Cost of Not Automating

If you’re still processing orders manually, you’re paying a price; and not just in dollars.

Manual order entry drains time, inflates costs, and invites mistakes. According to McKinsey, businesses that rely on manual processing spend 30% more on operational costs than those that automate. That’s money lost to inefficiency — time spent on repetitive tasks, corrections, and rework.

And it’s not just the cost. It’s the risk. Manual data entry has an average error rate of 3% — that’s 3 mistakes for every 100 orders. In fast-moving sectors, those mistakes ripple out: botched deliveries, frustrated customers, and lost trust. In a market where speed is currency, even one wrong digit in an order can turn into a reputation problem.

Automation doesn’t just reduce errors — it rewrites the entire process.

One manufacturer, for example, cut their order processing time from 2–3 days down to just 1–2 hours using AI automation. That’s not just faster. It’s transformative — freeing up team bandwidth, increasing order accuracy, and accelerating cash flow.
And speed isn’t optional anymore. 90% of B2B customers now expect an immediate response when they submit an inquiry or support ticket. That means the bar for responsiveness isn’t being set by your industry. It’s being set by Amazon, Uber, and AI-driven service.

Manual processes were built for a different era. In today’s market, they’re a liability. If your customers are waiting hours — or days — for confirmation, updates, or delivery timelines, they’re already looking elsewhere.

Order entry is one of the easiest places to start automating. The ROI is fast. The lift is light. And the upside is enormous.

If you’re still on the fence, consider this: doing nothing is no longer neutral. It’s a decision to stay behind.

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apHarmony is a custom software development company in the suburbs of Chicago, Illinois with over a decade of experience and ISO 9001 certification.

We use technology to help companies streamline complex workflows, modernize legacy systems, and integrate AI-driven tools that deliver measurable business results.

Whether you have a project in mind or not sure where to start implementing technology, give us a call at 630-855-7522.

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