Robotic Process Automation Implementation – Top 5 pitfalls to avoid while implementing RPA

Automation has been the hottest topic of discussion since it started showing effective results for businesses of all sizes and industries. We are heading towards web 3.0 and the fourth industrial revolution where Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML), and Robotic Process Automation (RPA) are the most omnipresent emerging technologies for the masses. A recent report stated that RPA would generate a revenue of $2.9 billion by the end of 2022, representing an increase of 19.5% from 2021.

Organizations are moving towards hyper-automation and are adopting RPA to a large extent. They will spend 17.5% more in 2023 which is around $3,352 million, as they are still burdened with mundane, manual work.

RPA has undoubtedly brought a revolution in all the business sectors and has reduced the resources businesses spend on repetitive tasks. But like they say, "power used improperly can cause drastic self-harm" applies to RPA. If this cutting-edge technology is not streamlined it will lead to a massive loss for the business.

Here are the top 5 pitfalls to evade while implementing RPA. We have also included best practices and tips to help industries overcome these pitfalls.

In this blog :

1. Expecting too much

Organizations make the common mistake of expecting too much from RPA, thinking it will bring drastic profits and save time & resources instantly. Organizations believe that automation is required to get huge profits. But 'automation' is not a synonym for 'profit,' using RPA will not do miracles instantly. RPA can sometimes worsen the methods, leaving the organization questioning the capabilities of RPA.

RPA and automation can do wonders for business, but only if given sufficient time to deliver results. Business experts should thoroughly analyze how the RPA process work, is the process data-driven, does the process needs to be structured first, and how employees view the process. The analysis ensures that RPA will deliver the expected results for the business.

2. Buying the hype or over-investing

RPA indeed is a revolutionary technology and does wonders for business. But applying RPA to every process or the process that does not need it can cause reverse effects on the organization. Over-investing in automation will affect the resources and hamper the ROI.

Organizations should standardize the process to find out the ones that need automation. They should bifurcate simple rule-based tasks with high chances of human errors from tasks that require more empathy, intelligence, and analytics. Process mining here will dig out the best automation opportunities for organizations.

3. Not Communicating to Stakeholders

Most people are not adequately acquainted with RPA software, which leads to a common notion in people's minds that technology will take away their jobs.

Companies often fail to communicate an effective change management want for the betterment of the employees and the business. The sudden implementation of RPA divides the employees into two categories: one who follow a wait and watch mechanism and the second which starts opposing this implementation. Both these groups drastically affect productivity, ultimately leading to high revenue loss.

A proper process needs to be followed by the organizations before implementing RPA. They should conduct seminars on RPA and teach the people the importance of automation for the business. Organizations should motivate the employees to learn about RPA so that they can effectively team up with the software and deliver better results. Develop a comprehensive RPA implementation strategy that reassures the employees and engages them during implementation.

4. Not Creating CoE (Center of Excellence)

Defining overarching processes and governance rules while deploying RPA technology is vital for the smooth functioning of businesses. Organizations often do not create an effective CoE and assume that RPA will function independently. This mindset develops puncture in the long-standing smooth processes and might lead to the complete collapse of the business.

Developing a center of excellence process as a significant part of RPA implementation will lead to robust governance of the entire automation process. The center of excellence will aid in finding internal RPA experts and document the early results to streamline the automation process in the future. CoE builds a strong foundation for the future by considering the factors like security issues, timeframe, budget, and any potential hurdles that may affect the business.

5. Getting Disappointed by Early Impediments

"Falling is the first step before rising big" this old saying completely applies to RPA and the organizations whose first step to implementation fails.   It is common while implementing RPA that the process is not robust enough to deliver optimum results. When such incidents happen, the management tends to lose faith in automation, and the robots are decommissioned.

Not everyone achieves success on the first go. When failures happen, rather than getting disappointed, step back find out the cause of failure, and come up with a distinct approach. A new technique can bring your project back on track and yield better results than expected.

RPA is A Journey that Goes Smoothly When Taken with a Trusted Partner

We tried to drill down some of the most common pitfalls while implementing RPA. We hope businesses could get benefits from our solutions.

If you want to know how RPA can boost your business and increase your profit connect with Calpion Inc. now. We have the best Robotic Process Automation (RPA) solutions and strategies that will take your business to the most significant height.