Аудит бизнес-процессов и оценка целесообразности автоматизации в рамках цифровизации бизнеса
Digitalization has long ceased to be a buzzword and has become a mandatory stage in the development of any modern company. However, the introduction of technology alone does not guarantee increased efficiency. To make automation profitable, you need to start with proper process auditing.
what really needs to be automated
Why do we need an audit of business processes before automation?
Without a structural approach, most companies face typical problems.:
automating chaos, not the system;
They spend their budget on tools that don't solve key tasks.;
They create dozens of disparate IT solutions that do not integrate with each other.;
they get inconvenient systems that employees don't use.
The audit allows you to:
objectively assess the real state of the processes,
understand the economic impact of automation,
Set priorities,
prepare the ground for scaling.
Stage 1: Process Inventory
Pull it to the surface
What needs to be done:
Collect a list of processes
Divide the processes into levels:
Key
Supportive
Auxiliary
Identify process owners
Record the entrances, exits, participants, and systems used.
The tool:
BPMN, Miro schemes, Draw.io , Notion, Google Tables, specialized BPM platforms.
Stage 2: Current Status Map (AS-IS)
how is the process running now
For each process, it is important to fix:
the sequence of steps;
time spent;
points of information transfer between employees;
tools used (Excel, CRM, messengers, mail, paper);
errors, delays, duplication of actions;
subjective comments from employees ("we do this because we always have done it").
What to pay special attention to:
places where employees manually rewrite data;
processes that depend on key people;
areas where downtime or errors often occur;
stages related to the customer experience.
Stage 3: Identify problems and bottlenecks
Analyze the processes according to several criteria:
4.1. Loss of time
unnecessary transitions between systems;
waiting for confirmations;
performing routine steps manually.
4.2. Data Loss
duplication of information;
manual input errors;
the lack of a single source of truth.
4.3. Loss of money
redundant employees on routine tasks;
low throughput of processes.
4.4. Loss of quality
errors in transmitting information;
the complexity of control.
Stage 4: Analysis of the expected economic effect
This is a critical stage that managers often skip.
For each process, you need to answer the following questions:
How many man-hours are being spent today?
What is the cost of these watches for the company?
What percentage of the time can be reduced?
How will errors and losses be reduced?
What can be scaled up without increasing the staff?
preliminary ROI analysis
Stage 5: Identification of candidate processes for automation
After the analysis, it will become clear that:
6.1. It is necessary to automate the processes that:
repeated frequently and standardized;
They take up a significant amount of time;
they affect the customer experience;
amenable to formalization;
they are critical for scaling.
6.2. It is not necessary to automate the processes that:
They rarely work and do not create significant costs.;
they are tied to creativity, expertise and unique human experience;
The rules and the structure of the process are constantly changing.
6.3. Sometimes, instead of automation, it is enough:
rebuild the process;
remove unnecessary steps;
describe the regulations;
implement a single communication channel;
distribute responsibility.
Stage 6: Target Process Design (TO-BE)
The perfect process
It is important to consider:
how the process will work after optimization;
which steps will disappear, which ones will remain;
what systems/integrations will be required;
what roles will the employees perform?;
where automation is needed, and where semi-automatic control is needed.
The goal is to create a realistic but modern work model.
Stage 7: Choosing an automation tool
after the audit
The tools can be:
CRM/ERP systems (boxed and custom);
BPM platforms;
RPA bots;
AI agents;
API integrations;
Telegram/WhatsApp/Max Bots;
custom web services;
low-code/no-code solutions.
Key selection criteria:
Cost of ownership (TCO), not just implementation;
the ability to integrate with current systems;
scalability;
employee convenience;
maintainability;
data security;
legal requirements.
Stage 8: MVP implementation and hypothesis testing
prototype/minimally operational process
What needs to be done:
choose a specific area for a fast pilot;
describe the success metrics;
implement the solution on a limited group;
collect feedback;
adjust the model.
This strategy reduces risks and allows you to rely on real data.
Stage 9: Scaling and Integration
When the pilot has proven to save time/money, you can move on to full—scale implementation.:
extending coverage to departments and business units;
employee training;
integration with accounting, CRM, and data warehouses;
automation of related processes;
creating a unified digital architecture.
Stage 10: Ongoing audits and improvements
check if the process is outdated;
track performance metrics;
fix bottlenecks;
adjust the process to meet business changes;
scale new tools.
Conclusion
Automation brings a strong effect only when it is based on a competent audit. Companies that follow this path consistently receive:
cost reduction by 20-60%;
a 2-5-fold increase in the speed of processes;
reducing dependence on the human factor;
improving the quality and speed of customer service;
the ability to scale a business without staff growth;
transparency and manageability.
This guide can be used as a basis for internal regulations or a checklist in preparation for digital transformation.