8 Safety measures to steer the RPA initiatives

Introduction

RPA, or robotic process automation, is the most accessible entry point to the realm of exponential technologies. Globally, the companies are driving towards RPA at an early stage of their digital transformation. The processes that are repetitive, time-consuming, and non-cerebral are the perfect candidates for RPA. The three major players in the domain of RPA are UiPath, Automation Anywhere and Blue Prism. All of them are fairly easy to learn and apply. It has also been proven through the various use cases that such technologies can significantly improve operational efficiency, increase the accuracy of work, reduce response to the market and increase employee satisfaction as they are exempted from boredom to a great extent. Because of such reasons, the global market size of RPA has been estimated at USD$ 5.7 billion, and it is supposed to reach the level of USD 13.39Bn (according to Statista’s research, “Robotic process automation (RPA) market size worldwide from 2020 to 2030”).

However, only 40% of digital transformation initiatives succeed globally, and RPA is no exception, despite being a quick pathway towards digital transformation. Hence, organisations should be extra careful while conceptualising their RPA drive, choosing the solution, and embarking on implementation and institutionalisation. In this article, we will delve into the top 8 factors critical for the success of the RPA initiatives across organisations, and the aluminium industry, one of the metal industries driving towards digital transformation, is also a major candidate for the same.

If you need to know more: Please refer to the report from AL Circle – Digital Transformation in the Aluminium Industry.

The safety measures for the success of RPA

Any RPA project can start quickly, and a POC (proof of concept) can also be built rapidly. However, if scalability is in the organisation's mind, then the following 8 factors should be kept in mind.

Build a clear strategy at the leadership level

As the first step of the RPA journey, the strategy should be defined with clear objectives: cost saving, improving efficiency and/ or accuracy, improving response to the market, increasing productivity, etc. Accordingly, the entire RPA initiative should be shaped. This is very important so that the larger employee base doesn't look at RPA as a threat but as an opportunity to improve their own productivity and work on more value-added and important projects.

Keep a clear communication at every level of the organisation

Communication is the key to any change. Digital Transformation is one of the most significant changes facing any organisation, and hence, it is imperative to have as clear and inclusive communication as possible across the various levels of the company. This plan needs to make sure that nobody sees RPA as a potential threat but looks at the positive sides of it – becoming more efficient, increased accuracy, liberation from the recurring humdrum works and the like.

Identify the processes with caution

Often, companies try to pick up the processes which involve many people so that the savings can be quickly established. That strategy must be corrected and may not bring the best result to the organisation. The processes taking more people/ FTE (Full-time equivalent) are often complex. Besides, the initial processes often face a number of inhibitions. Hence, it may be prudent to pick smaller and less complicated processes, show quick success, define the hand-overs and establish the automatic process with the help of documentation. Then, more complex processes may be targeted.

Choose your OEM carefully

There are many OEMs in the RPA domain. The top 3 players are UiPath, Automation Anywhere & Blue Prism. All these software are good in their own ways. Hence, a company should select its own RPA OEM with specific objectives in mind. The selection criteria may vary from company to company. For example, some companies may focus more on intelligent automation, whereas others may focus on the ease of picking up the tool and the availability of trained manpower. Naturally, the tools to be selected will also vary.

Develop a scalable roadmap

From an early stage of the RPA journey, the right technology should be identified, and scalability should be kept in mind. There may be two types of scalable models – centralised and decentralised. While the advantages and disadvantages are there for both the options, the centralised model warrants a command centre and concentrated resources and a ticket-based service model, whereas the decentralised model warrants the process champions are given RPA licenses & those licenses are leveraged by them on behalf of the departments. A hybrid model is also possible, creating a hub and spoke model for the command centres, locational command centres, etc.

Define the conclusion of the drives/ phases carefully

A successful RPA program is one with properly defined milestones and a route to stability. Whatever the chosen model to deliver the solution, the respective phases should be identified, and the milestone rituals should be done. For example, if you need to have a key stakeholder/ project sponsor buy-in, then at the end of each phase of the project, you need to get along with all the key stakeholders, showcase the project achievement, highlight where you need support, address the budget and time overrun and then only move to the next phase.

Identify and institutionalise the position of the change champions

Like in any organisation, there will be three sets of employees as well as leaders – some will be against any change, some pro-change and the rest will be a bit undecided. Such an audience, especially the pro-change, should be identified at an early stage of the RPA journey, and they should be converted into change champions. Such change champions are typically the people who benefit as the RPA finds its way into the organisation. They can convert the larger audience into the pro-RPA community.

Continuous impact analysis

Continuous impact analysis is an essential part of success in any RPA project's success. Many times, the RPA program team loses its traction. This makes the initiative fizzle out, as the processes keep changing, and the RPA needs to be reprogrammed in such cases so that the highlighted KPIs (key performance indicators) may be monitored. Many times, the inherent challenges with RPA or the changed user sentiments come through such measurements, and course corrections can be taken.

Conclusion

RPA is here to stay. According to a prominent market analysis report, the CAGR of the RPA market between 2023 and 2030 is going to be around 40%. ¹However, a definitive program management and governance mechanism should be followed to translate this success into business success for the clients. The top-5 players are all playing their parts to create a fulfilling ecosystem. The global aluminium companies also have a lot of opportunities to be grabbed in this journey. Therefore, a well-thought-out plan should be taken and implemented.

[1] Grand View Research, report on Robotic Process Automation