I am constantly surprised at the number of customers that still rely on manual or even paper based processes.  These processes may be administrative in nature or they could be critical to producing a product or service.  We have had great platforms on which to automate most, if not all of these processes for a very long time.  Why is that?  It is mostly because the business doesn't want to invest the upfront costs of automating those processes.
<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #c0c0c0;"><em>the business doesn't want to invest the upfront costs of automating those processes</em></span></p>
With Microsoft's SharePoint, that has changed.  The upfront cost of automating your business processes has drastically reduced.  How?  Microsoft's SharePoint Foundation comes with Windows Server and has most of the features you need in order to build automated processes.  With an investment into SharePoint Server (the paid version) you can do even more!

Additionally, there are many 3rd party solutions available that can make building these automated processes much easier.  The point of this would be to get the development out of the hands of IT and into the hands of the process owners.  This is an important factor when most IT departments are stretched well beyond their capable limits!
<p style="text-align: center;"><em><span style="color: #c0c0c0;">get the development out of the hands of IT and into the hands of the process owners</span></em></p>
One of my favorite processes to automate is the HR On-boarding process.  From receiving resumes and applications to the new employee signing up for benefits and logging their time in the system for the first time; this process can be completely automated in most cases.  Let's break it down…
<h2>Forms</h2>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">Microsoft's InfoPath provides a powerful tool for building versatile forms that can connect to many different data sources.  InfoPath can also be used to design forms that look exactly how you want them to look.  Need a form that looks like a W2?  Not a problem!</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">Additionally, 3rd party add-ons, such as Nintex Forms, provide even more features and capabilities.  Typically, the cost of 3rd party add-ons is very affordable and easy to justify.</p>

<h2>Workflows</h2>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">This is the meat of the business automation process.  In order to get data from point A to point B with data manipulation and lookups; you need workflows.  Workflows are extremely powerful and can be used to pull data in from or push data to almost any data source, make web service calls, create Active Directory users, setup Exchange mailboxes, and much more!</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">Additionally, there are 3rd party add-ons that are highly recommended when considering big automation projects.  These add-ons make designing and developing workflows very easy.  Nintex Workflows and K2 are the big names in SharePoint workflows.</p>

<h2>Records Management</h2>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">Automating your processes typically means that you are going to generate a lot more data.  This data can get very large, very quickly.  Not only can it grow in size, but if it isn't controlled or structured properly it can get very messy.  In order to manage this, we can setup rules to put data in the right place, retain it for a period of time, or archive it when appropriate.</p>

<h2><strong>Reporting</strong></h2>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">What's the point of collecting all of that data if you can't do some reporting on it?  Business Intelligence is huge right now and with good reason!  What if you could pinpoint a weak part of your process by reviewing reports?  What if you could find that you are wasting huge amounts of money and just need to tweak your processes a little to stop the bleeding?  These are just some examples of the scenarios where Big Data and BI can help make your business much more efficient.</p>
The point of all of this is to make your business more efficient so it can make more profit and do more.  When do you want to start?