Digitising and automating processes: the guide

Digitising and automating processes describes two steps that build on each other: digitising means mapping a workflow digitally without media breaks, so data is captured once and findable everywhere; automating builds on that and lets the software handle recurring manual steps. You use it wherever work still runs on paper, Excel lists and word of mouth today, from filing receipts to running invoices. For small and mid-sized businesses it means less daily manual work, fewer errors and more time for the actual value you create, as long as you start small and concrete instead of running one large digitalisation project all at once.

What does digitising and automating processes mean?

The two terms are often mixed up, but they mean two different steps. Digitising means mapping a workflow without media breaks: data is captured digitally once and sits where you need it, instead of on paper or in scattered files. Automating builds on top of that and lets the software handle recurring manual steps, such as forwarding, checking or transferring data. If you slim the workflow down before you map it digitally, you leave no potential on the table; how to do that systematically is covered in the article on process optimisation.

In practice, digitising is the prerequisite for automating: a workflow that still runs on paper and word of mouth cannot be sensibly automated. Take both steps in the right order and you win twice, once through the clean digital base and once through the manual work you save.

Which processes are worth digitising first?

It pays off fastest where a lot of routine and retyping happen today. Four areas stand out for most companies.

The common thread: not “everything digital”, but the points with visible savings. Each of these areas has its own pattern: scattered inbox communication can be brought into order with email automation, the recurring capture of receipts leads to the paperless office, and the invoice run is the classic entry point to automate bookkeeping.

How do you approach digitisation in practice?

A large digitalisation programme all at once is the most expensive and least certain path. An approach in short steps is far more pragmatic, keeping the entry small and growing it with the benefit. Where to start best is deepened in the article automate business processes; for the concrete implementation of individual flows, take a look at automate workflows.

• Find the bottleneck. Which workflow costs the most time or causes the most errors today? That is where the best first step sits.
• Map the workflow cleanly. Design the process digitally and without media breaks before automating it.
• Automate the recurring parts. The steps that always run the same way are handled by the software.
• Measure and expand. If the first step delivers real value, the next follows. If not, the investment was small.

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The most common mistake is to start with the grand plan. We do it the other way round: first the one workflow that frustrates people most in daily work, cleanly digitised and automated. That visible first success creates more support for digitisation than any roadmap.

Why connecting the systems is decisive

The biggest lever sits between the tools, not in a single one. When data is copied by hand from one system into the next, that is exactly where the most effort and the most errors arise. Digitisation unfolds its effect when the systems talk to each other and data flows automatically; how programs are cleanly coupled is shown on our page on connecting systems.

Where a system cannot be connected technically, RPA often steps in as a bridge, with a software robot imitating the operation. And where a step does not just move data but has to understand content, such as text from a request or a receipt, AI automation rounds out the picture. Both are additions, not a replacement for the clean digital base.

What does digitising processes cost?

As with custom software, the cost depends on the scope, not on a price list. A clearly defined first workflow can be delivered predictably and then grows with the benefit. The biggest lever on cost is the scope: keeping the first step narrow keeps the investment low and shows early whether expanding is worth it.

As a rough guide: a single, clearly defined workflow, such as digital receipt intake or an automated invoice dispatch, usually lands in the low four-figure to lower five-figure euro range to implement, while company-wide initiatives sit well above that. More important than the pure implementation sum is the calculation behind it: the value comes from the manual work you save month after month, which is why a well-chosen first step often pays for itself within a few months. So it is worth looking at the working hours saved rather than the quote price, and funding the expansion only once the first workflow has proven its benefit.

For how we actually automate workflows, not just advise, see our page on process automation. If it is mainly about receipts and documents, take a look at document automation; whether the step pays off at all is covered in the article When is automation worth it?.