How to Streamline Operations and Cut Costs with Professional Services Automation

In early 2024, 65% of organizations reported to McKinsey that they had deployed generative AI tools in their global workflows. 10 months prior, that number was almost half of that. To business leaders across industry sectors, this wave of AI adoption underscores the need to stay competitive in their business operations management by integrating these technologies.

However, AI adoption presents new challenges. Moving forward into 2025, your business’s key competitors will be leveraging global AI-assisted professional services automation (PSA) platforms to gain industry insights, streamline operations, and cut costs while increasing efficiency. The businesses that succeed will be those that employ the benefits of PSA while addressing the challenges.

This step-by-step guide summarizes how businesses can streamline operations and cut costs with PSA platforms. Contact a PSA software vendor to learn how process automation can be successfully integrated into your unique workflow.

1. Identify Organizational needs

Process automation enhances and streamlines existing workflows with AI-assisted tools. To plan and deploy them successfully, administrators must first identify their organization’s needs.

Namely, your managers should identify tasks that warrant automation based on their repetitiveness, labor costs, and efficiency. In most organizations, these processes can include:

• Scheduling
• Data entry
• Report generation
• Performance analysis
• Budget tracking/analysis
• Document management

Automating resource planning, scheduling, and other workflows should have a positive impact on productivity and efficiency. This is where AI-assisted analytics play a key role in planning the transition. Before scaling professional services with automation, your administrators must understand how the benefits of this technology compare to current processes.

2. Select Workflow Tools 

Once you have examined your workflows and identified the processes that may benefit from automation, you need to choose automation software that makes sense for your business.

In 2024, the ERP software industry was valued at $64.8 billion, with massive growth predictions for 2025-2030. This underscores the importance of choosing the right software in a competitive industry.

The key features to look for in potential process automation software include:

• Ability to integrate with your existing payment, scheduling, workflow, messaging, and budgeting systems
• Flexibility to meet future needs while continuously improving processes with analytics
• Scalability that matches your long-term objectives

These features allow businesses to streamline repetitive tasks, reduce the cost of human labor, and improve their resource allocation process. As demand changes and a business’s long-term objectives shift, adaptability is key – the right ERP platform will satisfy current needs while leaving room for adjustment down the line.

3. Monitor Effectiveness

As your process automation software is deployed, you should continuously monitor its effectiveness and plan improvements. New systems, even automated ones, should work in harmony with current workflows by integrating with existing management tools.

Many businesses phase in new automated workflows to avoid unnecessary growing pains. Studies show that even among high-level employees, the prospect of integrating AI tools can lead to fear and uncertainty.

If deployment is planned and monitored, you can provide managers and employees with clear evidence of the effectiveness of these new tools, including error rates, time savings, and cost benefits. Modern ERP platforms supply businesses with AI assistants that consolidate analytics workflows into one platform – this consolidation goes a long way to alleviating these concerns.

4. Establish Training Channels

Despite your best efforts, even advanced process automation requires time to successfully implement. Managers and employees alike may show resistance to workflow changes.

Staying informed of global automation trends, regularly reviewing AI workflows, and updating training channels to reflect new goals will help your business stay competitive while transitioning to more automated processes.

Key Takeaway for Businesses

In 2025, AI-assisted professional services automation platforms are poised to revolutionize scheduling, accounting, HR, and other business workflows. Businesses will strive to remain competitive by using these systems to their advantage.

However, improper or rushed implementation can lead to a lower ROI for these systems. Rather than increasing productivity and lowering costs, businesses may achieve the reverse.

To better ensure successful PSA integration, businesses should:

• Conduct internal needs assessment
• Budget process automation process
• Determine and update KPIs
• Collaborate with managers and stakeholders
• Plan training channels for continuous improvement

A professional automation services vendor can help you assess your needs, including addressing resistance within your organization. Request a demo with professional services automation software to learn more about how AI solutions can help you cut costs and increase productivity in 2025 and beyond.