The best way to digitise business processes is in five steps: map the process, measure it, simplify it, choose a tool and only then automate. Small teams gain most by starting with a single process, such as from enquiry to invoice. The method prevents a bad process from merely becoming a digital one.
What are the five steps?
The table shows the method at a glance.
| Step | Key question | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Map | How does the process run today? | Sketch of steps, people, tools |
| 2. Measure | Where do we lose time or make errors? | Duration, waiting times, points of double entry |
| 3. Simplify | Which steps are unnecessary? | Shorter target process |
| 4. Choose a tool | Which tool fits the target process? | Short list with criteria |
| 5. Automate | What will run by itself in future? | Automatic routines, human decides exceptions |
How does this work in an example?
A small building firm handles enquiries like this: they arrive by phone, email and form, are noted on slips of paper, entered in a spreadsheet, written up as a quote in Word and sent by email. The invoice is later also written in Word.
Steps 1 and 2: the sketch shows five stations and three points where data is retyped. Suppose the firm receives 20 enquiries a month and loses 25 minutes per enquiry to retyping and searching. That is 500 minutes, about eight hours a month. The figures are assumed; measure your own.
Step 3: a single entry point instead of three, a quote template instead of free wording, the invoice directly from the order. Steps 4 and 5: a form creates the enquiry in customer management, the template produces the quote and reminders chase it up. How this looks in detail is described in Why your website should feed a CRM.
Why should you simplify first?
A bad process that you digitise remains a bad process, only faster. Ask of every step: is it really needed? Who looks at the result? Are there steps that exist only out of habit? Typical candidates are approvals nobody checks, copies to several people or transferring data into a second list. Delete what can be deleted and decide who decides what and when.
A uniform representation helps. For small teams a sketch is enough; for larger processes the BPMN notation is an option. More important than the format is that everyone involved understands the process the same way.
How do you choose a tool?
Choose by the target process, not by feature lists. Check whether the tool offers interfaces, whether you can export data, where the data is stored and whether your team can use it without long training. For enquiries, quotes and invoices, a CRM and invoicing software are often enough. Whether off-the-shelf or custom fits better is covered in Off-the-shelf vs custom software.
For automation the rule is: automate routine, leave exceptions to people. A confirmation of receipt may go out by itself; an unusual quote should be checked by someone. Anyone processing customer data should also respect data protection and access rights. After four weeks, measure again and compare with your starting figures. How to keep watching the results is shown in Business dashboards: which KPIs a small company should actually watch.
- One process chosen that costs time or causes errors
- Current process sketched on paper, with people and tools
- Duration and double entry measured
- Unnecessary steps deleted, target process described
- Tool checked for interface, export, data protection and usability
- Routine automated, exceptions stay with people
- Measured again after four weeks
Conclusion: one process, five steps, measurable benefit
Digitising does not mean buying software; it means making a process better. Start small, measure before and after and extend only when the first process holds. If you would like support, see our business systems service or describe your process.
