4 Key Practices for Successful RPA Implementation
Robotic process automation (RPA) is an innovative business process automation solution that takes over repetitive and tiresome tasks. RPA offers increased business efficiency through virtual assistants called RPA bots while allowing employees to focus on higher-value work.
Robotic process automation can be extremely beneficial to a wide range of businesses. On average, a company can expect a doubled return of investments, with some companies achieving a quadruple return. The possibility to automate processes that previously required a large amount of human involvement builds a clear case for RPA.
However, an RPA implementation is an extensive change process for an enterprise and can fail if executed too fast or with unrealistic expectations. Companies that choose RPA need to work closely with their provider and follow a strategy and best practices that ensure a smooth transition and avoid problems.
Make the most out of the RPA implementation with the following tips.
Understanding the need for RPA
RPA’s proven ability to increase efficiency has made it increasingly popular, with market forecasts expecting the RPA market size to reach $11 billion by 2027. However, the benefits that RPA offers do not automatically mean it will work out of the box. A smart business leader has to assess the company's needs and work with their RPA provider to identify processes they want to automate.
This early action is critical in a successful RPA deployment, and an organization should take their time with it, thoroughly assessing the current processes and workflows. It is important to identify critical areas where a large volume of repetitive tasks results in bottlenecks. To get the full picture, the RPA provider should work closely with each department of the company, collecting qualitative and quantitative feedback resulting in a grounded perspective on which areas need the automated efficiency of RPA. The RPA bots should be ready to address these keys areas once they are fully implemented, so they can start mitigating bottlenecks from day one.
Building a Center of Excellence
To ensure that all employees receive the support they need, a company should form an RPA Center of Excellence. An RPA Center of Excellence is a team of key specialists dedicated to helping other employees find ways to solve problems using RPA. Stakeholders and senior staff members forming a Center of Excellence can work closely with the RPA provider to locate areas where RPA will have a good impact. To guarantee a smooth transition for the entire company, a team to fill in the critical role of advocating RPA use is needed. This team has one primary objective: successfully implementing RPA solutions and ensuring they are used to their full potential. With an RPA Center of Excellence, an organization can rest assured that a set of keen eyes is ready to spot gaps that RPA can fill and improve.
Creating work culture centered around efficiency
By inspiring their organization to continually seek out and promote productivity and efficiency with the use of RPA, decision-makers can create a workplace dedicated to creatively seeking the best possible solutions. Building such a culture helps ensure that no team stays out of the loop or is not prepared for change. Ideally, every department should actively leverage RPA and search for new use cases. A company-wide shift in work culture will help everyone smoothly transition into this recent, success-oriented mindset.
A successful RPA implementation needs a right balance of preparation and commitment, encouragement for the workforce, a readiness to invest assets and resources, and a mindset that welcomes change.
Edyta Pietak,
CSO at AnyRobot
Edyta Pietak
Verified writer
