Benefits of Robotic Process Automation
Robotic Process Automation (RPA) offers several benefits such as task automation, reduced errors, enhanced efficiency, etc. However, it also comes up with several implementational challenges such as integration and compatibility issues, scalability-related challenges, long-term maintenance and monitoring requirements, and many others.
This chapter is meant to explain the key benefits of RPA and challenges in its implementation. So, let's start our study with understanding the key advantages of RPA.
Benefits of Robotic Process Automation (RPA)
In business organizations, RPA offers numerous benefits by automating rule-based, repetitive tasks. Some of the main advantages of robotic process automation (RPA) are explain below −
Cost Reduction
It is estimated that the application of RPA in business processes reduces the operational costs around 25% to 50%. It is because software robots can work 24/7, takes no vacations, and do fewer manual errors when compared to human workers. Therefore, RPA results in significant cost reductions in business operations.
Accuracy and Quality
Robotic Process Automation improves the process execution and reduces errors, and hence it increases the accuracy. Also, RPA bots can operate consistently, tirelessly, and reduces the needs for re-work. Therefore, it enhances the quality of output.
Consistency
Robotic process automation does not interfere with the inherent systems and performs activities consistently during the entire execution of processes.
Enhanced Analytics
RPA collects error-free, accurate data from different sources in business processes. This provides enhanced data analytics, which helps in improved decision-making and process execution.
Increased Employee's Productivity
RPA allows to automate low-value, mundane, repetitive tasks in business processes and frees up employees from them. Thus, employees can be engaged in higher value tasks like customer interaction, research and development, client relationship management, etc. This increases employees job satisfaction and productivity.
Faster Process Execution
RPA bots can perform tasks and complete the processes at a higher speed than human workers. Therefore, RPA completes more amount of work within a short span of time, and results in faster delivery of service with higher accuracy.
Improved Customer Experiences
As RPA enhances the quality of work by reducing errors and increasing accuracy. This betterquality output results in improved customer satisfaction and experiences, and helps building a positive relationship with customers.
Challenges of Robotic Process Automation (RPA)
The most common challenges in implementing RPA and strategies to prevent them are explained below −
Integration with Legacy Systems
Most business organizations are dependent on their legacy systems, and the modern RPA tools face compatibility issues with these existing systems. This challenge is mainly because the existing systems use different user interfaces, protocols, or data formats.
Also, RPA tools can handle only structured data and cannot process unstructured data without any advanced tool like AI. All these issues make it difficult to integrate RPA with existing systems within a business organization.
This challenge can be addresses by following these prevention strategies −
- Before implementing RPA, organizations must analyze their processes to identify potential integration issues.
- Select an appropriate RPA tool.
- Build custom RPA integration solutions for legacy systems, etc.
Scalability Issues
Robotic process automation is mainly designed for automating small-scale processes, and it faces challenges when deals with processes involving large volumes of data and continuous changes.
The following are some prevention strategies to overcome this challenge of RPA −
- Design the RPA solution which can be scaled easily when needed.
- Identify inefficiencies and optimize processes by employing process mining tools.
- Use modular RPA systems that can be easily upgraded with increasing scaling demand.
Long-Term Maintenance and Monitoring
RPA uses pre-defined sets of instructions to perform tasks. Hence, it is not entirely self-sufficient to automate processes because RPA bots can face bugs, system failures, or changes in processes over time. Therefore, RPA requires continuous monitoring and regular maintenance to adapt to updates or changes.
Change Management
Implementation and deployment of RPA significantly impact the existing workflows, and hence it faces resistance from employees because the fear of job displacement or change in their workflow routine. A poor change management can result in failure of RPA implementation.
To overcome this issue, organizations can follow the prevention strategies given below −
- Educate employees about the benefits of RPA.
- Highlight the role of RPA as a collaborative tool to enhance productivity.
- Train employees about how to use RPA tools, etc.
Identifying Right Processes to Automate
Finding right processes to automate is one of the biggest challenges in RPA implementation. Within a business organization, not all processes are suitable for RPA and automating wrong processes can lead to wasted resources and entire automation project failure.
Organizations can overcome this challenge by following some of the practical solutions given below −
- Perform in-depth analysis of processes to identify high-impact processes.
- Map processes and pre-assess their automation potential by using process mining tools.
- Define the automation goal clearly and avoid over-automation, etc.
Regulatory and Compliance Challenges
RPA deals with sensitive data of a business organization such as financial data, employees personal information, etc. Thus, its operation must comply with regulatory standards to avoid reputational damages, legal issues, or penalties.
Organizations can follow the prevention strategies given below to address this challenge −
- Define roles and responsibilities for data processing and security.
- Implement robust security measures like access control, data encryption, etc.
- Perform regular security checks to ensure adherence to RPA governance policies and legal requirements.
Conclusion
In this chapter, we highlighted some of the main advantages and implementation challenges of RPA with possible solutions to prevent them. Let's move forward to the next chapter and learn the Applications of Robotic Process Automation.