How to Integrate Automation Seamlessly into Your Existing Workflows
Published: 22/04/2025
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This article explores options for automation and how to easily integrate them into your existing workflows. We will share tips, strategies, and common mistakes to provide guidance and clarity.
When embracing automation, many companies find themselves at a crossroads. Do they overhaul their existing setup entirely, or do they rearrange things to create an environment for the new approach? The answer is neither. Automation should integrate with your existing workflows as they are and enhance them, without requiring you to change how you operate. We assure you that not only is this feasible, but actually easier than you expect. All you need is the fundamental mindset.
First of all, it’s important to understand the concept of an automated workflow. Secondly, you need to have your ‘why’s in check; it will help you with prioritisation and tool selection. Finally, it’s about introducing the automation to both the processes and the team. While the latter might sound like the most crucial step, your success depends on the combination of all three.
An automated workflow is a process that involves fewer manual execution steps. Instead, these steps are handled by software. The extent of automation in a workflow depends on various factors, such as its length, impact, and the necessity for human judgment. Some processes can be fully automated.
Automated workflows are known to save time and reduce the risk of human error. They are typically executed within seconds once triggered and record the data in the form of logs and reports. Almost every process can be automated to some extent. It’s all up to your goals, tools, and creativity.
Before making any changes to your workflows, you need to conduct an audit on them. This involves understanding how they operate, identifying where the bottlenecks are, and recognising potential opportunities. Doing so will highlight the areas you can automate.
Like everything in business, automation also has low-hanging fruits. However, you shouldn’t rush to pursue those opportunities as soon as you see them. With the high degree of flexibility that automation offers, particularly if you don’t have it in place yet, there are several things you can implement right away. That said, there are practically infinite ‘low-hanging fruits’. The issue is that they are not equally impactful. If you try to capture as many of them as possible, you will waste time on strategy and implementation due to sheer quantity. While there will be a return on investment, it’s unlikely to justify the means. However, being more selective and prioritising long-term benefits over quick gains can transform your business. To sum it up, the low-hanging fruits in automation present a mixed bag, requiring you to choose wisely.
Instead of pursuing the low-hanging fruit, write it down and examine both the immediate and long-term impacts. Ideally, there should be a healthy balance of both. An impactful automation opportunity enhances your existing workflows immediately and enables endless optimisation moving forward. All in all, it’s a gift that keeps on giving from the moment you bring it on board.
The abundance of digital solutions on the market is a double-edged sword. On one hand, it means you have many options to choose from, and it’s almost guaranteed that the tool that fits your strategy like a missing jigsaw piece is out there. On the other hand, the sheer size of the marketplace, which keeps growing as we speak, is challenging to navigate, and the solution of your dreams might get drowned out by larger providers.
You most likely already have digital tools that your company uses. It’s worth visiting their respective websites to explore the integrations they offer and the solutions they partner with. Often, these lists include smaller vendors you wouldn’t otherwise encounter. Additionally, you will know for certain that these solutions work in tandem with your existing setup, which is one of the key factors when choosing the right tools. From there, you can start exploring other features they offer and, hopefully, significantly reduce your search time.
As this article mentions several times, when it comes to automation, it’s better to build upon the existing foundation than to start anew. Following that logic, you shouldn’t discard the tools you already have in favour of new software. Instead, you should explore integration options, for the results may exceed your expectations.
The saying goes that one shouldn’t fix what isn’t broken, and it stands true for automation. The rip-and-replace method seldom works, especially concerning internal processes your company relies on. Automation isn’t meant to build new operations but is instead focused on enhancing your current setup. Having run your processes for a while, you’ve already amassed historical data and know where the gaps and weaknesses are. This knowledge allows you to tackle them first, set benchmarks, and generally reap the benefits quicker.
While you can start from scratch and build new automation-first operations, it will take longer to optimise for success. Experimentation and analysis require time when starting with a clean slate, including determining integrations, KPIs, and other components. Overall, it might sound tempting to begin anew when adopting a new approach, but building on top of the current systems is more advantageous. After all, this is precisely what integration into your existing workflows entails - elevating them and ensuring they operate more smoothly instead of discarding and replacing them with something entirely new.
Sometimes, linking a digital setup is more complicated than it appears. Some companies, for various reasons, cannot let go of their legacy solutions, even when they have a limited selection of integrations available, which severely reduces the pool of automation options that result from combining different tools. However, this challenge can also be addressed and overcome.
Middleware solutions such as Zappier serve as connectors between tools that typically do not integrate with each other or when a custom API option is unavailable. They become another automated link in your existing workflows, rendering their presence practically invisible - only the benefits are noticeable. Middleware tools are generally straightforward and quick to set up. However, they also come with a subscription fee, which may not be suitable for limited budgets.
The final step in integrating automation into your existing workflows is to help those following these workflows acclimate to the change. In other words, you need to bring your team up to speed. Some people are less receptive to changes, so be prepared for some pushback. However, if managed correctly, it’s just a minor hiccup.
It’s a recurring theme in our articles, yet it needs to be highlighted as many companies continue to ignore it. Specifically, if you merely inform your employees that new measures are being implemented, you are essentially inviting trouble. This can lead to issues like workers misusing tools or secretly reverting to the old process behind your back.
Needless to say, neither of those is good for your company, especially since integrating automation into the business usually comes with a financial investment. The way to avoid this common downfall is both simple and tricky: you need to communicate the ‘why’ of the changes to your teams and ensure the message is received. People are more receptive to innovation and more driven to adjust when they see a clear gain. While it may make perfect sense to you how automation will foster efficiency and convenience, your workers don’t share the sentiment and need such reassurance. For it to be successful, you must understand the challenges they face and then communicate how automation addresses them, best supported by a physical demonstration. A good way to do so would be to arrange training sessions where, if possible, you allow your workers to try their hand at the new process as well.
Automation can integrate into your existing workflows in various ways. This means you will have multiple options right from the start. However, you need to choose wisely which ones to pursue, as the short- and long-term value of different opportunities varies. Opting for quantity over quality will impact your progress and drain your budget. With defined priorities, finding the right tools becomes easier, too. A good starting point that can save a lot of time and disappointment is checking the platforms you already use for their existing integrations.
As tempting as it may be to scrap everything and start from a blank slate, it’s advised not to do that. Adjusting and enhancing your current processes with new tools is more favourable, as you already have data for benchmarking and analysing. Starting anew means waiting for it to accumulate, especially when working with integration-bound toolboxes. Speaking of integrations, there are occasions when they are simply not possible. That’s when you should consider middleware tools. Overall, the secret to integrating automation seamlessly into your existing workflows isn’t just with the tools: it’s with your and your team’s mindset.
Are you seeking ways to enhance your workflows? Contact us; we know how to achieve that.