Robotic process automation (RPA) is a technology that mimics human actions to automate repetitive and rule-based tasks. RPA can improve efficiency, accuracy, and compliance in various business processes. However, not every process is suitable for RPA. How can you identify RPA opportunities with business stakeholders and subject matter experts (SMEs)?
The first step is to understand the business goals and challenges that the stakeholders and SMEs are facing. What are their pain points, expectations, and priorities? How do they measure success and performance? How do they align with the overall organizational strategy and vision? By asking these questions, you can gain insights into the business needs and opportunities for improvement.
Initiating this crucial step is vital as automation holds the potential to revolutionize multiple facets of an organization. Understanding the business goals, success metrics, and key processes is pivotal. It's the starting point to explore automation opportunities, urging us not to limit ourselves to existing methods but also consider new avenues. For example, when launching new products or revenue streams, integrating automation from the start can streamline operations significantly.
Identifying Robotic Process Automation (RPA) opportunities requires collaboration between business stakeholders, subject matter experts (SMEs), and the IT team. 1. Understand Business Processes: Engage with business stakeholders and SMEs to gain a deep understanding of existing business processes. Identify repetitive, rule-based, and time-consuming tasks that can be automated 2. Conduct Process Assessments 3. Evaluate Rule-Based Tasks 4. Assess Volume and Frequency 5. Engage Stakeholders in Workshops 6. Evaluate Regulatory Compliance 7. Prioritize Processes for Automation 8. Assess Integration Possibilities 9. Identify Quick Wins 10. Quantify Benefits and ROI 11. Create a Roadmap for Implementation 12. Continuous Communication and Feedback
This is not as easy as it sounds. RPA needs to fit into a practical overall digital transformation strategy for its application to be purposeful. Without it you will continuously have to defend the value of RPA vs other automation tools and the cost to maintain it...
Engage stakeholders and subject matter experts through collaborative workshops to understand current processes, pain points, and inefficiencies. Utilize process mining tools for data-driven insights. Identify repetitive, rule-based tasks suitable for automation. Prioritize based on ROI and strategic goals. Demonstrate quick wins to build confidence. Establish clear communication channels for ongoing collaboration.
Many hold the view that you should start with initial automations and then expand. I think your strategy should inform the "why" you are automating and why RPA need to fulfill that role. It will save time and avoid competition with other automation technology with the organization. RPA have the means to be non-intrusive and can bride integration challenges and as a workhorse that can do the heavy lifting, but the value and benefits realization conversations are easier when it's purposefully applied. Secondly, your CoE should be positioned to get the traction and business buy-in. Remember this is trust-based and the more rpa can be trusted with the work, with quick response, the more opportunities would come your way!
The next step is to analyze the current processes that the stakeholders and SMEs are involved in or responsible for. You can use various methods, such as interviews, observations, surveys, workshops, or process mapping, to collect information about the process steps, inputs, outputs, roles, dependencies, exceptions, and variations. You can also document the current state of the processes, such as their frequency, duration, volume, quality, and costs.
The third step is to evaluate the RPA potential of the current processes. You can use criteria, such as standardization, stability, rules-based, data-driven, high volume, low complexity, and low exception rate, to assess the suitability of the processes for RPA. You can also use tools, such as RPA calculators, scorecards, or matrices, to quantify and compare the benefits and feasibility of RPA for different processes. You can also prioritize the processes based on their impact, urgency, and alignment with the business goals.
The fourth step is to validate the RPA opportunities with the stakeholders and SMEs. You can present your findings and recommendations, such as the process scope, RPA solution design, expected outcomes, risks, and dependencies, to the stakeholders and SMEs for feedback and approval. You can also address any concerns or questions they may have about the RPA implementation, such as the change management, governance, security, and maintenance aspects. You can also involve them in the testing and validation of the RPA solution.
Honestly, I feel like a strong RPA Center of Excellence, Change Management, Governance, Maintenance Aspects, etc should all be its own number and is a priority for a successful RPA Program. I see RPA customers jump straight into multiple people/departments creating bots and it can get messy really quickly and become unsustainable for the program overall.
The final step is to communicate the RPA results with the stakeholders and SMEs. You can use metrics, such as time saved, errors reduced, quality improved, compliance enhanced, and customer satisfaction increased, to demonstrate the value and impact of RPA on the business processes. You can also use stories, testimonials, or case studies to showcase the benefits and experiences of the RPA users. You can also solicit feedback and suggestions for further improvement or optimization of the RPA solution.
By following these steps, you can identify RPA opportunities with business stakeholders and SMEs in a systematic and collaborative way. You can also build trust and rapport with them and ensure that the RPA solution meets their needs and expectations.
Communication is key in any successful business transformation with automation. Far too may times, I see automation champions within the business and IT, change roles, leaving the automation program to languish due to lack of support. Continuously monitoring, highlighting and communicating the value to the stakeholders, sponsors and c-suite helps to ensure better understanding of the benefits and positive impact on the business.