Automation!
I love automating business
processes (email marketing, sending out invoices, notifying staff about tasks
that are late, etc.). I have big plans to automate many more tasks
like processing bounced email addresses and bad fax numbers as they fail. I
have a long list of tasks that should be occurring on a regular basis.
Another task on my mind is to build an automated referral process that
fires each time I get an order.
My CRM, www.longjump.com offers me many ways to
automate. I can create data policies to change my data that run on a
schedule or are triggered when data is changed. I can have my CRM send
automated emails to my clients, prospects or staff - very
cool!
A lot can accomplished in the
CRM without complicated programming, but I often reach a point where programming
is required and I find that my self taught programming skills get in the
way.
I am about to start building
automated processes using a program called www.AutomationAnywhere.com - I
have used it in the past and am excited to be getting back into it. It
gives you the ability to automate the endless tasks you do each day by watching
and copying you. Your activity is turned into recorded steps. You can then edit
and improve the steps and turn it all into an automated process - wow! You can
build very sophisticated processes without knowing any programming languages.
Originally I was going to get
around to ordering a new low cost PC that would do nothing but run these
automated tasks. I've yet to get around to ordering the PC or even
accepting that it is the right time to spend a few hundred
dollars.
Then it hit me...use a
"virtual" computer (aka Virtual Private Server or VPS)! For $29 a month I can
"own" a VPS from service providers like www.1and1.com and connect via Remote Desktop as
if the PC was in my office. I will run AutomationAnywhere on it and it will do
nothing but run my automated tasks, forever.
I will blog more as I set up
automated tasks. Contact me if you want to talk about setting up CRM and/or
Business Process Automation for your
organization.
