Map the current process
Who does what, with which systems, in which order – how it really runs.
Process automation: Automate handovers between the systems involved.
We analyse the real workflow, remove unnecessary handovers and automate where data, rules and responsibilities are clear enough.
In short: Process automation looks at the entire workflow, not a single tool – for example enquiry, review, order, delivery, invoice. The aim is a sensible mix of automated steps, AI-supported interpretation and human decisions.
Starting point
Where time is lost today.
- Repeated transferThe same information is transferred by hand from one system to the next.
- Disconnected systemsEmail, Excel, CRM and ERP are only connected through people.
- Stalled tasksTasks get stuck between departments because nobody triggers the next step.
- No statusOnly the person currently working on a case knows where it stands.
- The same intermediate stepsYour staff work through the same routines every day.
How it works
What the solution does, step by step.
Identify bottlenecks
Repetition, waiting times, handovers that add no value.
Define rules
Set data, decision rules and approval points.
Automate steps
Suitable steps run automatically; AI interprets unstructured input.
Integrate systems
Connect ERP, CRM, DMS, email and specialist software via interfaces.
Measure and expand
Monitor lead time and error rate; expand the scope step by step.
Before – after
What changes in day-to-day work.
Examples from the workflow – no percentages, as only a measurement in your business can provide those.
| Situation | Today | With the solution |
|---|---|---|
| Enquiry to order | four systems, three people, email in between | one end-to-end workflow with defined approvals |
| Status | “Go and ask your colleague” | case status visible |
| Handover | copy/paste from system to system | structured handover, a person checks at defined points |
| Expansion | every change a new stopgap | process documented, measurable, expandable |
Benefit
What this use case improves.
Fewer handovers
Steps that add no value are dropped or run automatically.
Shorter lead times
Cases don’t wait for the next manual prompt.
Clear responsibilities
Approval points and responsibilities are defined.
Traceability
Planned steps can be logged.
In action
What working with it looks like.
Sample images from our visual library – the interfaces shown are illustrations, not client data.
Responsibility
What stays with people.
Decisions with external impact and anything that requires judgement. We automate what is rule-based or can be reliably interpreted by AI.
The solution prepares, sorts and hands over – your staff make decisions and grant approvals, following rules you set.
Systems & integrations
Where the solution connects.
For example – what exactly gets connected depends on interfaces and permissions and is checked in the AI potential assessment.
- Email
- ERP
- CRM
- DMS
- Forms
- Calendar
- Specialist software
- Databases
Building blocks & products
The technology behind it.
Solution building blocks are the technical components of the Swiss AI Platform, combined by process.
Process automation
The solution building block for handovers and triggers.
View building blockAI agents
Understand unstructured input, decide on intermediate steps.
View building blockDocument AI
Read documents in the process and assign them.
View building blockCustom AI applications
When the process is specific.
View building block
Control, data & operation
Control stays part of the system.
Depending on the product and interfaces, we run the solution on your premises, in a Swiss cloud or as a combination. Before the pilot, we clarify data flows, access rights and compliance requirements. Background: Private AI and On-premise & hybrid (running on your own servers or a mix of both).
| Topic | Implementation |
|---|---|
| Data | Depends on the process: customer, order, financial or personnel data. |
| Approvals | At every point where a decision with external impact is made – commitment, booking, dispatch. |
| Roles & permissions | Roles are adopted from the source systems; who may trigger what is defined for each step. |
| Logging | Planned steps can be logged with time, input, result and approval. |
| Operating model | Running on your own servers, in a private cloud or a mix – depending on the connected systems. |
Industries
Where this use case is typical.
- Trades & building services
- Manufacturing
- Accounting & fiduciary
- Real estate
- cross-industrythe workflow is not tied to a single industry
Standard approach
How a trial run (pilot) can start.
The pilot does not cover the whole process straight away. We pick a clearly defined part, set approvals and success criteria and test it with real data and the people who work with it. This approach is the same for every use case.
- Choose a processA clearly defined part of the workflow that takes up time today and can be measured.
- Clarify data and systemsWhich data, which interfaces, which permissions – and what is missing.
- Implement a defined workflowWith defined approvals and success criteria, not the whole process at once.
- Measure in real operationWith real data and the people who work with it; then expand or stop.
Related use cases
Related pages.
Frequently asked questions
Frequently asked questions: process automation
Does the whole process have to be rebuilt?
No. A clearly defined sub-process is often the better start.
What is the difference from workflow automation?
Process automation optimises the entire business workflow. Workflow automation technically connects specific events, systems and steps.
When is AI actually worthwhile?
Mainly where unstructured information needs to be understood, documents read, content classified or decisions prepared.
Which companies is this use case suitable for?
Companies where a workflow regularly runs across several systems and departments and is held together by hand today – regardless of size.
Next step
Check this task for your business.
Describe your current workflow in two sentences. We check the benefit, data situation, integration effort and risks and show whether a product, a solution building block or a custom solution makes sense.