Introduction to Workflow Automation

Ethan Rigel is a Founding and Managing Partner of Gore Range Capital. Launched in 2015, the venture capital firm that's focused on hands-on investing in early-stage skin health businesses has had 6 exits, 20 investments and its second fund is nearly committed. As he begins eyeing the firm's third fund, Ethan looks back at the firm's launch and its early fund experiences to highlight what's changed in company types and terms, as well as what being a helpful investor really means.  

Launching enterprise-wide software is challenging for organizations of any type or size. These projects are complex, time-consuming, and they require a great deal of planning, resources and communication to execute. Keith Monahan, Director of Quality Assurance Services at Rivers Agile, talks through the process of an enterprise-wise software rollout, from picking the developer to post-launch support, offering tips to give these projects the best chance of success.

While immediacy has long been high among consumer demands, the pandemic has created a heightened expectation of speed to market. This has opened the door to increased automation, with options such as straight-through processing helping to facilitate the immediacy and ease consumers' want while providing the data and decreased labor outlay companies are seeking. EOX Vantage's Mike Fieseler discusses how automated tools are helping companies satisfy consumers' need for purchasing speed.

Legacy systems perform an organization's day-to-day work. But as these systems age, even basic functions begin to strain those systems beyond what they can handle. For example, Vicencia & Buckley's legacy process caused myriad inefficiencies and workflows that were convoluted by back-end workarounds. Project Manager Nishan Kumar explains how EOX Vantage resolved these issues by building an online self-service scuba insurance procurement platform that aligned with the company's digital strategy.

Varun Badarinath, a senior product engineer at EOX Vantage, offers insight into the effectiveness of data automation through the company's experience with Arrowhead Rental Programs. When Arrowhead won the business to support a rental program of loaner vehicle fleets, the Insurance company turned to EOX Vantage to implement an easy-to-use system that led to greater utilization and fewer headaches.

Companies that aren't able to quickly collect, format and consume their data are at a competitive disadvantage. And that'll only get worse as the magnitude of available data increases every day. EOX Vantage's Mike Fieseler discusses automating data collection, and how doing so can lead to better quality data and improved organizational decision making.  

A company's data is incredibly valuable. It's used to validate decisions, measure performance and find areas of improvement. To do that, data needs to be visible, consistently formatted and shareable. But it's typically not. Mehul Kenia, a product architect at EOX Vantage, says Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) are a data management solution that un-silos information, and links it all together for a clear, holistic picture. We talked with Kenia about APIs — what they are, how they're used and why companies should implement them in their organizations to improve how information is shared and utilized.

When the economy faces challenges, some companies will do well while others will struggle to survive. Dick Kiko, the CEO of KIKO Realtors Auctioneers and Advisors, says liquidity is critical in any situation — whether a company is struggling to regain a foothold or needs an injection of cash to take the business to the next level. And an auction is one tool that can be used by any company, in any position, to generate liquidity.

Workflow automation enables companies to automate various business processes. That can have a big impact on a company's efficiency and accuracy, but it can also have a positive impact on employees. Mike Fieseler, vice president of business development at EOX Vantage, talks about workflow automation, a key element of "digital transformation"  — and the many benefits that it can offer companies.

Auctions are great at liquidating unused assets. But many sellers skip auctions, mostly because they're worried it won't get them the true market value for the stuff they're selling. Dick Kiko, the CEO of KIKO Realtors Auctioneers and Advisors, talks on the Insights Podcast about how auctions not only benefit but protect sellers and what sellers should look for in an auction company.