Do you feel like your business is drowning in time-consuming, repetitive tasks? If so, it’s time to stop swimming upstream and find a solution. Business process automation tools are designed with this need in mind. They make it possible to speed up business workflow by eliminating mundane but necessary tasks—leaving your employees enough time and energy to focus on accomplishing the specialized tasks you hired them for.
What follows is a list of the top four business process automation tools on the market. While they all provide comparable features, they are frequently geared toward different audiences or utilize various technology stacks. As a result, doing your homework before selecting a program is critical. But once you find the right one for your business, these tools can be a godsend, saving you time, money, and aggravation.
If you’re looking to leverage AI to increase business efficiency, the four tools we discuss below will help you get started on your search.
Choosing the Right Process Automation Tool
There are four things to consider before deciding on a business process automation tool:
Core Functionality: Even if you’re automating only one particular function, such as customer service requests or content management, you’ll need to ensure that the program can handle it. If not, look for software with customizable workflows and reporting tools.
Different businesses have different needs. Be clear on the features you absolutely must-have for your business, such as conditional logic, advanced reporting tools, source code access, CSS editing, or deep integrations.
Technology Stack: If you already have a technology stack you’re comfortable with—such as G Suite, or OpenText—you’ll want to look for a program that integrates easily. You may also consider doing business in the cloud only, which will rule out any programs requiring on-premise installation.
Pricing: Process automation tools can vary wildly in pricing. Low-cost options generally hover around $9 to $15 per user each month while the sky’s the limit for high-end solutions. It’s important to determine what you’re getting for that price and whether it’s worth the investment.
User Interface (UI): The user interface should be easy to use and understand, without too many bells and whistles getting in the way of your work. Make sure the business process automation tool you choose has a modern and easy-to-use UI.
Now that you know what to look for, let’s take a closer look at four of the most popular business process automation tools on the market today:
K2
K2 is a tool primarily used by businesses in the Microsoft ecosystem. It’s most likely the most sophisticated program available for Microsoft, yet because it has to compete with Nintex and SharePoint, K2 has had less of a chance to grab a foothold in the market.
While we have nothing but good things to say about K2’s functionality, the tool can be a bit expensive. Additionally, K2 can be tricky to learn how to use. You’ll need a specialist to run it to its full potential, especially if you plan on integrating it with other tools in your stack.
Tallyfy
As one of the newer entries in the bunch, Tallyfy is quickly making a name for itself. It has a slick interface and is designed for small and medium-sized enterprises that want to streamline their basic day-to-day processes.
We found Tallyfy to be a great option for companies looking to automate their processes without spending too much. At $30 per user each month, smaller businesses can get a good deal on a tool that’s easy to use and has the features you need.
However, Tallyfy doesn’t offer any readymade templates like some of its competitors—and it can get pricey if you’re looking to add more advanced features like analytics and decision trees.
Process Street
This tool is perfect for beginners. It’s easy to use and doesn’t require any coding knowledge, making it a great option for small businesses or teams. Process Street also offers a free plan for up to five users.
Note that, once you go past five users, Process Start will cost $30 a month per user—more if your business requires advanced features.
We loved the top-tier Customer Support you get with Process Street. The team is always available to chat, will walk you through any problems or questions you have, and are happy to help no matter how big the issue might be.
Our only complaint with this tool is its lack of a native mobile app, which makes approvals on the move that much harder to carry out.
KissFlow
KissFlow is a web-based process automation software that works with any operating system. Because of its simple user sync capabilities and fast Gmail actions, it’s particularly well suited to G Suite.
Kissflow has a variety of pricing choices based on your company’s size and needs. With a free trial and multiple options, you can find the right plan for your business.
Kissflow is designed to be easy enough for any user in an organization—so much so that even non-technical users will have no trouble using it after a short training session. That’s not something every tool on this list can claim!
Any of the four tools we mentioned above should be a great fit for your business process automation needs. Because the perfect business process automation tool for you depends on your specific business and technical requirements, it’s important to do your research before making a purchase. But with these guidelines in mind, you’re sure to find the perfect tool for automating your workflow!
Article written by Katreena Sarmiento