Why process comes before tools
Ask a team to describe how an order becomes an invoice and you will usually get three different answers. Each person knows their own steps; nobody sees the whole chain. Workarounds pile up: a spreadsheet that tracks what the ERP should, a weekly email to catch what fell through, a second check because the first one is unreliable.
Automating those steps one at a time locks the workarounds in. Instead, we map the full process, measure where the time and errors actually come from, and redesign it. Often a third of the steps disappear before any software is involved.
Then we automate in phases, starting with the stage that frees up the most time, so you see a return before the whole programme is complete.
Processes we redesign and automate
Order to cash
Order capture, credit checks, fulfilment, invoicing, collections and cash application, with the handoffs between sales, operations and finance automated.
Procure to pay
Requisitions, purchase orders, receiving, invoice matching, approvals and payment runs. See invoice processing.
Quote to order
Quote generation from CRM data, approval of discounts, conversion to an order and handover to operations.
Record to report
Month-end tasks such as reconciliations, accruals and management reports prepared automatically. See reporting automation.
Client or customer onboarding
From signed contract to fully set-up account across every system. See client onboarding.
Service request to resolution
Requests captured, triaged, assigned, tracked and closed, with customers updated automatically.
Our method
Map
Workshops and screen-shares with each role to document the real process, including the workarounds.
Measure
Volumes, handling time, wait time and error rates for each step, from system data where possible.
Redesign
A future-state process with steps removed, merged or reassigned, agreed with the process owners.
Automate
Delivered in phases, each with a target such as hours saved or cycle time reduced.
Measure again
The same metrics after go-live, so the result is a number, not an impression.
What you receive
- Current-state process mapEvery step, system and handoff, with time and volume data attached.
- Future-state designThe simplified process with responsibilities and controls defined.
- Prioritised automation roadmapPhases ranked by return and effort, each with a fixed price.
- Working automationsDelivered phase by phase with testing, training and documentation.
- Before-and-after measurementsHours, cycle time and error rates compared with the baseline.
- Control documentationApproval points and audit trail described for your auditors.
An example process finding
Mapping often reveals steps that should be removed rather than automated.
- What we found
- Every purchase over a small threshold goes to a manager, a department head, finance and the owner. Over a year, the second and third approvers rejected nothing.
- Redesign
- Two approval tiers based on amount and budget line, with finance reviewing only exceptions.
- Then automate
- Requests routed by rules, reminders after 24 hours, and approvals in email or Teams.
- Measure
- Approval cycle time and the number of approval touches per request.
Common mistakes in process automation
Process automation programmes fail for predictable reasons. We plan around them.
- Automating the current process as-is. Locking in workarounds and unnecessary steps.
- Starting too big. Trying to automate order-to-cash end to end in one project instead of in phases with measurable results.
- No process owner. Without someone accountable for the whole flow, decisions stall between departments.
- Ignoring the people who do the work. They know the exceptions. Leaving them out produces automations that break on day one.
- No baseline. Without measurements before, nobody can prove the improvement after.
Common questions
How is this different from hiring a consultant?
Consultants typically deliver a recommendation. We deliver the recommendation and then build it, and we are measured on whether it works.
How long does a process automation programme take?
Mapping and redesign usually take two to four weeks. Each automation phase is typically four to eight weeks. Most programmes deliver their first working phase within two to three months.
Do we need to commit to the full programme up front?
No. The mapping and design work is priced separately. You decide phase by phase whether to continue.
Who should own the process?
One person with authority across the teams involved, often an operations or finance leader. We work with them throughout.
Start with the process map
Our automation assessment maps one process end to end and gives you a fixed-price plan. It is useful even if you build it yourself.