Robotization left the realm of science fiction long ago and has firmly established itself in our companies, and even our homes. It brings many benefits to people despite fears that it may take jobs away and make human employees unnecessary. Nothing could be further from the truth: robotization can support us in many areas by accelerating and automating processes. The development of this technology will naturally transform the labor market. Some positions may disappear, but new ones will emerge in their place. We must approach these changes with open minds, just as we did during previous technological revolutions. So what can robotization offer us? What can robotization offer sales departments?
The short answer is: a great deal. Time savings, elimination of errors, and the ability to work 24/7 without sleep or breaks all deliver tangible benefits through lower costs and better organization, as well as greater peace of mind and control over what is happening in the company. Robotic Process Automation (RPA) does not require highly complex modifications to existing systems, so implementation is relatively simple while offering many opportunities and benefits. We must remember that automating blindly is not a good idea, even though every step toward digital transformation supports development. A very good practice is to
conduct an expert analysis of the enterprise first, identifying the specific areas where robotization will generate the greatest savings. This takes place during the initial stages of the
RPA lifecycle, about which you can read more
at this link. Another crucial factor for success is educating employees who have not encountered such technologies before or for whom automating certain activities is new. As noted in the introduction, unfamiliarity with the benefits of robotization can create
concerns about personal security and future employment. It is therefore advisable to begin digital transformation with education and give employees the knowledge they need.
Which elements can be automated?
Once employees have been educated and the organization’s automation opportunities analyzed, an RPA robot can first be used in sales
at the very beginning of the customer journey, for example when someone visits the company website. An automated chatbot can handle a prospective buyer’s initial questions, answer frequently asked questions, and direct the person appropriately without human intervention. A human employee can receive a transcript and take over at the right moment, but automating this first touchpoint means a person interested in our services immediately receives some information rather than waiting for a response. This strengthens the relationship between the company and prospective customer and starts the
customer journey well. RPA in sales can support the department by removing repetitive, automatable work from people,
allowing them to focus on more creative tasks. Examples include completing and entering invoices, populating forms and documents automatically, and emailing customers important information or new offers. An RPA robot can also update and integrate company systems that were not originally connected. Otherwise, employees in different parts of the organization may find different data. RPA prevents this and eliminates errors caused by manual omissions by updating systems automatically so every employee receives the same information. It can also find existing database errors and notify the appropriate people or correct them itself. If a company prepares orders for specific services and products, as a sales department presumably does, a
system such as BMS (Business Management System) or ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) should be indispensable. Sales departments benefit greatly from such an advanced management system because it contains everything needed to conduct the sales cycle efficiently. Depending on the department’s needs, BMS/ERP can present inventory levels and prices, manage estimates, offers, and submitted orders, provide a
sales pipeline marking opportunity stages, log emails and client-meeting notes, and support financial planning and forecasting. These capabilities make the organization operate more efficiently, optimally, and transparently. Financial forecasts prepared automatically from sales pipelines and analyses of earlier orders enable safer, more precise planning for the benefit of employees and stakeholders. The system alone is not the only option: individual tasks within it can still be automated, such as
entering new suppliers and customers or
sending debt-collection emails when invoices become overdue. RPA not only frees us from such tasks but also keeps us informed through automatic notifications. We know what is happening with a contractor without having to act and can await the robot’s results. More practical solutions already implemented are available in our
RPA inspiration catalog. How much will department efficiency increase after robotization?
A sales department enhanced with Robotic Process Automation robots will significantly improve its efficiency.
As much as 65% of time can be saved and devoted to activities involving customer contact, meetings, and tasks requiring a human touch rather than tedious order or invoice entry. Robots also directly support sales because every subsequent implementation of new processes or change to existing ones becomes much simpler and faster. The more knowledge and automation experience we gain, the easier it is to introduce further improvements. Ultimately, all this saves time and money.
How much will errors decrease?
Our analyses show that after RPA implementation,
process errors decrease by as much as 95%! Robotization relieves employees of repetitive activities that may be performed incorrectly because monotony reduces engagement and can cause unintended mistakes through inattention. This is RPA’s advantage over people in repetitive work: it always performs a task in the same way and does not make mistakes from fatigue or boredom.
What about lead generation?
Lead generation can be an unrewarding task, especially now that purchasing processes have slowed and the market boom seen during the pandemic and rapid digitalization has weakened. It can nevertheless be automated in various places, including through RPA support for the sales department. Leads probably enter a CRM system. If a prospective customer completes a contact form on the website, robotization can save the data in CRM automatically. We then work with organized data and do not need to transcribe, qualify, or prioritize it manually: predefined and coded rules allow the robot to do this. The next step may be an automatic email asking about the lead’s needs, followed by messages that keep the company in mind and increase the chance of a sale. If a prospective buyer does not contact us through a form or email, Robotic Process Automation can still help. By analyzing visits and information obtained from the website or social media, RPA can identify people who are probably interested and enable us to initiate contact. The possibilities are extensive. How we use sales-process robotization and how much we gain from it are up to us. If you have questions,
contact our experts, who will support the implementation of RPA in your company.
