Robotic Process Automation – Take Your Business Productivity to the Next Level

There is a revolution brewing in the world of business process automation and it’s very much a robotic one.

11:06 12 May 2018

Robots are beginning to have a profound effect on business productivity and growth. More interestingly, it’s non-physical robots that are starting to have a positive impact on business efficiencies. The advent of Robotic Process Automation (RPA) has led to the use of software-based robots – rather than physical robots - to automate and standardise everyday business processes that allow humans to focus on the more creative and strategic elements of a business.

 

According to Deloitte, Robotic Process Automation can improve business efficiency and effectiveness faster and cheaper than any other automated approach. These software-based robots are fast becoming a virtual workforce for busy entrepreneurs and business owners, carrying out the back-office tasks that humans traditionally undertook with improved accuracy and speed. The average administrative employee has a number of repetitive, routine jobs to do throughout the working week. As time elapses, these tasks become ever more tiresome and boring and RPA is becoming a simple solution, freeing up these employees to take on new roles that require specific human attributes such as creativity, judgment and physical interaction with customers.

 

What’s great about RPA tools is that they are extremely intuitive and user-friendly for business process experts to manage. Even project managers with minimal or no programming skills can configure a software robot. Most RPA tools feature a drag-and-drop functionality that allows process and workflow designers to create a bot that performs tasks to the letter. The fact that software bots can be controlled so easily makes RPA suitable for even businesses that must adhere to the strictest of regulatory compliance. Software robots will only carry out commands configured in the workflow design and will create an audit trail of all tasks they have carried out.

 

 

Software bots are the hardest-working employees a business could hope for. They can work 24/7, without the need for human staff to manually kick-start bots to undertake tasks. The only time a human will need to intervene is to make a decision or find a solution to a technical error. RPA software is also exceptionally cost-effective for businesses of all shapes and sizes. You would be forgiven for thinking that installing such an automated system would need extensive upgrades to internal systems and applications but software robots are capable of operating within underlying systems, just like any human worker. This will be music to the ears of business owners working with legacy applications that fear they would be priced out of taking their productivity to the next level.

 

On a purely human level, the integration of software robots to automate mundane business tasks can have a positive effect on employee morale. These staff members will have more time to dedicate to more interesting duties and even enhance their professional development by training and specialising in other revenue-producing areas. It’s not just industrial companies that can benefit from RPA technology too. Any business that has high-volume jobs and internal processes that are consistent and routine can experience a transformation in their day-to-day output. A recent survey of 100 shared services leaders found that almost three-quarters (74%) view Robotic Process Automation as a viable solution in 2018 and plan to test the technology in the next 12 months. Could you be one of them?