Why Business Process Automation Is Becoming Essential for Complex Organizations

In many organizations, decision-making has quietly become increasingly complex – not because decisions themselves are harder, but because of the processes surrounding them. Without business process automation, gathering data, coordinating between teams and managing approvals often require more effort than the decision itself, especially as companies scale.

This friction rarely arrives all at once. As companies grow, they adopt various tools to meet their immediate needs. Over time, these tools remain loosely connected or completely isolated, creating fragmented environments where data is scattered and processes depend on constant manual coordination. To bridge these gaps, talents rely on workarounds: spreadsheets, email approvals and manual data transfers that shape an informal, hardwired process infrastructure.

As a result, operational inefficiencies start to affect decision-making directly. Managers wait for manually compiled information, approvals stall in long email chains and small inefficiencies gradually escalate into structural problems: decisions slow down, visibility drops and errors increase. Facing these challenges alongside the risk of digitally savvy competitors pulling ahead, organizations realize that improving individual tasks is no longer enough. Instead, they start looking for ways to redesign how to operate entirely – often turning to business process automation as a means of restoring efficiency and control.

Why Organizations Turn to Business Process Automation

At the same time, expectations around speed continue to rise. Decisions that once took days are now expected in near real time – pushing organizations to rethink how work is executed entirely. This is where business process automation is gaining traction. According to Gartner, 30% of enterprises were expected to automate more than half of their network activities by 2026, signaling a shift toward automation as a core operational capability.

The potential impact is not marginal: research from Workmarket shows automation could save several hours of work per day, translating into 6–9 weeks of recovered productivity annually – time redirected from routine coordination to more strategic work.

Yet implementation remains a challenge – 86% of CFOs report difficulties executing automation initiatives, while 37% of respondents in PwC’s Workforce of the Future report worry about job displacement. Together, these trends point to a key shift: business process automation is no longer just about efficiency, but about enabling faster, more structured and scalable decision-making.

Supporting this view, Reiz Business Development Representative Giedrius Gustas notes that automation goes beyond improving performance to give leaders and talents a sense of control. By providing a clear, centralized view of processes, it minimizes surprises, makes progress visible and shows who is responsible for each action.

“Managers can quickly identify issues, provide guidance and understand the big picture. When these insights are captured digitally, talents gain clarity and predictability, which surprisingly boosts job satisfaction as they feel more confident, empowered and in command of their work.”

What Is Business Process Automation?

Automation uses technology to execute tasks with minimal human intervention, streamlining workflows while ensuring accuracy and consistency. Unlike mere digitization, which only converts paper or manual inputs into digital formats, real process automation can optimize the workflow itself, eliminating inefficiencies and unnecessary steps. In fact, a 2022 Gartner survey found that roughly 80% of executives consider automation applicable to most areas of business decision-making, highlighting its cross-functional potential.

This distinction prompts a closer look at workflow design. “As service providers, we help ask the critical question: ‘Is this process really necessary?’ In most cases, business process automation simplifies workflows by 20-40%, making operations faster, more predictable and easier to manage. Some processes can be simplified, while others, often due to legal or regulatory requirements, must be transferred as-is.” – shares G.Gustas

Navigating Implementation Challenges

While automation is often seen as a technical upgrade, in practice it requires aligning processes, people and expectations. Most challenges fall into four key areas: unclear processes, limited client involvement, misaligned expectations and implementation complexity.

The first issue is defining the process itself. Organizations often begin automation initiatives without a fully detailed view of how their workflows operate end to end. As a result, requirements evolve, edge cases emerge and hidden complexity surfaces during development. As Giedrius Gustas notes, "Even with careful planning, key aspects can be overlooked, making early prototyping, testing, and iterative refinement essential. Without this, automation risks reinforcing inefficiencies rather than resolving them."

The second challenge is insufficient client involvement. Automation projects require continuous feedback and validation. "When clients are not closely engaged in these activities like: requirement gathering, prototyping, testing and acceptance, the final system often fails to meet real operational needs," G. Gustas explains.

Third, expectation alignment plays a major role – and this is where the biggest misconceptions live. Automation is frequently treated as a quick fix or a one-time remedy, when in reality it represents an ongoing organizational change that evolves alongside the business. This includes the fear that automation replaces people entirely. In fact, 89% of talents report higher job satisfaction after implementation, with trust in automation increasing by an average of 27% (Salesforce, 2021).

"Mistrust and resistance to change is nothing but a natural human reaction"

And navigating it, Gustas argues, is largely a matter of leadership: "If managers are skeptical, that attitude tends to seep through the entire organization. But when people lead by example – actively supporting their teams, clearly communicating the benefits and guiding them through the change with empathy – they create the conditions for much smoother adoption."

Finally, the implementation phase introduces its own risks. Testing, system migration and onboarding are often more complex than anticipated – and the work doesn't end at go-live.

"Automating a process and simply allowing it to run without oversight is rarely sufficient. Long-term success depends on ongoing monitoring, control and continuous improvement – and on a shared effort between the solution provider and the client," shares G.Gustas.

Practical Impact: Wins and Real-World Examples

For most businesses, the cost argument alone is compelling – automation delivers savings from day one. However, its impact goes well beyond cost efficiency. Research by McKinsey & Company shows that two-thirds of organizations report improvements in quality control, customer satisfaction, talent experience and reduced operating costs after implementing automation. This underscores a broader shift: business process automation is not just about reducing expenses, but about fundamentally improving how organizations operate.

Case Study: Shipping Industry Client

Our team worked with a logistics-driven organization responsible for managing sophisticated customs shipments with multiple stakeholders, approvals and rigorous compliance requirements. The challenge was not only the number of process steps, but the lack of structure and visibility across them. By designing and implementing a unified system, we transformed the entire workflow – from initial request to final delivery into a fully traceable process. Automated document generation, real-time status tracking and clear process ownership eliminated coordination bottlenecks and created a scalable foundation for growth.

SAP Automation Success Story

In another project, we worked with a client managing SAP-based product archiving through a fully manual process. Each month, personnel were required to update and archive multiple products, performing several repetitive transactions per item within the system. While the task itself was not complex, its repetitive nature made it time-consuming and prone to human error. To address this, we implemented a robotic process automation (RPA) solution that executed the entire workflow automatically, from reading product data to completing all required SAP transactions. As a result, processing time per product was reduced to one quarter of the original duration - from several minutes to approximately one, while eliminating manual intervention and significantly improving accuracy.

Case Study: Automotive Workflow Automation

Another example from our portfolio is a vehicle inspection process automation. Before, this company relied heavily on manual, paper-based reporting. It resulted in inconsistent data, delays and limited transparency. By introducing standardized digital checklists, automated report generation and centralized data storage, we significantly improved both speed and accuracy. The new system not only reduced errors and administrative workload but also enabled faster communication and more reliable decision-making across all stakeholders.

These examples highlight a broader pattern: automation creates the most value when it is viewed as a redesign of how work is performed rather than just a technical implementation. When the scope of change is underestimated, that's where projects run into trouble. Organizations that succeed take a holistic approach – invest in well-defined processes, stakeholder alignment and continuous iteration. Done right, this enables not just incremental productivity gains, but greater speed, consistency and long-term operational flexibility.

Foundations of Successful Transformation

Change is inevitable and automation has become a core driver for organizations striving to achieve better results and remain competitive. “From experience, it is clear that virtually any process holds the potential to be automated – business process automation is no longer a question of possibility, but of how thoughtfully it is applied,” says G.Gustas. Companies that delay embracing automation risk falling behind as others continue to optimize, scale and evolve their operations.

When implemented effectively, automation delivers tangible benefits: improved efficiency, reduced operational costs, greater consistency, enhanced quality, better overall employee experience along with improved process control, full visibility and stronger governance.

However, realizing these outcomes requires more than just technology adoption. Automation works best when it is approached as an organizational effort, not just a technical one – where people, processes and strategy move together.

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About Giedrius Gustas

IT and business operations leader with over 12 years of international experience in process automation, data platforms and PMO management. Proven track record in driving digital transformation, operational excellence and scalable growth across technology and business functions.