Humble confession
In our over 10 years experience of building bespoke automations, we have gone through various ups and downs and learnt a few lessons along the road before deciding that the best and most flexible automations are the ones that are coded by hand rather than built using record-and-play softwares.
Here we humbly share the common mistakes to avoid.
1. Tackling the wrong process
Most processes can be automated, however conducting a robust cost-benefit analysis upfront can increase ROI on the chosen processes.
2. Not having dedicated members of staff
You will need dedicated members of staff who have expert knowledge of the systems and processes to automate with keen eye on operational efficiency and accuracy targets, to oversee the implementation and manage all new/outstanding work.
In addition, you will also need to allocate some dedicated time from SMEs and front-line users and other stakeholders, this can be challenging as they will have their current workstacks.
Failing to plan this valuable resource in advance, can lead to unnecessary delay in completion of the project and affect the ROI of the RPA.
3. Trying to automate every step in a manual process without streamlining it first
The processes with high volume, low decision making, set rules and overall lower complexity have the greatest potential of ROI. Automating your most troublesome processes can just move the existing problem from user to the robot. Most of the time
the processes can and should be streamlined before automating.
Simply replicating the exact manual process into automatic process is never the best way.
4. Not identifying all potential automations
RPA is a new technology with boundless potential. Not everybody can be aware of which systems and processes can be automated. Failing to do a thorough investigation and consultation with the RPA provider to understand the ‘art of the possible’ upfront can lead
to some missed opportunities.
5. Absence of a diversified robotics strategy – covering long term as well as quick wins solutions
You should look at all your processes that contain a mix of steps which can be fully automated, be it complex, self-sufficient remote RPA solutions on server side or a simple desktop automation (RDA) that can make a huge difference in front-line staff’s ability to serve the customers better, with significant ROI.
A true business process automation (BPA) can be achieved with a thorough blend of different implementations of RPA and RDA after leaning and streamlining the business processes.
Conclusion
Scrum development methodology combined with extensive experience in developing custom coded RPA solutions, we at Agile Automations are changing the desktop RPA scene towards a more sustainable and reliable adaptation of RPA into the businesses.
Can your business benefit from such relentless commitment to perfection? Contact us to find out more!