Smart IT has been absolutely fantastic! They are always quick to respond, professional, and go above and beyond to resolve any issues. Whether it’s a small technical glit...
Shakil Ahmed
a year ago
Workflow automation
Stop doing the same tasks by hand, every day
Copying data between systems, chasing approvals, sending the same emails and building the same reports. These tasks eat into your team’s day, slow down your customers and are easy to get wrong.
Workflow automation connects your people, systems and data so routine tasks happen automatically, accurately and in the right order. When a form is submitted, an invoice arrives or a new starter is confirmed, the next steps simply happen, with the right people kept informed.
We build workflows around the tools you already use, including Microsoft 365, Teams, SharePoint, your accounts package, CRM and line-of-business systems. Where AI can help, such as reading an email or a document, we build it in, so even the steps that used to need a person can run on their own.
What we can automate
If a task follows the same steps every time, it can almost certainly be automated. These are the workflows we build most often for UK businesses.
Data entry and system updates
Information moved between your email, forms, spreadsheets and business systems automatically, with no retyping and far fewer errors.
Approvals and sign-off
Holidays, purchase orders, expenses, quotes and documents routed to the right person, chased automatically and recorded.
Staff onboarding and offboarding
New starters set up with accounts, equipment requests and training tasks in one process, and leavers removed securely across every system.
Invoices and finance admin
Supplier invoices captured, checked and passed for approval, with payment reminders and credit control emails sent on time.
Customer requests and enquiries
Enquiries from your website, phone system and inbox logged, assigned and followed up, so nothing slips through the gaps.
Documents and filing
Files named, saved and shared in the right SharePoint or Teams location, with contracts and certificates generated from templates.
Notifications and reminders
The right people alerted at the right moment, from overdue tasks and expiring contracts to renewals and low stock.
Scheduled reports
Reports pulled together from several systems and emailed out automatically every day, week or month.
Approval & task automation
Manual approvals are one of the biggest causes of delay in any business. Requests sit in inboxes, managers are out of the office and nobody can see what’s outstanding. Approval and task automation fixes that by sending every request to the right person, reminding them if it waits too long and recording every decision.
Approvers can respond from Outlook, Teams or their phone in a couple of taps. Tasks are created, assigned and tracked automatically, so work keeps moving even when people are busy or away.
- Holiday and absence requests, with calendars updated automatically
- Purchase orders approved against the spending limits you set
- Expense claims with receipts, sent straight to finance
- Multi-stage approvals by department, value or request type
- Reminders, escalations and deputies when someone is away
- A full audit trail of who approved what, and when
- Recurring checks, renewals and reviews assigned on schedule
Where AI fits into your workflows
Traditional automation follows fixed rules. Adding AI means workflows can also handle the steps that used to need a person to read, understand or decide.
Reading emails
AI understands what an incoming email is asking for and starts the right workflow, whether it’s a quote request, a complaint or an invoice query.
Extracting information
Details pulled from documents, forms and attachments, so the workflow has the data it needs. Find out more about AI document processing.
Making simple decisions
Requests sorted, prioritised or scored against your criteria, with anything unusual passed to a person to check.
Signs your business is ready for workflow automation
Most businesses don’t need a big transformation project. If any of these sound familiar, automation will pay for itself quickly.
The same information is typed into more than one system
If your team copies details from emails into spreadsheets and then into your accounts or CRM, a workflow can do it for them.
Work stalls waiting for approval
When requests sit in inboxes until someone remembers to chase them, automated approvals and reminders keep things moving.
Mistakes come from manual steps
Missed follow-ups, wrong figures and lost paperwork are usually process problems, and automation removes the steps where they happen.
Growth means more admin
If every new customer or employee adds more manual work, automation lets you grow without adding headcount at the same rate.
Nobody can see where things are
Automated workflows record every step, so you can see what’s outstanding, who has it and how long it’s taken.
Our Mission
Transforming the Way Businesses Work
Our mission is to transform the way businesses work through intelligent technology, AI and business automation, backed by proactive support.
Every solution we deliver is designed to help organisations:
Every solution we deliver is designed to help organisations:
The benefits of workflow automation
- Hours saved every week on repetitive tasks
- Fewer errors from manual data entry
- Faster response to customers and staff
- Processes that run the same way every time
- A clear audit trail for compliance
- Systems that work together instead of in silos
- Your team freed up for higher-value work
Workflow automation by industry
Every sector has its own repetitive processes. Here are some of the workflows we automate:
Healthcare
Patient forms into clinical systems, rota changes, training compliance reminders and supplier orders.
Legal
Client onboarding and ID checks, new matter set-up in your case management system and time recording reminders.
Recruitment
Candidate registration, compliance document chasing, timesheet approvals and placement paperwork.
Construction
Site inspection forms, purchase order approvals, subcontractor documents and job costing updates.
Manufacturing
Production orders, stock reorder alerts, quality checks and goods-in paperwork.
Education
Admissions forms, staff absence cover, trip approvals and purchase requests.
Professional services
Client onboarding, proposal approvals, timesheets and monthly client reporting.
Financial services
Client onboarding and ID checks, document requests, review reminders and compliance logs.
Charities
Volunteer onboarding, donation processing, Gift Aid paperwork and grant reporting.
How it works
- 01 Discover We spend time with your team to understand how work flows today and where time is lost to repetitive tasks.
- 02 Design We map the workflow and agree exactly what it will do and who is involved, before anything is built.
- 03 Build and test Our developers build the workflow and test it thoroughly with real examples from your business.
- 04 Launch and support We put it live, train your team and keep it running smoothly as your business changes.
Related services
Customer story: Tyneside Standards
How Tyneside Standards got quotes out the same day
Job records, certificates and quotes were all handled by hand across email and spreadsheets. We mapped the process end to end and automated the repetitive steps, so information is entered once and flows through to the paperwork automatically.
Read the full case studySame day
quotes sent out to customers
Once
information entered, then reused automatically
Automatic
certificates and job paperwork produced
More time
for customers instead of admin
Workflow automation FAQs
What kind of tasks can be automated?
Most repetitive, rules-based tasks can be automated, including approvals, data entry, document filing, notifications, onboarding and reports. If a task follows the same steps each time, it’s a good candidate.
Will it work with our existing systems?
In most cases, yes. We connect to Microsoft 365, accounts packages, CRMs and many line-of-business systems, using their built-in connectors or APIs.
Do we need to change how we work?
We design workflows around how your team already works, and suggest improvements where they make sense. The aim is to remove admin, not add new processes.
Can approvals be done from a phone?
Yes. Approvers can respond from Outlook, Teams or the mobile app in a couple of taps, wherever they are.
What happens if an approver is away?
Requests can be reminded, escalated or passed to a deputy automatically after a set time, so work isn’t held up.
How long does it take to build a workflow?
Simple workflows can be live within days. Most first projects are built, tested and live within two to three weeks.
Do we need new software?
Often not. Many workflows can be built with Microsoft 365 tools you already licence, such as Power Automate, so there may be nothing new to buy.
How do we know where to start?
We look at where your team spends the most time on repetitive work, then automate the process with the biggest payback first.
