Robotic Process Automation (RPA) is transforming how organizations operate by automating repetitive, rules-based processes. By deploying software bots to handle manual tasks, RPA enables companies to reduce costs, improve efficiency, and focus human efforts on higher-value work.

However, RPA implementations come with challenges. Without careful planning and governance, organizations can struggle to scale automation and realize the full benefits. Here are 10 best practices for ensuring a successful RPA program:

1. Start Small, Then Scale

When first adopting RPA, begin with a few contained automations that deliver quick wins. This allows you to demonstrate value and gain buy-in before expanding the initiative. Target processes that are rules-based, high volume, and manually burdened.

Once you have results from initial bots, build out a broader roadmap. Look for opportunities to apply RPA across departments. Leverage components from early automation to accelerate development.

2. Focus on Business Impact

RPA success should be measured on business outcomes, not technical metrics. Before automating processes, set targets like:

  • Reduced processing costs
  • Improved compliance
  • Faster customer service

Track relevant KPIs to showcase ROI. This maintains executive sponsorship as you scale.

3. Take a Governance-First Approach

Effective RPA governance establishes guidelines for development, deployment, maintenance, and evolution. It covers roles, responsibilities, processes, standards, and controls.

Governance ensures quality, consistency, and alignment to strategy. It also enables managing 100s or 1000s of bots across the enterprise.

Key governance areas include demand management, risk management, and change management.

4. Develop Talent and Skills

RPA requires new technical skills that may be unfamiliar. Training helps create citizen developers and robot supervisors.

Consider RPA:

  • Awareness training for leadership and employees
  • Technical training for IT, developers, analysts
  • Process training so staff understand automation opportunities

Developing talent from within improves adoption and utilization.

5. Leverage Attended and Unattended Automation

Attended robots support employees with task completion. Unattended robots run autonomously.

Balance both models based on processes and objectives. Unattended automation enables 24/7 productivity. But attended robots empower workers with enhanced capabilities.

Examine where assisted and fully automated approaches deliver the most value. Combine them for well-rounded automation.

6. Build Resilience Into Your Bots

Bots that break or require excessive maintenance waste resources. Design automations to be resilient and self-healing.

Methods include:

  • Exception handling using error logic
  • Retries and looping constructs
  • Fallback steps when processes change

Also make sure bots can alert for critical failures. Monitor and analyze incidents to continuously improve reliability.

7. Integrate RPA with Other Technologies

RPA should integrate into your broader IT environment. Bots can invoke APIs, query databases, or use AI services.

Explore connections to:

  • BPM for workflow automation
  • AI for advanced capabilities
  • Analytics for process mining insights

Integrations amplify the power of RPA and allow sophisticated automation.

8. Take a User-Centric Approach

Usability, access controls, and change impacts drive user adoption. During design and testing:

  • Get user feedback to optimize interfaces
  • Plan communications to share automation benefits
  • Train employees on new ways of working

Engage business teams early and often. Drive change management from their perspective.

9. Ensure Technical Oversight and Support

RPA presents new infrastructure and application considerations. Provide technical teams with:

  • Visibility into bots and runtime environments
  • Control points for governance enforcement
  • Support processes to resolve production incidents

Without IT operationalization, uptime and reliability suffer. Include their needs in planning and rollout.

10. Choose the Right Technology

Look for RPA tools that provide:

  • Low-code workflow design
  • Centralized bot management
  • Built-in governance controls
  • AI and analytics integration

Preference platforms with robust capabilities out of the box. Avoid extensive custom builds.

Evaluate leading vendors like WorkSoft to select the best long-term solution.

Drive Greater Value from Intelligent Automation

RPA is having a profound impact on how work gets done. But realizing its full potential requires planning, governance, and expertise. Utilize these best practices to ensure successful and sustainable RPA programs.

Worksoft's codeless automation platform streamlines deploying sophisticated automations at scale. With robust process discovery, analytics, and built-in controls, Worksoft maximizes the business value of RPA initiatives. Their industry-leading solution for enterprise applications positions organizations for automation excellence.

To learn more about Worksoft's comprehensive automation platform, request a demo today. Our experts can assess your needs and craft tailored programs that accelerate outcomes.

Now is the time to take strategic advantage of intelligent automation. With Worksoft as your partner, you can rapidly transform operations, customer experience, and economics through robotic automation.

FAQs

Q: What are some key prerequisites before implementing RPA?

A: Critical prerequisites include executive sponsorship, defined automation strategy, established governance, staff skills assessments, and inventory of automatable processes. Taking these foundational steps sets up RPA success.

Q: How long does RPA implementation take?

A: Implementation timelines vary widely based on project scope and complexity. Small, contained automation may take weeks. Enterprise-wide programs often run for many months. With Worksoft's accelerated approach, organizations can achieve significant automation faster.

Q: Does RPA require coding skills?

A: One of RPA's benefits is enabling citizen developers to build bots through low-code tools. This opens automation to business teams beyond IT. However, some scripting may still be required depending on platform capabilities and integration needs.

Q: How do you calculate ROI for RPA?

A: Quantify savings from reduced labor costs, improved quality, faster processes, and other benefits against implementation and operating costs. Include both hard and soft dollar savings like freeing up employee time. The more automation scales, the greater the potential return.

Q: What risks should be considered with RPA?

A: Main risks include bot failures, lack of scalability, undiscovered processes, security vulnerabilities, lack of visibility, and poor change control. Proactive governance, controls, training, and support are critical for successful, resilient automation.