How to use Robotic Process Automation?

People are always looking for ways to work smarter and be more productive. This is where robotic process automation (RPA) comes into play.

The purpose of technology is to do repetitive work that human workers have to do. It is often confused with artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML), but they are different.

First, RPA is code-based, meaning it can be programmed to perform certain tasks in certain ways. On the other hand, AI and ML are powered by algorithms that allow them to learn and improve over time.

Secondly, RPA can be implemented without changing the underlying IT processes. In contrast, AI and machine learning often require access to data and other services that may be locked in legacy systems.

Finally, RPA bots can be implemented quickly and easily, while AI and ML projects can take months or years.

Despite these differences, RPA, AI and ML are often used together in what is called Intelligent Automation (IA). Businesses can achieve greater efficiency by combining the benefits of the three technologies.

RPA implementing challenges

The challenges of RPA technology have led to a big change in the way companies work – more work and repetitive work to get people to do it.

However, RPA adoption has been low. Because RPA projects are so complex, companies can get bogged down in confusion and failure at first.

According to research, 69% of RPA projects fail because of their complexity. The failure rate of those who reach the completion stage is up to 50%.

According to a PwC survey, 63% of business leaders cite RPA implementation speed as a hot spot.

Consulting’s research also found that an RPA proof-of-concept or pilot project typically takes 4-6 months to implement, rather than the expected 4-6 weeks.

Project complexity, lack of creativity, poor decision making and inadequate skills are the main reasons companies do not implement RPA.

We explain more about this below:

a. Lack of creativity and responsibility

RPA projects are often a big responsibility and should be managed by experienced managers. However, many organizations ignore the prerequisites and fail to choose the right talent to audit RPA attempts.

Without a clear leadership or team leader, the decision making process can be interrupted and the team does not understand what to do and how to do it.

b. Choosing the Incorrect Use Case

More than 50% of RPA projects make the mistake of identifying inappropriate business issues.

Companies waste time and money when they do not know the necessary procedures to implement. As a solution, companies can choose one of the following to reap the fruits of their RPA projects:

By identifying the repetitive tasks performed by the skills of the employees, they can focus on the important part of the ideas.

Instead of hiring new employees for the same position, they can start working immediately with RPA and do more work.

c. Bad Strategic Choices

Hasty and poor strategy can disrupt any project in an organization, including RPA initiatives.

Leaders cannot address time and legal concerns without careful and prepared decisions. The result of this observation:

• Unemployment.
• Economic loss.
• Employee satisfaction will disappear.

There is no magic wand for successful RPA. Companies must build a solid foundation that can do well, supported by a stable business; intelligence; and stable IT infrastructure. They need to create plans to build an understanding of the end of the big picture, share information, and guide the team through all stages of implementation.

d. Infrastructure Bottlenecks

In conclusion, RPA is only as good as its basics.

The reasons behind 30-50% of RPA project failures are legacy, slow and unstable IT infrastructures that cannot support high performance. Problems increase as companies try to scale the automation process to meet the changing business environment. It is worth noting that the quality of the IT infrastructure is directly proportional to the success of the RPA project.

Companies should carefully evaluate their IT infrastructure before working on RPA, without exaggerating its ability to change.

Administrators should take a more proactive approach to identifying the appropriate RPA infrastructure. This will allow robots to operate efficiently regardless of the task, instill trust among key stakeholders and give organizations all the benefits of automation.

e. Security

Companies that do not monitor or improve security run the risk of unauthorized access to information. Bots can access CRM, ERP and other critical functions and move data freely without “human” intervention.

Companies should establish a framework that emphasizes the importance of security when implementing RPA. Failure to do so may result in a breach that presents an actual or imminent threat to the organization’s IT network.

• Gartner recommends four ways to solve this problem:
• Assign unique credentials to each bot.
• Restrict access to RPA bots.

Design RPA tools to create a consistent, unchanging system that can be reviewed when suspicious behavior is detected. Apply risk management to the development, deployment, and operation of RPA.

A Seven-Step Guide to Implementing RPA

While there is no one-size-fits-all approach to implementing RPA, there are steps to follow. We will discuss these steps in more detail below.

Pre-planning requisites

To truly redesign the business environment, companies need to take a long view, identify desired goals, and see RPA as an opportunity for complete change. The rule of thumb is to tackle every part of the business rather than focusing on the reverse of change.

Create and work on the right technology! Top management should support policy support and meet to agree on a future IT strategy for RPA initiatives.

Include sustainability in the process.

Companies should focus on creating effective management, support and monitoring strategies for RPA solutions without sacrificing speed and scalability.

Analyze performance metrics to measure the success of your RPA implementation. It is important to determine the level of development of the organization and prepare for the automation of future tasks.

(1) Identify the business problem or opportunity that RPA can solve.

The first step in implementing RPA is to identify the business problem or opportunity that the company wants RPA to solve. What is the purpose of using RPA? What pain points do they want to ease? Answering these questions will help to better understand what processes should be implemented and how to best implement RPA in the organization.

(2) Identifying processes that can be implemented using RPA

In identifying a business problem or opportunity that RPA can solve, the company should analyze which specific processes that have used the technology could be used. A careful analysis of business processes can help companies identify tasks suitable for automation. Note that not all processes can or should run; Some tasks are better for human achievement because of their difficulty or nature.

(3) Evaluate the possibility of automating each process.

After determining the process that can work, the company should evaluate the feasibility of working on each project. This assessment will consider factors such as the complexity of the task, the information required, and whether it should be considered. It is often not possible to automate complex processes with big data and it is not possible to perform the process that needs to be followed.

(4) Create a business case for each process

For each application, create a business case for why it’s a good idea to benefit from automating tasks. To do this, administrators must estimate the costs associated with implementing RPA and the benefits of automating operations. Often, developing a business case to automate operations requires the involvement of stakeholders from various departments within the organization.

(5) Create an implementation plan

The final step in the planning phase is to create an implementation plan that describes how and when RPA will be implemented in your organization. The plan should specify which tasks will be performed effectively, who will oversee each automation task, what resources (financial and human) will be needed, and what will be the timelines for these constraints. Having a detailed action plan up front will help RPA be competitive and successful for organizations.

(6) Product development and development PoC

At this stage, the business rationale for RPA is developed and support is provided for implementation. This is also the time to establish an RPA Center of Excellence (CoE) and establish an RPA governance model. Additionally, a proof-of-concept (POC) document is created to translate concepts and ideas into real results.

(7) Implementationtion and Deployment

This is where software robots are deployed and start working with humans to perform tasks. This stage can be divided into three parts:

7a. Pre-deployment

The pre-deployment phase is to configure and test the POC. Testing ensures that technology is tested in a real environment before it is fully implemented. This way the engineer can fix any problem and make sure everything is working properly. It is important that the software is compatible with the organization’s existing IT infrastructure and can integrate with the applications it needs to interact with.

Run automated processes and measure results against predefined targets.

If all goes well the POC will be prepared for a test drive.

7b. Deployment

Deployment is when the RPA is complete. Design and build bots here, then send them to production.

For successful deployment, it is important to have a clear understanding of the processes that will be used and how they fit into the business as a whole. It is also important to have an action plan for managing and monitoring the robot.

7c. Post-deployment

The post-deployment phase is where you monitor the performance of your RPA software and make any necessary changes. It is important to monitor key metrics such as accuracy and uptime to identify areas where the bot is performing poorly. You should also regularly contact robot workers to get their feedback and make sure they are satisfied with the new technology.

Top 4 Benefits of Effective RPA

Companies across industries are turning to robotic process automation (RPA) to automate high-powered, repetitive tasks from traditional humans.

RPA can bring many benefits to businesses, including increased efficiency, reduced costs, and increased accuracy during execution. The top five benefits of successful RPA are as follows:

(1) Increasing Efficiency

One of the main benefits of RPA is that it can help companies run more efficiently. By automating tasks, businesses can free their employees time to focus on more productive tasks that require human-machine interaction and decision making.

(2) Reduce Costs

RPA helps businesses maximize cost savings. By automating tasks that are now done manually. Also, RPA can help them avoid fines and penalties by following the rules.

(3) Increase accuracy

The cost of human error exceeds billions of dollars each year. There is no room for human error when tasks are done by RPA. This is especially useful for businesses that rely on data to make decisions.

By processing tasks such as service inquiries and work orders, companies can increase revenue by providing faster and better service to customers.

(4) Increase employee satisfaction

Finally, RPA can increase employee satisfaction. Employees who are freed from repetitive tasks may experience greater job satisfaction and engagement. First, they refocused on creativity and business ideas. In turn, this improves usage.

Refer to the image below to learn more about the benefits of RPA.

Conclusion

Although RPA is a new technology, it has already started to prove its potential in the business world. As automation becomes more common, we can expect more businesses to use this efficient way of working.

However, implementing RPA can be complex and difficult without professional help. The good news is we have a team of process automation experts who can help you implement RPA in your business.

If you would like to learn more about how

RPA can help your business be more efficient and productive, contact us today.

We are happy to answer any questions or give you a free consultation.

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