# What businesses can achieve with Microsoft’s full suite of process automation tools
Author:  Pal Sinha, Barnali 
Author URL: https://financedigest.com/author/pal-sinha-barnali
Published: 2022-02-15
Category: TECHNOLOGY
Category URL: https://financedigest.com/category/technology
Meta Title: Drive Efficiency and Productivity Through Automation in
Meta Description: Discover how Microsoft's automation tools such as Teams Approvals and Power Automate can streamline processes, save time, and boost team collaboration.
URL: https://financedigest.com/what-businesses-can-achieve-with-microsofts-full-suite-of-process-automation-toolshtml

![undefined](https://prod.superblogcdn.com/site_cuid_cm5qst7v3003gwirgwqtxn8i8/images/istock-815594930-1736816240560-compressed.jpg)

_![](https://prod.superblogcdn.com/site_cuid_cm5qst7v3003gwirgwqtxn8i8/images/05-1736816240486-compressed.jpg)_

_By **Matt Weston,** founder and managing director of_ [_Vantage 365_](about:blank)

When examining the make-up of a typical working day, many office-based businesses are likely to uncover an uncomfortable truth – that much of their time is going to waste on outdated processes and unnecessary tasks.

This notion is corroborated by a global study carried out by OnePoll, which found that, on average, 26% of an employee’s day will be wasted on avoidable administrative chores or antiquated ways of working, with nearly half of respondents \[44%\] classing their company’s office technology as being ‘woefully outdated’.

Despite this grim picture, there has been a greater shift [towards process automation through the use of technology in recent](https://www.financedigest.com/ftse-100-inches-towards-recent-highs-as-bp-shines.html "FTSE 100 inches towards recent highs as BP shines") years. For example, Microsoft Teams Approvals, which launched at the beginning of 2021, has already helped countless businesses to collect, process and store all Approval-related requests in one place.

Not only has it enabled companies to send, receive and review requests far more quickly and easily, but to also streamline [processes by boosting team collaboration and efficiencies](https://www.financedigest.com/1-easy-tip-to-make-a-key-e-commerce-process-more-efficient.html "1 easy tip to make a key e-commerce process more efficient").

While Approvals is certainly beneficial for businesses, those firms that do not explore the full suite of Microsoft’s automation tools are missing the bigger picture, as the potential [ways that organisations can drive efficiency and productivity through greater automation](https://www.financedigest.com/10-ways-automation-has-changed-the-role-of-the-cfo.html "10 ways automation has changed the role of the CFO") are seemingly endless.

**Document automation**

An exciting [function within Power Automate](https://www.financedigest.com/why-do-modern-finance-functions-strive-for-automation.html "WHY DO MODERN FINANCE FUNCTIONS STRIVE FOR AUTOMATION?") that many businesses may be unaware of is the ability to automatically generate a wide variety of formulaic documents, such as quotes, contracts, e-mails and reports, with the simple click of a button.

Users can design their own documents with a no-code approach in Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint, and in doing so [save lots of time](https://www.financedigest.com/how-to-use-algorithms-to-save-time-and-make-money-when-trading-currency-crypto-shares-etc.html "How to use algorithms to save time and make money when trading (currency, crypto, shares etc)"), which can otherwise be devoted to other, more mission-critical tasks.

What’s more, utilising document automation removes the [need to Copy & Paste](https://www.financedigest.com/big-banks-want-survive-past-next-10-years-need-adapt.html "If the big banks want to survive past the next 10 years, they need to adapt") large swathes of an old document for use in a similar, new one, which can result in the wrong data being included or sent to the incorrect recipient.

By eliminating this risk, organisations can save time through automation and [become much more fluid in the way](https://www.financedigest.com/ways-to-become-a-millionaire.html "Ways to become a millionaire") that they operate.

**User provisioning**

Another tool businesses should [explore is the ability to automate](https://www.financedigest.com/avalara-emea-summit-explores-future-of-vat-automation.html "Avalara EMEA Summit Explores Future of VAT Automation") user provisioning in Microsoft 365.

User provisioning comprises the process of creating, managing, and maintaining user accounts, which can be particularly beneficial when a new [employee is on-boarded, or if an employee leaves the organisation](https://www.financedigest.com/employee-healthcare-benefits-how-they-can-benefit-your-organisation.html "Employee Healthcare Benefits: How they can Benefit your Organisation"), and is driven by the HR process with minimal input from IT.

This is because, in these instances, technicians are often laden with the considerable burden of manually creating and adding a user account to a [company’s Microsoft 365 system](https://www.financedigest.com/setsquared-companys-maths-system-adds-up-to-pitch-perfect-palace-success.html "SETsquared company’s maths system adds up to pitch-perfect palace success"), updating personal details, or blocking and deleting a user’s account.

[Automation is essential to saving](https://www.financedigest.com/breaking-down-the-barriers-of-ar-automation-to-help-businesses-save-money.html "Breaking down the barriers of AR automation to help businesses save money ") technicians time on performing this monotonous and redundant task, freeing them up to devote their efforts to other areas of the organisation where they can add more value.

**Workflow automation**

Power Automate is a [powerful tool that businesses](https://www.financedigest.com/national-world-launches-new-ad-manager-platform-powered-by-danads-empowering-businesses-to-take-control-of-their-advertising.html "National World launches new ad manager platform, powered by DanAds, empowering businesses to take control of their advertising") also have at their disposal within the Microsoft 365 offering.

Formerly known as Microsoft Flow, this cloud-based software allows employees to [create and automate workflows and tasks](https://www.financedigest.com/european-privacy-watchdog-creates-chatgpt-task-force.html "European privacy watchdog creates ChatGPT task force") across multiple applications and services without help from developers.

It works through the creation of automated workflows called ‘flows’, which are created when the [user specifies what action should take place when a specific](https://www.financedigest.com/host-analytics-up-ends-the-enterprise-performance-management-market-with-the-first-product-designed-specifically-for-business-users.html "Host Analytics Up-Ends the Enterprise Performance Management Market with the First Product Designed Specifically for Business Users") event occurs.

For example, users can save time on archiving tweets that [include a specific hashtag to a SharePoint list](https://www.financedigest.com/veraviews-included-on-iab-global-vendor-list.html "VeraViews Included on IAB Global Vendor List"), send an email to any given audience when a data alert is triggered, or get a push notification when they receive an email from their manager.

By automating these flows, [organisations can simplify complex](https://www.financedigest.com/tackling-the-complexity-of-data-within-financial-organisations.html "Tackling the complexity of data within financial organisations") and time-consuming tasks, safe in the knowledge that they will be completed despite minimal human input. This means [teams can focus more time](https://www.financedigest.com/why-now-is-the-time-to-implement-a-time-saving-business-model-encouraging-team-members-to-discuss-their-challenges.html "Why now is the time to implement a time saving business model, encouraging team members to discuss their challenges") on carrying out other tasks that cannot be so easily automated and require a greater degree of human engagement.

Users can drive efficiencies even further by using Power Automate Desktop, a Robotic Process [Automation solution that would enable them to record](https://www.financedigest.com/red-box-recorders-launches-worlds-first-automated-audio-recording-compliance-verification-tool.html "RED BOX RECORDERS LAUNCHES WORLD’S FIRST  AUTOMATED AUDIO-RECORDING COMPLIANCE VERIFICATION TOOL") and replay specific mouse movements, key presses and window interactions.

[**Adopting business-wide process automation**](https://www.financedigest.com/adopting-ai-balancing-automation-with-risk-management.html "Adopting AI: balancing automation with risk management")

For the vast majority of businesses, [time is money, which is why any time that can be saved](https://www.financedigest.com/sun-realm-switches-complicated-spreadsheet-reporting-for-ground-breaking-insight-solution-generating-time-savings-of-over-30.html "Sun Realm switches complicated spreadsheet reporting for ground breaking Insight solution generating time savings of over 30%") on carrying out tedious, low-value tasks is likely to profit an organisation.

Firms that have merely dipped their toe into the world of process automation are missing out on a prime, cost-effective opportunity to drive efficiencies, promote productivity, and [boost sales](https://www.financedigest.com/londons-west-end-regains-pre-pandemic-buzz-boosting-sales.html "London’s West End regains pre-pandemic buzz, boosting sales") as a result, and should seriously consider adopting a more consistent approach to automation.

By only automating a certain minority of processes but failing to address the plethora of other areas where process automation can be valuable, [businesses are effectively cancelling out the time saved](https://www.financedigest.com/5-simple-ways-in-which-your-business-can-save-water.html "5 simple ways in which your business can save water") through existing automation efforts, meaning very little progress is achieved with such an approach.

With a uniform approach to process automation that spans the entire organisation, [business leaders can truly begin to save valuable time and money](https://www.financedigest.com/how-to-save-money-on-business-tripsabroad.html "How to save money on business trips abroad"), and keep staff focused on what really matters for the continued success of the company.

The key focus of process automation is not to replace [people or make the roles that they perform obsolete](https://www.financedigest.com/more-than-a-third-of-people-think-cash-will-become-obsolete-in-the-next-25-years.html "More Than a Third of People Think Cash Will Become Obsolete in the Next 25 Years"), but instead give them the space to perform duties that add maximum value to their company.


---
This blog is powered by Superblog. Visit https://superblog.ai to know more.
---