+ and - in Digital Business Process Automation

Digital transformation is a complex, multifaceted process. And Robotic process automation (RPA) projects are a rewarding but difficult undertaking. A recent survey indicates that 69% of robotic process automation (RPA) projects never move past the planning stage because of their complexity. However, if companies prepare their business process automation projects and realize the potential RPA challenges, they can reap huge rewards.

But what are some of the challenges that process owners are facing when deciding to automate? From my experience these are the top ones:

Identify the right business processes to automate

The importance of automation in business is growing. For example, businesses can use automated processes such as sending emails, data entry, and scheduling meetings. However, understanding the manual processes already in place in a company and determining where resources are needed most can take time and effort for managers.

Limited Adoption Throughout the Company

Make sure you have executive buy-in before diving into the implementation stage. To achieve full adoption of a process, key stakeholders must be involved in the process from the outset. Your stakeholders can be strong evangelists for your initiative, getting individual departments involved and helping to ensure that your initiative aligns with your overall business strategy. They’ll also help you manage change as you work through process optimization.

Everyone in the company must use new technologies to be effective. Consistency is the key to effective communication. Remember, change is not easy, but it is possible.

Limited IT resources and bandwidth

More than a quarter of the IT leaders surveyed said their biggest hurdle was gaining business alignment on process automation goals. Although they may speak different languages or have different sets of priorities, business and tech stakeholders share a common goal: profits. How can you reach a consensus on complex issues?

An ideal enterprise intelligent automation platform should be relatively easy to install and deploy without IT support. Moreover, it should be easy to use and intuitive even for inexperienced users, so IT teams won’t have to train their own staff in how to use the new software.

Lack of time for continuous improvement

When an organization wants to achieve a particular goal, it will do whatever is necessary to make that happen. Companies can foster continuous improvement by conducting meetings and audits. The problem lies in the fact that many companies cannot effectively conduct these meetings and audits, resulting in little to no improvements being made.

Using a One-Size-Fits-All Solution

Sometimes the word automation is used to describe multiple types of technology. For example, there are robotic process automation, intelligent workflows, execution management systems, and low-code or no-code application and integration platforms.

A “one-size-fits-all” approach rarely provides optimal results. When matching automation technology to a need, take time to consider the capabilities of the technology itself. While RPA effectively handles basic repetitive tasks, more complex or time-consuming tasks may require a human touch.

Before automating a process, examine the related processes to ensure they are efficient and effective. Any automation will be a stopgap if you do not address the underlying causes of your inefficiencies.

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