8 Myths About RPA

RPA is used in a variety of different industries and capacities. It has many capabilities and it can be implemented to automate and complete an impressive range of tasks that would have taken a human a considerable amount of time to execute. If you aren’t sure what RPA is, then you’ve come to the right place. We’re going to discuss RPA and its uses as well as myth-busting popular beliefs about the software that is changing the face of businesses and companies alike by way of efficiency and productivity.

What is RPA?

Robotic Process Automation, most commonly referred to as RPA, is a piece of software that mimics, typically, mundane tasks that are normally carried out by humans. Also referred to as “robots”, RPA is used for automating rule-based processes, but in order to do that, interaction with disparate IT systems is required.

Despite being a relatively new concept, RPA has become extremely prominent in a wealth of different industries and sectors. But regardless of the fact it’s an incredibly useful, popular piece of software, there are still a few myths about RPA that business owners are starting to believe, so what are those myths and what is the truth about RPA?

8 myths about RPA

RPA is something that many businesses and companies rely on to complete a wealth of, often, tedious tasks that would have taken a human worker far longer to execute effectively. But with RPA starting to replace humans in the workforce, it’s only natural that businesses have some concerns about RPA, claiming that it has the ability to negatively affect employment and company operations. However, it’s quite the contrary. Here are some myths about RPA together with reasons why you should consider implementing RPA today:

1. There aren’t any physical robots involved with RPA

This is right, in a way. There aren’t any robots involved that look human or that are working behind a computer screen running everything. Instead, these robots are software robots; they automate mundane and repetitive tasks, turning towards intelligent automation, or intelligent process automation, as it can also be referred to. This is somewhat related to artificial intelligence, so although robots, as you know them, aren’t involved, there is AI-influence in the software in order to pull off the automation.

2. Robots will, eventually, replace humans at work

There seems to be a lot of content out there right now that talks about how AI will, eventually, replace the jobs of humans. Where this might seem like a possibility on the face of it, in reality, it’s more of a move towards collaborating with robots as opposed to allowing them to take over completely. RPA isn’t a suggestion from your employer that your job is in the balance. It should be seen merely as an aid to your job rather than a threat.

3. Robots are 100% accurate & will never fail

RPA has never been advertised as something that’s meant to be 100% accurate. Like with a variety of other pieces of software, RPA sometimes has a glitch or it might miss something that it was programmed to do initially. Similar to a human workforce, RPA can make mistakes. This is why it’s important that humans work with RPA as opposed to being completely replaced by it. Your workers can fix any bugs or glitches it might have by either resetting or reprogramming it. This is something that RPA software wouldn’t be able to fix on its own. Although it’s incredibly advantageous, RPA can fail occasionally.

4. RPA is only about cost-reduction

Despite there being absolutely no doubt that RPA does help with cost-reduction, it’s not the sole reason for its development or implementation. Automation software is a way of freeing up the time of a human workforce so that they can focus their time on other, (arguably) more important, tasks. This helps to increase profit margins whilst also improving productivity and efficiency throughout the workplace. But RPA benefits go significantly beyond that of just saving money. Other benefits include:

• Ensures regulatory compliance
• Eliminates risk of human errors
• RPA can execute tasks instantaneously
• It improves flexibility in the workplace
• It transforms operations from labour-intensive to technology-centric

5. RPA is expensive to implement

RPA isn’t something that’s costly to implement. The cost of RPA software would be lower than the average wage of a FTE. Not to mention, a robot doesn’t need lunch breaks, it won’t take days off and it will work 24/7, even over holidays like Christmas and Easter. RPA is reasonably-priced but the cost will vary depending on the capabilities you require for your workforce. RPA implementation should be looked at more as an investment for businesses, rather than just another outlay or expense.

6. RPA focuses too much on technology

Technology, in any form, whether it be RPA or not, is a means to an end. Just because your employer has implemented RPA doesn’t mean to say that their entire focus is on technology and software instead of on the people who work for them, the processes that are in place or even their customers and/or clients.

7. Robots are able to automate everything

Believe it or not, but there are some things that RPA cannot automate. There are actually some very strict and stringent guidelines that need to be followed regarding the type of automated processes that are suitable to be put in place using RPA. Those criteria include, but are not limited to, the following:

• High transaction volumes
• Low expectation
• Low system change
• Rule-based
• Structured data
• Readable electronic inputs
• Stable and defined processes

However, even if it does tick all of the boxes above, it doesn’t mean to say that RPA will provide business owners with guaranteed tangible benefits. This is because some underlying processes might need to be re-engineered or it could just be, generally, inefficient.

8. Robots can be left completely unattended

This is absolutely not the case. Although RPA can be left running 24/7, it still needs to be maintained and checked on by a human workforce. As already discussed, RPA can fall victim to bugs and glitches as well as fail to automate adequately. It will need to be monitored to ensure it’s working correctly and efficiently. Where you might think this is counter-intuitive, the time and effort needed to make sure RPA is running smoothly doesn’t come close to the amount of time needed for a human to complete those automated tasks manually.

What are the benefits of using RPA?

Although you might have already deduced the benefits of RPA for yourself, we’ll be delving into the advantages of RPA. There are several different ways in which a business can experience positive effects from the implementation of RPA, including the following:

It saves time

Employers are investing in RPA implementation for a wide range of different reasons, but one of the most common reasons is because it can save a considerable amount of time in the workplace. Implementing RPA allows even the most boring, tedious and lengthy tasks to be performed and executed in a quick and timely manner. This enables workers to focus more of their time on other aspects of their role that RPA can’t perform.

According to PeerSpot, the head of a legal firm said of RPA; “Our strategy was to try and free up as much time for our lawyers as possible to make sure they weren’t bogged down with work. It gives them more time to focus on the clients and work up better relationships with them”.

The same source also spoke to an automation lead at a manufacturing company who stated that; “The data was fed through to a vendor that we franchise through, and they were spending an hour or two a week across hundreds of locations. We took that into the back office and got data feeds for all the data they were putting in, and then had a bot go through to the current system of reporting and enter that data for every single store location. We were able to free up those managers with a bunch of time. It was about 5,500 hours a year”. This is evidence, from two completely separate industries, that RPA has the remarkable ability to save a significant amount of time.

It makes operations more straightforward & efficient

As well as being able to save a large portion of time performing everyday, mundane tasks, it can also make workplace operations far more efficient and straightforward. This is because a wealth of tasks can be performed and executed seamlessly and, with the use of RPA, effortlessly. With their newfound time, employees can carry out more tasks than ever before and far more easily, and all with the help of RPA.

It can boost morale in the workplace

There’s been an increase in employee satisfaction thanks to RPA, according to Red Pepper. The implementation of RPA can boost employee morale and happiness for a number of different reasons. The same source states that, wth RPA, it has the ability to reduce cognitive loads, protects passion integrity, remedies stress by busting risk, displays commitment to innovation and it also has the ability to make people feel heard. A happy workforce also means an efficient one, according to the University of Oxford.

Is your RPA failing? Here are some reasons why

Implementing Robotic Process Automation (RPA) might sound easy enough, but there’s actually a lot of skill and expertise involved, which is why many companies find that their RPA systems are failing.

Gina Schaefer, an American intelligent automation practice lead at Deloitte, commented on RPA failures which she thinks; “stems from a lack of overall vision and direction for the program, defined by the leadership and embraced by the business”, but then she also stated that “scaled automation programmes have proven time and again to drive impressive impacts and measurable financial returns”, but only when done right. So why might your RPA systems be failing?

You’re experiencing management challenges

Sometimes, RPA failures can be as a result of management techniques used to motivate digital workers. It’s a common misconception that, once the bot is built, the work is complete and it will continue to run both smoothly and completely autonomously, but this isn’t always the case.

This is because, much like when you take on a brand new employee, the bot will experience a few teething problems in its early days. It often takes time and experience with the RPA to iron those issues out in order for it to become a well-oiled machine.

If management of the RPA and your digital workforce is second-to-none, with time and dedication pumped into it as well, you’ll soon start to reap the benefits of a solid, reliable RPA system that can be utilised with very few problems arising. In turn, this helps to improve productivity and efficiency as well as save you time and money.

You’re having scaling issues

RPA bots are the perfect solution for those who are looking to copy data from one system to another, however, scaling challenges could make this difficult to execute, even if you have the most advanced RPA bot on the market that’s managed by highly-experienced professionals.

You’ll be able to iron these issues out by throwing more computer resources at your RPA system as well as reducing the frequency of data depth and breadth that’s moved by the bots and switching to a more direct integration system that falls outside of the bot technology.

Third-party problems are arising

RPA can also pose problems when retrieving data from third parties. This isn’t because there’s something wrong with the RPA. The problems come as a result of third party interfaces not being uniform enough. For example, a lorry driver might have to provide a certain amount of paperwork to show proof of delivery.

However, this could become an automated process, meaning that data would be retrieved with the help of RPA rather than being handed over to an actual person at the gate. This will save time and money as well as make operations far more efficient and productive. But despite this development, a company will still have to hand over or display the information that an RPA system needs to see.

For example, an RPA system might want to retrieve the lorry driver’s date of birth, but if the paperwork doesn’t display this information, then the RPA bot cannot do its job. But then a different lorry driver from another company could present you with, nearly, the same documentation but it will also provide a date of birth.

If such paperwork isn’t uniform across the board, then the RPA bot won’t be able to retrieve the data you need, therefore giving you the impression that it’s failing when it’s actually performing as it should be.

You have unrealistic expectations

It’s easy to think of an RPA bot as a highly-advanced, futuristic, modern system that’s fully-automated. If this was the case, you’d be able to leave it to do its job and never have to check in on it or worry about it again, but this view is unrealistic.

RPA is still in the relatively early stages and so it will still need a person to implement it and manage it accordingly. It cannot be implemented and then left for the foreseeable future to do what you’ve programmed it to do.

If you aren’t sure about how to implement or manage your RPA, then you should look to a professional to help you, such as the specialists at Cleardata. They’re able to provide RPA services to clients across the UK, regardless of the industry you work in.

Cleardata is able to provide clients from a wealth of industries and sectors with RPA services. There are several different RPAs for you to choose from, with each one suiting your needs, requirements and budget. From system integration robots and data validation right through to scheduled tasks and data transformation, extraction and entry, Cleardata will have an RPA service that will be ideal for your business needs. For more information about how Cleardata can help you today, get in touch with a member of their dedicated, professional team – they’re always pleased to hear from you.