The logical successor to Business Process Management, Digital Process Automation (or DPA) is similarly concerned with ensuring the effectiveness and efficiency of business processes but takes the idea further by focusing on external users including customers, vendors, etc. This means designing better user experiences and reducing as much friction as possible in your digital operations. Some key tenets of DPA: Mobile-first interfaces Process transparency for users Offloading customer tasks to automation Triggered reminders and notifications Easy collaboration Rapid user response and adaptation So while digital automation and bpm software may have focused on getting the process right, Digital Process Automation assumes the process has been optimized and focuses on making the experience better. What Can Be Automated? Any process that involves a trigger, data collection, information routing, and activity tracking can be digitally automated. Triggers: Triggers can be human-initiated or machine-initiated. For instance, someone making a request or an event occurring in a CRM system. Data Collection Data collection often involves a form being completed, but it can also involve data being automatically extracted or received from a system. Information Routing: Moving data between people or systems involves business rules and logic that dictate where data needs to travel next. Activity Tracking: Tracking what happens from end-to-end in a process allows processes to be audited and measured for performance. Examples of Digital Automation A wide variety of processes across all departments can be digitized. Below is just a sampling of the processes Texas Integrated Services customers have moved to the cloud, providing a faster, better, more standardized experience for employees and customers. IT/IS IT Service Requests Security Access Requests New Account Setup Change Requests New Project Requests Security Incidents Finance CapEx/AFE Requests Expense Approvals Salary/Wage Changes AP Automation Grant Management Marketing Campaign Approvals Collateral Approvals Brand Management Facilities Office Relocations Resource Scheduling Facility Access Move Requests Sales Quote Approvals Pricing Discounts Proposal Approvals Product Discounts Legal Legal Holds Contract Reviews Client Intake HR Benefits Changes Timesheets New Hire Management Employee Onboarding Employee Offboarding Vacation Requests Purchasing Procurement Process Capital Approvals Vendor Management Invoice Approvals Product Pricing Operations Complaint Management Maintenance Request New Product Request Identifying Areas of User Experience Improvement You may have gone through a business process review or similar effort to identify processes that are performed inefficiently, are rife with errors, or need to adapt to changes in the organization. We've covered the topic on our blog and in our BPM Guide extensively. However, once you work through process optimization and automation you'll need to look at the experience users have when interacting with the process including: User Flow: Have you documented and understood the user flow or journey for each member in the process?Screen Size: Do forms and other elements display well on mobile? Are you aware of all devices in play?Forms: Are they clearly understood and as brief as possible? Are labels and instructions clear? Is the layout easy to move through for users?Alerts/Reminders: When someone is prompted to take action, are the instructions clear about what they need to do next?Context: Are users aware at all times of where they are in a process and what will happen next? UX/UI Resources Usability Testing Web site Forms Usability Identifying and Resolving UX Problems 6 Common Problems With The UX Process, And 6 Solutions! Texas Integrated Servces's Approach to DPA Texas Integrated Services's business process automation (BPA), which we also refer to as "workflow automation," gives workflow designers full control of all elements exposed to users during the flow of a process. This means powerful form design that outputs mobile-friendly forms by default. It means that the user portal can be configured to ensure users can find what they need quickly. It also means that anyone involved in a process, whether it's a vendor submitting information for a new project or a student requesting classes for the next semester, can see exactly where they are in the process and what's coming next. Finally, we build collaboration into every process. Whether two service representatives need to chat about a current request or a financial analyst needs to talk with a site manager about a potential purchase, discussions, and documents can easily be shared at any time.