Where can RPA be used? When not to use RPA?

Where can RPA be used?

RPA is best used where activities are:

  • Repetitive
  • Prone to error
  • Rules based
  • Involve digital data
  • Time critical
  • Suffer from seasonal peaks

Automation could apply in any part of a business. Below are some of the typical areas in a business where RPA Robots can be deployed to automate tasks.

In considering where RPA is used, factors such as the volume of routine activity and the timing of the activity can influence the priorities.

HR Teams

UiPath have produced a great document that Ether Solutions are pleased to share – RPA for HR Creating a More Human Workplace.pdf

  • Candidate vetting checks
  • Staff on-boarding
  • Compliance activities (e.g. Training certifications)

Supply Chain Teams

  • Contract Management
  • Freight Management on supplier / courier portals
  • Returns processing
  • Order processing
  • Proof of Delivery collation
  • Inventory Management
  • Supplier on-boarding and periodic compliance checks

Finance Teams

  • Master Data Management – setup and changes
  • Supplier Invoice processing and approval
  • Sales Invoice generation and distribution
  • Incentive claim management
  • Customer credit checks
  • Data reconciliation checks

IT Teams

  • Helpdesk services
  • Password Resets
  • New Starter account provision / Staff leaver account locks
  • Provision of Cloud services

Sales and Marketing Teams

  • Data transfers to CRM
  • Validation and updates of CRM information
  • Information capture from News websites and Social Media

When not to use RPA?

For an RPA deployment to be effective, a business process needs to be:

  • Stable and not subject to constant change
  • Not contain to many variations or the ROI will drop as the development costs will be high
  • Not handling a variety of documents formats, as that will require RPA to be supplemented with AI for the implementation to be effective
  • There is a reasonable volume of activity, processes only performed once a month are likely to deliver a low ROI

General RPA usage

Please contact us to discuss how RPA Robots could be used in your business.

The day to day activities that can be performed by staff with little knowledge of the business are often suitable candidates for automation.  How to select a process for automation can be a balance of a number of factors.

The boring tasks that are viewed by staff as  “Admin” or “Compliance” can be good places to consider for automation.

In many situations where RPA can be used, it is not a 100% scenario but often an 80:20 split. The routine work is suitable for RPA to be used and the exceptions / complex are most effectively performed manually. 

As confidence grows in RPA usage, the 80:20 split may evolve to a 90:10 balance of automation to human work, as a better understanding of the manual workload emerges.

FAQs

Q: Does RPA use the same screens as people?

A: Yes, RPA software robots can interact with the GUI screens that people would interact with while doing the activity.

Q: How do RPA software robots access applications?

A: Typically RPA software robots are defined in User Directories with their own identity just like a person. The RPA software robot will logon to the application just like a person.

Q: Do RPA software robots read from paper?

A: No. RPA software robots work with digital inputs. The paper would need to be scanned or photographed first, so that the contents are available in a digital format for RPA usage.

Q: Can an RPA software robot work in the Cloud?

A: Yes, RPA software robots are often deployed in the cloud and can use resources in the cloud to which they are granted access.

Q: Can the RPA software robot meet Cyber Security standards?

A: Yes, the RPA software robot can be configured to meet any Cyber security standards. In many situations RPA software robots are more secure than people. They can use very long passwords, they can handle frequent password changes, they can be designed to work with two factor authentication. 

Q: If AI is being used, are  RPA software robots needed?

A: RPA software robots perform tasks according to a schedule and react to “Trigger” events such as email in an inbox, or an item being placed on a queue. AI is used to analyse things such as email content, a dialogue in a chat, a question, etc. and provide a response as text. AI is often used alongside RPA software robots.

Have more questions? Please see our FAQ Page.

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