Many organisations that want to automate processes look straight at external RPA tools. Understandable, because it seems like the way to take repetitive tasks off their hands. But in practice, this often turns out to be cumbersome, error-prone and unnecessarily expensive. Those who already work with a powerful ERP or CRM platform such as Salesforce combined with Rootstock ERP often already have all the tools they need in-house.
At Balanced Force, we see time and again how the right setup of standard flow functionality lets you achieve smart automation, directly within your own platform. Without extra software layers, without dependencies, and with more control over your data.
The pitfall of external RPA tools
External RPA solutions often work as a connecting layer between different systems. Bots that transfer data from one system to another, dependent on APIs or even screen interfaces. That makes them vulnerable. A small change in a button or field can already lead to malfunctions. Bots stop working and have to be reconfigured, tested and managed again.
On top of that come licence and maintenance costs, along with increased pressure on IT management. In the area of compliance, this can also be problematic, because as soon as data runs through external systems, extra risks arise.
What makes internal automation so powerful
Automating within your existing ERP or CRM environment offers direct access to business data. Processes can be set up far more efficiently, without having to rely on external connections or scripts.
In addition, you stay within your organisation’s infrastructure. Less management, fewer chances of errors, and much faster turnaround times. What is more, adjusting workflows is easy, without needing specific knowledge of a separate RPA tool. In the area of security and GDPR compliance too, internal automation offers advantages: the data does not leave your platform.
Automatic posting flow in practice
At a fintech client with a webshop, the wish arose to automate the processing of receipts from payments. Where this process was previously manual, we set up an automatic posting flow within the existing Salesforce/Rootstock ERP platform.
Invoices were automatically translated into bank postings, without manual processing. Only exceptions such as commissions and service charges still required manual actions. The result: 98% of all transactions were processed fully automatically. That meant a considerable saving of time, fewer errors and full control over the process.
How to get started yourself
A good approach starts with taking stock of repetitive, manual processes. Think of invoice processing, inventory management or customer data management. Next, you look at the automation possibilities your platform already offers. Modern cloud-based systems such as Salesforce often have powerful tools for flows and workflows that make most RPA tasks unnecessary.
By making smart use of what you already have, you avoid extra complexity, save costs and build a more reliable and more flexible process landscape.
Conclusion
External RPA solutions may look attractive, but they often bring unnecessary complexity, higher costs and risks with them. By setting up automation smartly within your existing platform, you make use of the power of your current IT environment and take a big step towards working more efficiently.
At Balanced Force, we help organisations use their ERP platform as an engine for process optimisation every day. Would you like to know what is possible for your organisation? We would be glad to start the conversation.
