Buying a 3rd Party Secure Workflow Automation Solution
The Pros
Faster Deployment
Businesses that specialise in delivering workflow automation solutions should deliver deployments faster. After all, this is what their expertise is focused on, day in, day out. Depending on who you use, automation and user training can often be delivered in weeks, not months.
Technical Expertise
Building a workflow automation solution requires a range of technical expertise. You need skilled developers and IT professionals with knowledge across a wide range of disciplines. Connecting legacy systems, CRMs, ERPs, APIs etc is not for the feint hearted.
Reliability, Maintenance and Support
Once your solution is built, it will inevitably require maintenance and support. Outsourced solutions often come with robust support and maintenance packages. Vendors should provide regular updates, bug fixes, and customer support, ensuring that your system remains secure and compliant with regulations.
A few, like DOQEX, provide a fully managed service, taking on an even greater support responsibility, leading to not only less staff overhead, but also faster responses and more effective reporting.
Security, Compliance & Data Privacy
Sharing data between different systems can raise concerns about data privacy and compliance with regulations such as GDPR. Your automation partner should ensure that your data is handled securely, and that privacy policies and regulations are fully adhered to throughout the integration process.
These processes should include; data encryption, access controls, and audit trails to safeguard sensitive information and protect against unauthorised access.
Established vendors are more than likely to ensure that their solutions comply and stay up to date with current industry standards and regulations. They also tend to invest in significant security measures to protect your data, giving you further peace of mind.
Cost Predictability
With a purchased solution, the costs are more predictable and structured. Investment is typically defined between clearly defined one-off delivery charges and subscription/usage fees. This makes budgeting & service scaling easier to understand.
Proven Effectiveness
Most outsource companies have ‘been there, done that’. This means their solutions have been tested and proven multiple times across multiple clients. This greatly reduces the risk associated with untested systems and provides a level of assurance about the solution’s capabilities.
Build vs Buy: Making sense of the workflow automation blend.
Connecting people, systems and data together delivers significant advantages but for most organisations their position is a volatile blend of evolved business needs and projects victim to budget squeezes. This results in a lot of legacy issues, which present a range of security and efficiency challenges with workflows. Most of which interface with back-office systems.
How you update and secure your legacy workflows matters. Often it breaks down to a binary choice of ‘build vs buy’, either scoping and building a custom solution or buying a third-party service. Both options have their own set of advantages and disadvantages. Below, we take a brief look at the pros and cons of bringing in a 3rd party service.
What is Secure Workflow Automation? Workflow automation involves the use of technology to perform a series of tasks or processes without human intervention. These workflows can range from simple, repetitive tasks to complex, multi-step processes that combine a number of systems and applications. As advantageous as workflow automation is, it also introduces potential security risks. Automated processes often involve the movement of sensitive data and critical systems, making them attractive targets for cyber criminals. Delivering the security necessary for automated workflows is crucial to protect any sensitive information, maintain compliance, and safeguard organisational integrity.
Buying a 3rd Party Secure Workflow Automation Solution
The Pros
Faster Deployment
Businesses that specialise in delivering workflow automation solutions should deliver deployments faster. After all, this is what their expertise is focused on, day in, day out. Depending on who you use, automation and user training can often be delivered in weeks, not months.
Technical Expertise
Building a workflow automation solution requires a range of technical expertise. You need skilled developers and IT professionals with knowledge across a wide range of disciplines. Connecting legacy systems, CRMs, ERPs, APIs etc is not for the feint hearted.
Reliability, Maintenance and Support
Once your solution is built, it will inevitably require maintenance and support. Outsourced solutions often come with robust support and maintenance packages. Vendors should provide regular updates, bug fixes, and customer support, ensuring that your system remains secure and compliant with regulations.
A few, like DOQEX, provide a fully managed service, taking on an even greater support responsibility, leading to not only less staff overhead, but also faster responses and more effective reporting.
Security, Compliance & Data Privacy
Sharing data between different systems can raise concerns about data privacy and compliance with regulations such as GDPR. Your automation partner should ensure that your data is handled securely, and that privacy policies and regulations are fully adhered to throughout the integration process.
These processes should include; data encryption, access controls, and audit trails to safeguard sensitive information and protect against unauthorised access.
Established vendors are more than likely to ensure that their solutions comply and stay up to date with current industry standards and regulations. They also tend to invest in significant security measures to protect your data, giving you further peace of mind.
Cost Predictability
With a purchased solution, the costs are more predictable and structured. Investment is typically defined between clearly defined one-off delivery charges and subscription/usage fees. This makes budgeting & service scaling easier to understand.
Proven Effectiveness
Most outsource companies have ‘been there, done that’. This means their solutions have been tested and proven multiple times across multiple clients. This greatly reduces the risk associated with untested systems and provides a level of assurance about the solution’s capabilities.
The Cons
Lack of Customisation
Off-the-shelf solutions may not fully align with your unique business processes. Customisation options can also be limited, making it difficult to tailor the solution to your specific needs. Seeking out an agile vendor who will listen and adapt makes a big difference here.
Integration
Custom-built solutions can be designed to integrate seamlessly with your existing systems, ensuring that all your business processes work harmoniously together.
It’s important to select a partner and platform that provides the flexibility to adapt to the uniqueness and quirks of your organisation. Equally, your partner of choice should be able to support you in future customisation so that automations evolve and scale as you do.
Vendor Lock-in
Relying on a specific vendor can lead to degrees of vendor lock-in, making it challenging and even costly to switch to an alternative solution in the future.
Ongoing Costs
Subscription-based solutions require ongoing payments. Over time, these costs can add up, potentially outweighing the long-term value of the solution. It is important to be sure that whatever solution you choose, your operational costs justify their value against the inconvenience of tying up internal resources, time & costs.
Control
When you build your own solution, you have full control over its development and evolution. This means you can make changes and updates as needed without relying on a third-party vendor.
Cost Efficiency
While the initial development costs may be high, building your own solution can be more cost-effective in the long run, as you limit ongoing subscription and support fees.
In Summary
The decision to buy or build a secure workflow automation solution depends on several factors, including your budget, technical expertise, and specific business needs.
Buying a solution offers quick deployment, reliability, and predictable costs by experts that have the skills and resources to ensure that your solution not only works as described but also has the flexibility to scale and adapt when you do.
With the right partner, you solution will be secure, compliant, fully auditable and pro-active to the point where they’ll know and act when things need attention.
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