RPA expert, Aaron Bultman, Director of Product at Nintex, provides a blueprint for how tech founders can 10x their startups using automation.  He explains why early-stage founders should be hyper-focused on automating as many processes as possible as they're getting their concepts off the ground.

VMblog:  How can startup founders automate processes early on to set the company up for success as it grows?

Aaron Bultman:  Automating processes early reduces the need to add headcount which keeps cash flow under control.  Automated processes eliminate errors, which reduces rework and training time and improves consistency, all of which translate to better customer experiences.

If you've been in business more than two weeks, you've probably already started identifying tasks or processes that have been repeated a number of times.  These are the ones you can automate early to avoid drain on your time.

VMblog:  Can automation help a company scale faster?  If so, how?

Bultman:  An early challenge for startup founders is how to free themselves to work on the business instead of in the business. This often requires them to hire people - but how do they do this with limited cash? RPA may be one answer. Automating mundane work can reduce headcount requirements and free up your time to focus on higher strategic priorities - like growth plans. Companies small and large benefit from adding a bot workforce.

VMblog:  Which functional areas of the business can benefit most from automation?  Marketing?  Sales?

Bultman:  We've seen process automation benefit every area within an organization. The functional area that will benefit most will depend on the industry you're in. For example, if you are a book reseller, you can use automation to synchronize inventory information with your e-commerce site. 

Here are a few examples of how a startup could use RPA:

• Creating User IDs for initial setup in applications
• Marketing to prospects
• Extracting data from websites (for marketing)
• Extracting data for service delivery (based on industry)
• Real Estate
• Tax Records
• Public Records
• Retail [websites]
  

VMblog:  How can automation alleviate employee workload to prevent burnout?

Bultman:  One of the biggest intangible benefits of RPA is liberating those that repeat a routine over and over.  Often this type of work is unrewarding and unfulfilling. Let's put RPA bots on those processes and allow our human capital to focus on customer experience, problem solving, and creative thinking.  

RPA also helps humans get more work done during the normal work week.  This means less evening and weekend work. Founders may not mind working around the clock seven days a week, but most employees do mind. Your employees will feel less stress, more happiness, and be more loyal if they see you're freeing them from mind-numbing, repetitive work.

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