26 Business Automation Statistics for 2024
Business automation is quickly becoming a staple for businesses around the world. Regardless of whether you’re an entrepreneur, business owner, or employee, business automation can help increase productivity, save time, and achieve more in less time.
Nowadays, pretty much any business process can be automated and therefore optimized, including sales automation, customer service automation, and even marketing automation solutions.
Automation technology is quickly becoming advanced and readily available to people all around the globe. Workflow automation has enabled many large corporations to fully automate mundane tasks, such as repetitive manual tasks that need to be done daily.
In this blog, we’ll go over some of the key workflow automation statistics that will help you automate your work or business and get the most done in the least amount of time possible.
Business Automation Statics (Highlights)
- The workflow automation market is set to increase to more than $26 billion in 2025 from just $4.8 billion back in 2018
- 60% of all occupations could save up to 30% of their time with business process automation
- The RPA market was valued at 1.4 billion USD in 2019
- Up to 80% of those who use marketing automation see an increase in leads, and up to 77% see an increase in conversions
- Almost half of all (50%) SMBs use some kind of marketing automation software for social media management
- Customer service is the least automated (9.5%) out of all business processes
- 54% of business leaders believe automation software will reduce the need for hiring managers and HR staff
Business Process Automation Statistics
1. Business automation can reduce multitasking, which was found to cause companies a 40% loss in productivity
(Wrike)
Nowadays, many people pride themselves on the fact that they’re able to multitask and therefore, do many manual tasks and repetitive tasks in less time.
However, the truth is that multitasking is actually proven to decrease productivity and therefore produce low-quality work. The constant task-switching is simply not optimal for our brain, as it breeds weak output.
Instead, automating tasks such as repetitive tasks is the best way to approach this matter, as it has been proven to increase productivity and therefore quality of work, according to employee productivity statistics.
2. The workflow automation market is set to increase to more than $26 billion in 2025 from just $4.8 billion back in 2018
(Grand View Research)
Automation software is beginning to get wide acceptance across various industries due to its impact in improving work efficiency and also reducing operational and business costs.
This is exactly why many business leaders constantly seek out business process automation solutions that can help them save time and also increase productivity at the same time.
Many key business processes can be fully automated, including marketing automation, sales, and even customer service. Nowadays, automation systems exist for pretty much all industries.
3. Professionals take an average of 18 minutes to locate a document manually (20% to 40% of their time), and they spend up to 50% of their time searching for information
(M-Files)
Today’s world is slowly gravitating more and more towards a paperless economy. This means that sooner than later we’ll have fewer document cabinets and more cloud storage devices.
Workflow automation will allow employees and business leaders around the world to find relevant files and documents in a matter of seconds, leaving them with more time to focus on other important activities and tasks.
Other than helping employees find relevant documents, automated software will also make it easy to sort, organize, and even edit documents without having to spend too much time on those tasks.
4. 60% of all occupations could save up to 30% of their time with business process automation (BPA)
(Mckinsey)
Business and job automation are not only there to further boost employee efficiency. It’s also redefining some of the job roles we know today.
Business process automation (BPA) that is currently possible includes generating sales leads, processing various documents, and even approving paperwork.
This means that less time will be spent dealing with manual tasks, which will decrease the waste of resources and employee fatigue. It also means that employees will spend less time managing automation tools that are helping with their repetitive tasks.
5. Research shows that businesses lose 20% to 30% of revenue each year to inefficient business processes
(Entrepreneur)
Automating routine business processes and business functions leads to a significant increase in revenue, business leaders report. This is because time represents an essential factor in any business.
When a company has to spend a lot of time on repetitive tasks instead of income-generating ones, the company also faces revenue loss.
Streamlining business processes and automating them instead actually decreases customer dissatisfaction, improves business function, and betters business process efficiency.
Robotic Process Automation Statistics
6. Up to 88% of corporate controllers were expected to implement RPA back in 2021
(Gartner)
Robotic process automation, or RPA is commonly used to mimic routine cognitive tasks typically done by humans. This automation technology uses bots in order to achieve this.
Being of the more popular forms of automation technology, RPA is actually set to reach near-universal adoption within the next 5 years.
Statistics actually show that only 17% of organizations that adopted RPA experienced resistance from their employees, meaning that the majority of workers see this type of automation as a good thing.
Today, RPA can be used to fully automate various processes, including supply chain processes, predictive maintenance, after-sales support, and even data entry. This type of automation is commonly used across various industries to automate rote, high-volume tasks.
7. The RPA market was valued at 1.4 billion USD in 2019
(Grand View Research)
The robotic process automation (RPA) market is currently valued at more than $2.4 billion. Estimates show that the market experienced a compound annual growth rate of a little over 30% between the years 2017 and 2022.
Even though the market is already big, experts predict that it’s only going to continue growing at astronomical rates.
More specifically, up to 78% of organizations are planning on adopting RPA in the next three years. This type of workflow automation will create market opportunities worth more than $1.5 billion among small and medium businesses by the end of 2026.
8. RPA is the top automation technology among all workflow automation technologies, with a 31% of growth in revenue
(Intelligent Automation Network)
Among all of the currently available business process automation solutions, robotic process automation is definitely the most popular one.
It experienced an astounding 31% of growth in revenue over the past couple of years, and more and more business leaders around the world are looking into adopting this type of technology in the upcoming years.
Sales and Marketing Automation Statistics
9. Up to 80% of those who use marketing automation see an increase in leads, and up to 77% see an increase in conversions
(Venture Beats)
Marketing automation statistics show that automation is quickly becoming a staple among marketing departments around the world. Marketing automation technology is proven to help increase not only leads but also conversions.
Having a well-defined marketing automation strategy in place ensures generating more sales and revenue for your business, which is something more and more businesses are looking into.
Common examples of automation in the marketing department include email marketing, campaign bidding and management, and social media post scheduling.
10. Marketing automation provides a 12.2% reduction in marketing overhead 14.5% increase in sales productivity
(LinkedIn)
Marketing automation users have reported that having a marketing automation system in place helped them reduce up to 12% in marketing overhead costs.
Additionally, this type of marketing technology was reported to lead to up to a 15% of increase in sales productivity, ultimately leading to more sales and revenue.
Statistics show that up to 36% of companies automate sales prospecting, and up to 75% of companies automate email marketing.
11. Automating ads and social media posts can save over 6 hours of work per week
(Invesp)
Implementing automation when it comes to social media posting and advertising has been shown to save up to 6 hours of work every single week, which is significant.
Statistics and data show that companies chose to automate social media advertising in 58% of cases. One of the most used advertising automated software is automation in advertising Google automated bidding.
12. Almost half of all (50%) SMBs use some kind of marketing automation software for social media management
(Deloitte)
Marketing automation software is particularly popular when it comes to social media management. Many marketing departments chose to implement automation when it comes to posting on social media platforms.
This type of workflow automation allows social media managers to have more time available that can be allocated towards doing research, coming up with copies, and other important social media work.
13. Custom automation workflow was proven to perform better than any other type of marketing automation workflow
(Enterprise Times)
When it comes to work process automation in marketing, custom automation workflow has been proven to work better than other types of marketing automation strategies, including digital process automation.
When it comes to sales automation, statistics show that only 2% of companies thought of implementing automation for their sales processes.
14. Businesses that use automated marketing software to send out emails get up to two times more leads and 58% more conversions
(Moz)
When it comes to marketing automation, email marketing is definitely the most popular, similar to social media management automation. Statistics show that companies that use automated marketing software for emails receive almost double the number of leads.
Further email marketing statistics also show that businesses that employ this practice also see up to 60% more conversions when compared to those marketing departments that send out email blasts.
One of the main benefits and reasons why businesses opt to use software for automated email marketing is the fact that it’s timely and fast.
Marketing is all about “striking when it’s hot”, and email automation software ensures that all of your promotional emails are delivered on time.
15. Up to 91% of marketers stated that automation was “very important” to the general success of their digital marketing efforts
(LinkedIn)
Automation initiatives have been proven to be necessary and important, especially when it comes to all aspects of digital marketing strategies. Automating manual processes, such as posting to social media, has become a staple.
Marketing executives reporting increased implementation have also stated that having an automation solution helped them achieve more leads and more conversions.
Additionally, automation in sales boosts productivity by up to 15% in that department, while cutting marketing costs by 12.2%.
Customer Service Automation Statistics
16. The most commonly used form of automation in the customer service industry are virtual agents or chatbots
(Gartner)
When it comes to automation among customer service departments, some of the most frequently automated processes include feedback-gathering, customer service interactions, and recommendations for the next best action.
Customer service experts have also reported increased customer retention and an improved customer experience thanks to AI automation.
Automation in customer service is also used for feedback collection. Nowadays, businesses can get reviews and feedback from their customers by using automated software specifically designed for this purpose.
This reduced the need for staff to handle dozens of phone calls and emails every single day, as these tools can gather all of your feedback in one place, with custom dashboards and reporting included.
17. By the end of 2022, 70% of customer interactions will use ML technology in virtual agents
(Gartner)
Customer service analytics and predictions say that the majority of businesses around the world will automate customer service interactions by the end of 2022.
This includes using machine learning technology for chatbots and virtual agents. Currently, up to 34% of organizations are using automated guided self-service.
Additionally, a survey shows that up to 74% of customers expect to have a chatbot readily available while browning a website, which would be able to provide them with assistance if necessary.
18. 88% of SMBs stated that automation helped them better customer service, move faster, and close leads more quickly
(Zapier)
Workflow automation in customer service not only leads to better customer service but also leads to closing important leads more quickly.
Statistics have also shown that automation can help increase customer retention rates, which is a significant factor in implementing this kind of machine learning technology.
Additionally, by 2030, the US is set to see up to 46% of its insurance claims processing jobs fully automated. A report also predicts that claims and customer service adjustment jobs will only see a 16% displacement.
19. Customer service is the least automated (9.5%) out of all business procedures
(Mckinsey)
When it comes to the automation industry and the departments that take advantage of it the most, customer service is actually the least automated, with only around 9.5% of businesses around the world using automation in this field.
Up to 37% of leaders in the IT field say that their customer service departments have experienced a higher ROI (return on investment) from automation than any other department.
AI and Machine Learning Automation Statistics
20. Up to 25% of companies use AI for screening resumes and job applications
(Gallagher)
Machine learning is quickly becoming a staple among numerous departments across organizations. For example, one of the most popular ways of using AI and ML is for screening job applications and resumes.
Both machine learning and artificial intelligence have fueled further growth of workflow automation. This was made possible by enabling viable services and products, that are commercially available, to be used to automate numerous business procedures.
21. The use of AI in business process automation is still relatively low, though it has increased up to 25% in enterprise-level businesses
(Mckinsey)
Business process management and its use of AI is still relatively low. However, it has increased to up to 25% in enterprise-level organizations and businesses.
This is not the case with small and medium businesses, though experts predict that we will see a drastic rise in the use of AI and ML technology in smaller corporations too.
Current data shows that only around 2% of organizations have all of their business processes modeled, which suggests that very few organizations are ready for large-scale automation at the moment.
22. More than 60% of those who have implemented AI said that it contributed to an increase in revenue
(Mckinsey)
One of the main reasons and factors that influence the implementation of AI is the fact that it has been proven to contribute to an increase in revenue for those that take advantage of that technology.
In a conducted survey, up to 57% of those surveyed stated that their business was at least piloting the automation of various processes in one or more functions or business units.
Furthermore, up to 38% of organizations admitted to not having begun using automation at all, but nearly half of them reported that they were planning on doing so in the upcoming time period.
HR Management Automation Statistics
23. Up to 45% of HR departments will focus on intelligent process automation in the upcoming years
(Spiceworks)
Automating human resources is another popular way of incorporating automation into routine business procedures. It represents a ‘win-win’ situation for any business.
Statistics and data show that nearly half (45%) of all human resource departments have begun focusing on intelligent or process automation.
As already mentioned, the highest return on investment actually happens from automation within the human resources department.
24. 54% of business leaders believe automation software will reduce the need for hiring managers and HR staff
(The Pipeline)
Many people are fearful of the fact that the increased use of AI, ML, and automation will make actual employees redundant. However, more than half of all business owners agree with the fact that automation software will reduce the need for hiring HR staff in general.
After all, business process automation represents the building block for digital transformation, and we’re certainly living in a digitally-oriented world. Up to 29% of organizations plan to implement business process management software in the upcoming years.
Additionally, statistics show that almost all businesses (95%) need to manage unstructured data, and up to 40% of them need to do it on a regular basis.
Companies are leaning more and more toward automating Big Data in order to drive growth and increase revenue. They’re also using automation for supply chain management, and to optimize talent management.
25. Up to 56% of HR departments increased their revenue by adopting AI technology
(Mckinsey)
When it comes to HR management, which is one of the more frequently automated business procedures, a lot of organizations use this type of technology for offboarding.
For example, if an employee requests time off, a manager can simply approve this request, and automation software can handle everything else, including storing documents, remembering dates, and updating calendars.
This is why automation in the HR departments in particular increases revenue significantly. It cuts costs by reducing the need for HR staff by automating repetitive tasks, such as the above-mentioned ones.
26. 61% of business leaders strongly believe that automation will help hiring managers choose the right talent for the job
(Xref)
Automation in HR is also popularly used to optimize talent management. According to the latest statistics, approximately 10% of companies are currently using artificial intelligence for this exact purpose.
However, experts predict that more and more organizations and corporations around the globe are bound to implement and adopt this technology in the near future.
Currently, approximately 60% of decision-makers strongly believe that automation could help their hiring manager and other HR staff pick the right person for the job more efficiently while spending less time on the task.
This is mostly due to the fact that AI is capable of scanning hundreds, even thousands, of resumes in a matter of seconds or minutes, filtering out the ones that do not match the job criteria and leaving hiring managers with only the top candidates for the job.
How Can These Business Automation Statistics Help You and Your Business?
Automation of business procedures and everyday tasks is becoming increasingly popular. In the upcoming years, experts predict that almost all large corporations and organizations will have at least one business process fully automated.
Some of the most common automated tasks include social media management and posting, follow-up emails, review collection, lead management, data entry, inventory distribution, and the creation and organization of important documents.
While these tasks were previously done by human employees, more and more businesses are starting to use automation software that takes care of these tasks in a much shorter timeframe compared to humans.
In turn, this saves businesses time and money, reducing the need for more staff and multitasking across departments, and ultimately increasing productivity and revenue.
Automation software is becoming more and more popular across numerous departments, some of the most popular which include marketing and sales, but also HR management and customer service.
Even though automation is still more prevalent across enterprise-scale businesses, statistics show that even small and medium-sized businesses are catching up with this ever-growing trend.
Sources
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Martin Luenendonk
Martin loves entrepreneurship and has helped dozens of entrepreneurs by validating the business idea, finding scalable customer acquisition channels, and building a data-driven organization. During his time working in investment banking, tech startups, and industry-leading companies he gained extensive knowledge in using different software tools to optimize business processes.
This insights and his love for researching SaaS products enables him to provide in-depth, fact-based software reviews to enable software buyers make better decisions.
