Innovation is hard-coded into our DNA. From the Roman-era water mills to the robust iron machines of the industrial revolution, the human race has always found ways to work faster without working harder.
It’s no different today. With the widespread adoption of automation and generative AI, it’s never been easier for businesses to streamline their processes and augment their teams. So much so that McKinsey’s AI thought leader, Alexander Sukharevsky, believes that up to 70% of all employee tasks could soon be automated.
Of course, to achieve this level of operational efficiency, you must first adopt the right business automation software. Only then can you lay the foundations for sustainable, scalable, and ROI-boosting digital innovation.
In this blog, we’ll explain the ins-and-outs of business automation software before comparing the top platforms on the market.
‘Business automation software’ is an umbrella term, encompassing a range of different tool categories, including: business process automation (BPA), robotic process automation (RPA), and workflow automation. Though these platforms have some minor differences, they all empower organisations to translate manual tasks into semi or fully automated processes.
In doing so, businesses can:
Unlike many older tools, modern automation platforms are typically low-code and require minimal development support. This gives technical and non-technical users the power to build automated workflows, e-forms, and applications with ease.
With so many tools available, it can be difficult to find the right solution for your unique business needs. In the following segment of this article, we’ll list 15 of the best platforms.
For each contender, we’ll provide a short overview as well as advantages and disadvantages of the platform. (All of which we have meticulously sourced from reading real G2 user reviews.)
Overview: Available in the cloud and on-premise, Claromentis is an integrated digital workplace solution that unifies your people, streamlines your processes, and boosts operational efficiency. One of its four built-in platforms, InfoCapture, is a highly configurable BPA tool that can automate any process, no matter how complex.
Its features include:
You can use InfoCapture alongside our intranet, e-learning, and project management platforms to improve your overall process improvement efforts. Many of our clients harness the tool to automate intranet HR functions, as well as build engaging customer support portals and efficient ticketing systems.
Advantages: Customers love how easy it is to build forms and automate any complex manual process. Users also highly rate the quality of customer service and training support.
Disadvantages: Getting to grips with InfoCapture can take some time and may require accessing Claromentis’s dedicated knowledge base articles and e-learning courses.
Overview: Automation Anywhere is a cloud-native, AI-powered business automation tool, enabling organisations to discover and automate inefficient processes at scale.
Advantages: The tool is highly flexible and suitable for large-scale automation projects.
Disadvantages: There’s a steep learning curve when adopting the platform, and some users find it challenging to maintain processes as their business grows. The platform can also be costly for smaller businesses.
Overview: UiPath allows organisations to identify inefficient processes, transform them through RPA, and analyse their performance.
Advantages: Customers like the user-friendly interface, strong community support, and training resources.
Disadvantages: Some users find the platform overly complex and state that advanced features require technical expertise. In comparison to other platforms on the market, UiPath’s enterprise-level solutions are considerably costly.
Overview: Power Automate is Microsoft’s answer to business process automation and comes as part of the Power Platform. As you might expect, it’s well known for its seamless integration with the Microsoft ecosystem.
Advantages: This platform is easy to use, integrates well with other Microsoft applications, and offers a variety of templates.
Disadvantages: It’s best suited for businesses already using Microsoft products, resulting in limited functionality outside of this ecosystem. Some users also imply that the platform struggles with large datasets, which can lead to performance lags.
Overview: Zapier is a low-code platform that connects your web applications and allows you to build automated workflows between them.
Advantages: The platform is user-friendly and doesn’t require much technical expertise. It supports a wide range of applications and is easy to set up.
Disadvantages: There’s limited handling of complex automation needs and the tool can become costly with extensive use – particularly as users are charged per ‘Zap’ or task.
Overview: Kissflow provides no-code and low-code automation and app building capabilities for technical and non technical teams.
Advantages: Users like the no-code interface, workflow automation capabilities, and ease of use.
Disadvantages: Kissflow may not be as powerful as other competitors when it comes to highly complex automation needs. On top of this, the cost of the platform can be large for smaller businesses.
Overview: Pega Platform enables organisations to automate repetitive tasks, build workflows and optimise their processes.
Advantages: Users praise the versatility and flexibility of the platform.
Disadvantages: There’s a steep learning curve during the implementation stage and there’s little documentation available to help upskill teams.
Overview: Appian is an end-to-end process automation and orchestration platform with built-in intelligence capabilities.
Advantages: Builds are quick and easy to implement and require little development support.
Disadvantages: Some users cite a lack of scalability and limited functionality, as well as confusing pricing structures.
Overview: Bizagi is a business process modelling software, comprising automation, low-code apps, and process management capabilities.
Advantages: The tool is very easy to use and integrates well with existing applications and systems.
Disadvantages: Reviewers claim the platform suffers from limited Mac compatibility, making it inaccessible for some users.
Overview: The Nintex Process Platform offers AI-powered automation capabilities and can be deployed in the cloud or in-house.
Advantages: Users like the platform’s customisation and flexibility, as well as its ability to integrate with their existing tech stack.
Disadvantages: Certain complex automations can be very difficult for non-technical users to manage. In addition to this, new or unused features can be hard to get to grips with.
Overview: Process Street is a process management platform that helps organisations turn manual tasks into no-code workflows.
Advantages: The platform is very user friendly, simplifies workflows, and helpfully reminds users when a task is due.
Disadvantages: Some users cite difficulty with accessing process documentation, content and additional tasks, as well as connecting workflows within the software.
Overview: The ProcessMaker platform contains automation, intelligent document processing, and process intelligence features.
Advantages: It’s easy to implement and the drag and drop functionality is very intuitive.
Disadvantages: The tool lacks some expected functionality and has very little branding customisation. Some users claim there’s a long turnaround time for support queries.
Overview: With Creatio, organisations can design, automate and analyse business processes. The platform has a strong emphasis on automating CRM workflows in particular.
Advantages: Users like the amount of training support given, the customisation options, and the intuitiveness of the platform.
Disadvantages: The pricing structure may be steep for small to medium businesses. The tool lacks some features that can only be granted with additional integrations.
Overview: SS&C Blue Prism is an AI-powered automation platform, geared towards enterprise use cases.
Advantages: Customers like how robust and scalable the platform is, particularly when handling big projects.
Disadvantages: The set up process can be tricky, with many topics lacking training resources. Some users claim the platform has limited customisation, while others say functional problems take a long time to fix.
Overview: Comidor is a BPA, RPA and low-code app building platform that empowers businesses to achieve digital modernisation.
Advantages: Building low-code apps is easy and fast, with very few delays.
Disadvantages: It can take a while to become confident with the platform and its features – particularly after a new software or feature update.
Picking the right BPA software requires careful consideration. You should place as much importance on usability and adoption as you do on features. After all, a platform may contain the shiniest of capabilities, but unless your technical and non-technical teams can actually use them, you’ll fail to achieve a high ROI.
When assessing what makes automation initiatives successful, McKinsey observed the following:
“Respondents from companies with successful efforts are seven times more likely than others to say they formally involve the communications function while implementing automation efforts, and they are more than twice as likely to say the HR function is involved.”
In other words, the success of your automation efforts depend on the way you embed and communicate your new processes.
That’s what makes Claromentis such a compelling option for your BPA needs.
Why? Because it isn’t just an automation tool. Claromentis is an integrated digital workplace solution that consolidates your entire business and its operations into one user-friendly platform. With built-in BPA, intranet, internal communications, e-learning, and project management capabilities, you can revolutionise your processes and ensure your automation efforts are an ongoing success.
Here’s how:
And if building complex automations isn’t your cup of tea, no problem. We have a dedicated in-house development team that’s eager to build any custom app, process, or integration for you.
Keen to find out more about Claromentis and its extensive automation and process management capabilities? Book a behind-the-scenes demo with one of our digital workplace experts today.