Digital road maps, once designed and calculated over the years, have increasingly advanced and proved their importance in the atmosphere of the current pandemic since the beginning of 2020. This also refers to fields such as dynamic business-to - business (B2B) transactions, which are traditionally made in person.
In the past, it looked as though in-person meetings for B2B deals were essential to the closure of purchases. In a recent study, Bain research showed that more than 70% of B2B consumers, plus an increasing number of sellers, have come to the conclusion that virtual sales calls are as successful as in-person calls when it comes to complex goods. This is still true of goods that require a high degree of flexibility and tuning.
"A recent survey shows than 70% of B2B buyers have reached the conclusion that virtual sales calls are as effective as in-person ones when it comes to complex products. "
The same survey reveals that 80 per cent of businesses are accelerating their automation activities in response to Covid-19. Based at previous experiences, this sort of effort is typically degraded over time, and it is extremely likely that only around 1/2 of these organizations can meet their automation performance expectations.
In the recovery period, businesses must continue to invest in and expand their past crisis management approaches in order to be able to make a good profit from automation techniques. Long-term performance would rely on the renovation of work and procedures to be ideal for automation.
By now, most business people have learned about robotic process automation and the ability to employ software robotics to either entirely or partly take over the job about performing processes within the workplace.
The approach to automation is to help an company improve and/or stay successful in our quick and evolving market climate. For these factors and the many advantages RPA has been seen to offer, it is slowly but steadily becoming a "must" for organizations of all sizes. Since, as UiPath correctly points out, "robots are here to stay."
At this point, you might reasonably worry about the requirements that you should have in mind when choosing the processes that are most appropriate for robotic process automation.
What are you expected to remember while making a choice?
In the previous post, we addressed the five considerations that should be considered when planning an automation strategy. Now, we're focused on the real questions that you should be telling yourself in order to make the most of introducing robotic process automation.
Are your processes ready for robotic process automation?
First of all, it is advisable that you begin with a very specific dilemma and have a simple goal to be accomplished. Let us assume that you are an open-minded market strategist, open to creativity as long as it earns you money and offers sustainable long-term growth.
To this end, having been updated on the newly available technology, you make a good business case that automation is the path forward. But where exactly are you supposed to start?
1. Is the law of the mechanism-based?
Processes with simple processing instructions (template-driven) and decision-making based on structured and predictive principles make automation simpler. If there are several exceptions, it is expected to be excessively complicated, thus growing costs and time to execute. Computer robots are primarily designed to perform activities that call for a simple formulation in a conditional format. For example, if the X address is located in the Y database, update the Z database at the zn location.
2. Are there any measurable savings?
The CiGen team suggests beginning automation with processes measured against a known cost and/or time basis. Cost reductions or advantages usually can be represented in better precision, quicker turnaround times, lower workforce costs and increased efficiency of re-locating workers.
3. Does the method have readable input?
Processes require readable input styles, including text-based results, user interface ( UI) operations (keyboard strokes, mouse clicks, etc), optical character recognition ( OCR) and green screen. Processes can run in almost any program or environment, such as desktop, Citrix, network, server, etc. Ensure that the method has readable inputs-if they don't, then explore what measures are taken to get them.
4. Is the procedure manual repetitive?
Processes involving a high amount of manual input, organized, and routine input require tasks that are more vulnerable to human error. If the answer to this question is 'yes,' it would be best to leave it to your imaginative, bright-minded staff.
5. What kind of data does the method work with-structured or unstructured?
Robotic process automation calls for structured data, such as those made available in an ERP program, an Excel file, etc. Unstructured data, such as free-form content inside the body of the email, must also be pre-processed and translated into a standardized format for robotics to be effectively automated.
Leave these types of processes before you understand how to get the best out of your RPA solution later in the automation cycle. This types of tasks usually finish badly if they are attempted early in the development process. Often, do consider the cost / benefit of dealing with unstructured data.
6. Are the process(s) high volume and/or high frequency?
High transaction rate processes (including batch processes), such as those that operate at the end of the day and end of the month, or high-frequency processes, such as those that operate on an intra-day, regular and weekly basis, provide outstanding returns. We suggest starting some of these phases after you've developed some solid practice with your RPA implementation tool (i.e. halfway through your pilot program, not at the beginning).
7. Mature and stable, huh?
The more stable the method, the simpler and more reliable (and thus cost-effective) its automated version. The explanation for this is that RPA can always change if any of the steps in the phase change.
But further improvements often mean further hassle and thus less performance. And because productivity is one of the top advantages of RPA, this is something you definitely don't want. Moreover, as their running costs are constant and well-defined, reliable processes are therefore predictable.
8. What task automations are you meant to avoid?
Seek to prevent automating systems that are either labelled for rework, constantly evolving over the short to medium term, or that would be discontinued in the near term.
Main takeaway: introduction of robotic process automation
Globally, software robotics will expand significantly in 2018 and disrupt the operating expectations of many businesses, as robotic process automation is integrated in the front and back-office departments of small , medium and large enterprises.
Let that soak in for a minute-meaning that more and more workers will be engaging in greater value-for - money jobs to boost consumer service, or coming up with new strategies that promote economic growth on both the micro and macro scales of the organization. Best of all, standardized, repeated and high-volume / frequency operations would be digital machines, not humans.
We believe that the eight questions above can help you launch automation in a good way, and maybe even launch high. Hopefully, they would put you one step closer to being part of the rising number of creative businesses that turn to robotic process automation in 2020.
