Automation is no longer a luxury for small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) — it is fast becoming a necessity for survival.
As costs increase and competition intensifies, businesses are turning to automation to streamline processes, reduce expenses, and enhance customer experiences.
Paul Berkovic, co-founder of Rayven, a low-code development platform for data-driven SaaS applications, believes "automation is crucial for SMBs seeking to remain competitive."
"Every SMB in the world is focused on profitability," he told TechDay during a recent interview. "Staying in the green is harder and harder every day."
Berkovic explained that while the abundance of technological solutions can be overwhelming, automation helps businesses manage this complexity.
"Automation can simplify not only technology processes but also real-world business processes, lowering costs and improving customer service," he said.
Making automation accessible to SMBs
Historically, automation was seen as the preserve of large enterprises, often requiring extensive budgets and technical expertise. However, Berkovic believes the rise of SaaS platforms has significantly reduced the cost and complexity of automation, making it more accessible for smaller businesses.
"The SaaS trend has created a competitive market where vendors are under pressure to make their products easier to use and more affordable," he explained.
"What used to cost hundreds of thousands of dollars is now available for tens or hundreds of dollars per month."
A key factor in this shift has been the development of connector libraries. These tools simplify the integration of different software systems, allowing businesses to connect various platforms quickly and affordably. "Interconnectivity is fundamental," Berkovic explained. "We enable businesses to create new integrations easily and affordably, even without pre-built connectors."
Overcoming legacy systems and manual processes
Many SMBs face challenges integrating their legacy systems with modern SaaS tools. Platforms like Rayven provide flexible solutions by enabling businesses to build their own integrations cost-effectively.
"Gone are the days when you had to pay tens of thousands of dollars to integrate with a new system," Berkovic said.
"If you're looking at a platform that doesn't have these capabilities, I'd suggest looking elsewhere."
The power of no-code and low-code solutions
No-code and low-code platforms are revolutionising automation by reducing the reliance on developers.
However, Berkovic cautioned against relying too heavily on no-code solutions alone.
"Any platform that's truly no code will have limitations," he warned. "Low-code platforms provide greater flexibility, which is crucial because every SMB has slightly different needs."
Berkovic stressed the importance of strong platform support to assist businesses when they encounter technical challenges.
"We often hear from customers that large US-based platforms lack local support, which can be a major issue for Australian businesses," he added.
AI in automation
Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly being integrated into automation platforms, offering SMBs powerful new capabilities.
Berkovic explained that AI can enhance automation by processing text, documents, and data with improved accuracy and efficiency.
"Our recommendation is to use generative AI selectively," he said. "Combine it with traditional rule-based automation for optimal results."
Berkovic provided several examples of AI-driven automation improving SMB operations. One involved extracting tasks from large documents such as contracts.
"AI can identify key actions in documents, saving time and reducing errors," he explained.
Another example was using AI to analyse CRM data to predict customer churn, enabling businesses to focus on retaining high-risk customers.
Predictive maintenance using AI was another example, where equipment performance data is analysed to identify inefficiencies or maintenance needs.
"This can significantly improve operational efficiency and reduce unexpected downtime," he said.
Addressing cost concerns
One of the biggest concerns for SMBs adopting automation is cost. Berkovic recommended that businesses prioritise solutions with flexible, usage-based pricing models that "allow them to scale their automation efforts gradually."
"It's important to pick a clear starting point that delivers a scalable outcome," he said. "The key is to start small, prove its value, and expand from there."
Future-proofing through smart automation
As automation technologies rapidly evolve, Berkovic advised businesses to focus on the outcomes they aim to achieve. "Start with the business need and make sure the technology aligns with that goal," he said.
He also stressed the importance of adopting modular systems that allow businesses to expand their automation capabilities as their needs evolve. "You want a system that can grow with you over time," he explained.
Interoperability, he added, is fundamental to successful automation. "You cannot automate if you're not able to integrate and use information from different systems," he said.
"Product selection is key — choose platforms with rich connector libraries or those that allow you to build new integrations affordably."
What does the future look like?
Berkovic sees generative AI as a significant trend shaping the future of automation.
"AI is already powerful, but over time it will become even better at interpreting data, producing content, and predicting outcomes," he said.
However, he believes AI won't solve every challenge. "It will continue to require guidance from traditional rule-based automation and human intervention," he added.
"The key is to focus on what you want to achieve and use AI as a tool to support that."
He encouraged SMBs to start experimenting with automation sooner rather than later. "Don't wait," he said.
"Pick something small, implement it, and learn as you go. It's better to start and make mistakes than to delay and risk falling behind."
"You learn so much when you attempt to do something," Berkovic concluded.
