. It can be as simple as an automatic bill payment or as complex as using robots to choose order items. The type of work that can be automated varies widely by industry. Still, with more software applications that support task automation, you should be able to find the right software to support your work without needing to learn to code.

2. Types of Tasks You Can Automate

Robotics might be out of the question for most workers, but you can still use software to automate many tasks. Here are a few types of work tasks that can be automated:

• Email management – set up reminders to follow up, send emails at specified times or automatically delete or archive messages at a specific time.

• Data entry – use software to fill in forms or input complex data automatically.

• Manage tasks – assign tasks to team members and track progress through the project.

• Social media – schedule posts over a month ahead of time and track results.

• Invoicing – automatically invoice clients and track payments.

• Community engagement – use AI to interact with customers when you aren’t online or to answer FAQs to free up your time.

3. Tips for Successfully Automating Tasks

Although many software platforms can automate tasks, it’s often a process in which you have to learn how to use the software and ensure that it is meeting your expectations. The software may learn right along with you. You may be unable to plug in the software and have it play correctly immediately.

• Set goals. Don’t just think about the tasks you need to automate but also how you want those tools to help you.

• Start by automating simple, repetitive tasks. Learn the platform you’re working with from the most fundamental processes to get a good foundation. You can confidently add more automation as you get more comfortable with the platform.

• Trust, but verify results. Make sure tasks are performed as expected before putting them into full production. You may have to do more work when you start, such as following up with others or verifying the desired results, but it will save time later.

• Try out new tools to see the benefits and how well the platform fits your needs.

• Don’t get impatient. It may take a few different platforms before you find the right one. Don’t get frustrated when something isn’t working right. Ask your network for suggestions or talk to the tech gurus with the software to see how you can tweak the platform for better integration into your process.

4. Recommended Platforms for Automation

Finding the right software to automate tasks for your job, start by focusing on which features you need more. Some of the software you currently use may have automation built into it. Hootsuite is a popular tool for social media management. Boomerang is a popular tool to help automate tasks in Gmail. Clickup, Jira, and Tallyfy can automate specific tasks based on your criteria. Project management platforms may have task automation that must be set up. Decide what tasks you can automate and look for tools to assist you.