How do you master process automation tools and trends?

Don't start to automate until you have understood what goal you want to achieve and if automation really is the best answer for process improvement. A diligent process automation effort starts with evaluating an end to-end-process on its quality, standardization levels and any need to get the process ready ahead of automation.

I totally agree, people tend to start with selecting technologies, which is already part of the solution space, before defining their issues which are located in the problem space. Sometimes it is not even a process automation problem but an organizational or strategic problem.

If you are a small company or a small team, don't start "boiling the ocean". Any process consists of three steps: an input, "what happens in between", and the output. Focus on solving the input part first: how does information come, what is this information type (files, messages), and where it can stored so that everyone knows where to look for it. For instance, if you receive work orders, then add a general mailbox called [email protected], and create a cloud drive folder where you'd store these work orders. Building this takes 30 minutes, and it will massively improve your process.

Key items are: Taking the time to understand your current position and the issues associated with the current way (or the opportunity available from improvement). Don't start a review or look at solutions available until you know there is a business case to improve. Then map the current process, how ever feels comfortable, but get it noted down. note every basic step and put metrics against the issues (time, cost, risk etc.) Once you have this build your requirements (what you need any new solution to be able to do and how). You must have this before you speak with potential suppliers or they will control the conversation and you will struggle to identify the solution you need. Go straight to solution review and it will be high risk!

To determine your goals and requirements, you can start by looking over your current business processes and finding areas that can be automated. You can then define the tasks you want to automate and the expected outcomes of the automation. It’s also important to consider the benefits and limitations of RPA and evaluate whether it is the right solution for your business needs. Some factors to consider include the complexity of your processes, the volume of data involved, and the potential impact on your workforce. By defining your goals and requirements upfront, you can ensure that your RPA automation project is well-planned, well-executed, and delivers the expected results.

One often need to think about end to end process while choosing the correct tool taking into consideration wider business process and future scope instead of just stand alone requirements.

If you are small team or have budget restrains, before implementing any tool, check how integrated it is with other tools, can you use in Zapier. Then check how many freelancers/partners you can find to help you set it up. That'd give you a good perspective about the choice. Think not only about how nice it is to use but also how easy it is to maintain and expand. You can do amazing things with Excel or Google Sheets as well.

Many ERP vendors offer low code automation platforms/solutions to complement their IPA and ERP offerings. Example: If you are using Microsoft Dynamics as your base ERP, you may want to evaluate Microsoft's low code eco-system such as Power Platform before looking toward other platforms. That will save a lot of licensing costs and offer native, built-in connectors and APIs to enable various aspects of automation. Add to that RPA capability and low code app development features, and you may have a very strong eco-system of low code/no code platform to play with.

Pick the right tool from the Intelligent Automation Toolbox and don't see everywhere nails just because you know how to use a hammer. Consider how the end-end-process can be reimagined by leveraging the available solutions for automation of standardized manual activities, the data format available or to complement cognitive capabilities to augment humans. Architect a solution which integrates with other business applications and the possibility for native integration and API's and build robust connectivity and orchestration possibilties.

You can use low code tools like Make to connect your apps and automate the processes so you can do more work with less effort reducing at the same time errors.

In my experience, using BPMN (Business Process Model and Notation) for designing and documenting processes is a smart choice. The standardized visual language it offers makes it simple for people of different backgrounds to grasp, promoting clear communication. With its user-friendly symbols and organized structure, BPMN effectively captures intricate workflows, ensuring uniformity across the board. Moreover, it aids in process analysis, streamlining, and automation, ultimately boosting productivity and enabling more informed decision-making.

An approach to define a best fitting design for a process is to leverage the results of process discovery using process intelligence solutions to determine the best workflows and paths for further detailing. Building out a design in a collaborative matter together with involved teams supports an early engagement of key subject matter experts and validation of best results.

Think about any automation as if it is a SOP document. Create a description page and record a video about it. Lots of tools to generate a summary and auto transcript to put as an instruction.

Working on business process automation projects at ZRA I learnt that effective communication and feedback to the project stakeholders is critical. This will help with avoiding costs that come with change requests and information gaps. Keep your project team members well informed and encourage feedback from them throughout the automation process.

The best test you can have it to see how a new employee adapts to your process and how long it takes to onboard them. Everything more than a day is a red flag.

Yes I agree with above statements . Mainly it's contionus journey and also adaptation mainly to recent trends and partical practices and act fast on feedback .

Processes are not static and siloed but will constantly keep evolving. A regular review of process excellence plans and roadmaps, customer satisfaction levels and performance will help to preempt improvements, upgrade or replacement needs to evolve the automations.

Before automating a process, consider factors like process complexity, data availability, cost-benefit analysis, regulatory requirements, scalability, human involvement, integration, security, testing, and sustainability. Thorough evaluation ensures successful automation.

Initial assessment is key! Evaluating an end to-end-process for the worth (not only the material part, but the human interventions/mistakes or any lacks)of its automation while having estimations of the short and long term savings will determine some answers for the rests of the investments: on the equipment/tools/other resources.