Robotic Process Automation (RPA) Hybrid Automation Solutions

The key benefit around RPA is that it allows companies to reduce costs and increase productivity.  It definitely gives companies a competitive advantage over their competition and if a company is not actively integrating RPA into their core business operations then they will be at a distinct competitive disadvantage.  A common hurdle is that companies often have complex workflows that can not be automated or human intervention is needed so they never engage an RPA solution.   These hurdles should not stop you from automating core processes that could benefit from a hybrid approach.  Hybrid automation is essentially a combined human-robot approach that allows a human employee and a robot worker to work together.  Robot workers take on the mundane "busy work" that is repeatable and the human employee steps in when there is a decision point that requires unstructured data analysis or some kind of judgement call.  If you have not done this recently, first determine if a given process can be simplified.  Automating a broken or inefficient process will not get you the most optimal results.  With this mind set, you can increase the effectiveness of your RPA strategy and stay competitive as technology continues to evolve.

As with any new initiative, you will need a strategy and below are 7 high-level steps to get you started:

1. Partner with a trusted provider as RPA is complex and technology is evolving rapidly. Implementing an effective solution requires a partner with experience specifically with hybrid applications and solutions. They should help you identify use cases and develop an implementation road map.  Example offerings can include process consulting, domain knowledge, application/technology expertise, experience across geographies & industries, RPA resource availability, security, audit, and compliance experience.
2. Before implementing any solution, set timelines and milestones for success.  Needs to be clear and quantifiable.  Success of your RPA solutions should be measured against predefined metrics to determine if adjustments are needed.
3. Look for processes that require structured information gathering and decision points that require abstraction of that information.  For example, processes multi-system data entry, notifications, performs repeatable compliance steps, etc.
4. Seamlessly integrate robot and human employees by allowing human interaction at all necessary touchpoints with minimal friction.  Allow rapid analysis and action on structured data that can be used for data mining to build a business knowledge database.  It also means your hybrid solution should be able to hand-off from human to robot or robot to human by both human initiation and sensory input capture.  There should be both attended on-desktop robots and unattended virtual machine robots that can complete actions without human input.  This allows the automation solution to work on a process while an employee performs another task.
5. Governance is a major challenge for companies.  Allowing business units to implement hybrid RPA solutions on their own, after proper best practices training, allows for faster rollout.  However, there is a downside in that it can create disorganized automation standards and  data solios.  Recommend a center of excellence comprised of RPA subject matter experts, architects, business analysts, developers, project managers, and a program manager is the ideal model.  Every company should analyze their own needs and define a goverance model that works best for them.  Your RPA provider should be able to define the best way to manage your solutions going forward.
6. Analyze and adjust your solution as needed.  Implementations are rarely perfectly executed so its important to learn how employees are using it, identify problem areas, and work with your provider to make the necessary adjustments.  Your RPA solution should provide measurable ROI and if it's not delivering on your goals, it should be modified or removed.
7. Finally, plan for the future.  This is where an ongoing partnership with an established provider is key because RPA technology continues to evolve and robots will perform larger more complex tasks with minimal human input.  Implement your hybrid RPA solution with flexibility in mind and encourage senior management buy-in to shift work to robots.  Companies must regularly review their RPA solutions and look for new ways to implement that will best support their business needs.