How businesses can benefit from process automation [Q&A]
As the robotic process automation (RPA) market heats up, more businesses are looking to bring RPA into their business processes, but where do they start?
Enterprises are in the dark about how to integrate bots into their existing processes, and those that go into the buying process without a clear vision will meet roadblocks.
Vadim Tabakman, director of technical evangelism at automation software specialist Nintex believes businesses need to go down the road of identifying processes that can benefit from RPA the most. We spoke with him to find out more.
BN: Where should enterprises get started when looking to implement RPA?
VT: Too many enterprises dive into RPA as a solution for all their problems; and as a result, many RPA projects fail. To start, you need to understand your processes well and come to an agreement company-wide before starting to automate those processes. Without that fundamental understanding, automation projects are doomed to fail.
BN: Which processes are prime for automation and which aren't?
VT: It's best to start with smaller processes that can be quick wins. These are the processes that everyone at the company understands. Quick wins allow you to build up your skills, get buy-in from the business and allow you to move to more complex projects with confidence in your RPA tool.
BN: Why aren't bots a one-size-fits-all solution?
VT: Every process in every business is different. Enterprises have their own unique requirements; and as a result, RPA bot designs need to cater to those. RPA scripts can come in a templated design and in some cases be reusable across different enterprises but these are few and far between. Almost all RPA scripts you can download will need customizations to fit the requirements of the enterprise.
BN: What are best practices for ramping up RPA use? What technical skills are needed?
VT: Since RPA requirements vary so do the technical skills. The main requirement is understanding the process you want to automate. As RPA mimics a user and takes over the keyboard and mouse, understanding and the steps a user takes to accomplish that process is critical. Once you understand the process completely, you are closer to building the skills needed to build your RPA script.
BN: How can RPA/automation help remote workforces maintain efficiency?
VT: In response to the current crisis, many organizations have transitioned to a remote work environment. Employees are adjusting to working remotely while trying to maintain the same level of productivity without the access and resources they are used to. Automation and RPA tools can help organizations reduce the strain of highly manual processes on its employees’ workloads. The current situation also gives employees a different perspective on how the business runs as they might now be involved in aspects they didn't need to be involved in when they worked in the office. This information aids employees in seeing new opportunities for automation and it's important for them to be trained in using RPA to understand what's possible.
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