Robotic Process Automation
Embrace Success in all your RPA Initiatives
Organizations use process automation to improve customer experience while also achieving high delivery accuracy, increased speed, operational performance, and cost-effectiveness. Any process automation initiative that a business pursues must have clear and specific end goals for it to accomplish its desired business outcomes. They should have a comprehensive vision and sound strategy, from the very beginning.
If the business's automation initiative lacks a clear end goal and is embraced because other companies are doing it, or to simply keep the automation team occupied, it may inevitably lead to resource wastage. A study done by Ernst & Young reveals that despite widespread global adoption of RPA, the implementation of 30% to 50% of initial RPA projects fails.
Here are a few typical anomalies that cause automation initiatives to fail.
Precise Process Understanding
Everyone involved in the automation implementation needs to have a thorough knowledge of the workflows that need to be automated both at the task and process levels. Vague process understanding will lead to more assumptions and inefficient implementation. Such automation initiatives will encounter challenges that will either force the automation team to terminate abruptly or cause the implementation to prolong indefinitely. This leads to frustration and low morale for the team, including the senior leaders who supervise the automation initiative.
Clarity on Expected Benefits
Start by outlining the benefits of automating the selected business process as well as the runway for achieving those benefits. The benefits may be tangible, such as higher revenue, lower resource costs, enhanced productivity, improved processes, etc., or they may be intangible, such as higher quality, higher compliance, higher customer satisfaction, etc. What is essential is that the benefits must be defined. Businesses can avoid potential disappointments from the beginning if there is clarity on which process to automate, why to automate it, and what are the benefits expected from the automation.
Identify the Right Process for Automation
Not all business operations need to be automated. Likewise, not all steps in a process are good candidates for automation. The best process for automation may be determined by having a good knowledge of the process’s complexity, frequency, mutability, degree of required human involvement, the extent of intellectual guidance, and level of judgement. Business cases for automation ought not to be developed around operations that require human intelligence, analysis, or decision-making. Similarly, if a process is extremely complicated or too simple, occurs rarely, is very dynamic, or has a high degree of obsolescence, it is not suitable for automation. If an inappropriate process is selected for automation, the results can have an adverse impact, especially from a quality and cost perspective.
Focus on People-Centric Automation
Automation should simplify business processes and improve, not hinder, the job of process executives. Automation should be designed perhaps with the people, and not just the process, in mind. It is best to avoid bringing in brand new processes or using highly attended automation, which requires extensive human intervention, as that increases the process executive's workload to accomplish process automation.
Pick the Right Automation Tool or Technology
One of the biggest mistakes businesses make is failing to determine whether the automation tool or technology selected will allow for seamless implementation or require extensive customizations or workarounds to accomplish the desired automation. Do not choose a technology simply because the company has that tool licensed or because technology experts are available in the organization. This will result in poor implementation, disruption of the automation runway, and ultimately cost the company.
Understanding of the underlying Automation-Related Applications Technology
A crucial component of any automation feasibility assessment is to determine the technology of the underlying systems involved in the process automation. Applications can be desktop or web-based, mainframe or cutting-edge technology, legacy built on legacy platforms, simple windows utility, or even regulatory tools. The harmony of these application technologies and the automation tool is critical to the success of any automation initiative. Lack of understanding of these systems' technology, their future roadmap, and regulatory requirement changes hinders the success of the initiative.
Ascertain Interdependencies
Business operations rarely operate in isolation from one another. They frequently involve several applications, teams, regulators, and stakeholders, and are connected in many ways. Because of these intricate linkages, one point can break when another is altered. For instance, any modifications to the application or the addition of new features must be approved by the risk and compliance team before any automation based on those features can be implemented. Not grasping these interdependencies can pose a high risk and uncertainty.
Ensure Business Readiness for Transition and Change
The organization's readiness for transformation and change is critical and they should strike a balance between the benefits of digital transformation and changes that process executives may find uncomfortable. If the transition and change management plans are ineffective, organizations will not succeed.
Digital transformation and automation are no longer the future, but rather the present. Organizations will be able to discover appropriate processes for automation and embrace success in the transformation initiatives by being diligent in their analysis and assessment.
