Automation: Prevent efficiency leakage

A. Automation is a powerful tool that helps reduce costs. What's exciting about automation is that it saves time and therefore money—a few minutes at a time throughout the day, resulting in a bank of saved time that can be redirected to high value activities.

Automation at its core isn't about replacing people with technology, but rather elevating your staff by removing the tedious, non-value-added, busywork. For example: Eliminate the need to walk a file to a coworker's desk by automating the handoff with a simple click. Stop wasting time repeatedly checking if an ERN has come in to follow up on a claim or refund due because you will get an alert as soon as it comes in. And, get the real-time visibility and reporting you need at your fingertips without having to wrestle with multiple spreadsheets and pivot tables.

Automation is the answer to the problem of efficiency leakage that happens sporadically throughout the day. If you save five minutes from a process that an employee repeats 12 times a day, that equals an hour saved every day and five hours a week. Over the course of a full year, that results in an astonishing six and a half weeks of time that can be put to use elsewhere to keep your company thriving. And that's just one person.

Instead of necessitating an overhaul of the way you do business, automation allows you to run your operation the way you want but faster, with more precision and more safeguards. The results aren't just seen in the cumulative time saved, but it is also felt in the peace of mind you gain knowing nothing is falling through the cracks.

Ellen Sluder is vice president of marketing for Medforce Technologies. Reach her at esluder@medforcetech.com.