Robotic Process Automation (RPA) is a software technology that helps a business create, build, and deploy software robots that emulate humans when they interact with digital systems and different software. These robots can read, comprehend text, complete processes, work with multiple systems, find and sift through data, and work on several other pre-defined actions. The biggest advantage is that these robots can do this faster and accurate than humans.

Forrester defines Rpa Services as “services that enable the robotic process automation (RPA) lifecycle, including consulting, solution architecture, governance and enablement services, bot design and development, bot management, and bots as a service, rendered either on-premises or as a service.”

RPA has become a standard technology in process automation, and a tool that has gained strategic importance. The main RPA tools are highly sophisticated, and vendors are constantly working on ways to improve their offerings and customize services to meet the customer requirements. But the most important thing for organizations that use RPA is to know how to use it in the right way. This means having the skills to choose the right processes to automate and knowing how to do it properly, rather than just picking the best technology.

For companies looking to implement RPA services, here is a look at the top five questions that are commonly asked.

Question 1 – What Are the Vital Elements of an RPA Installation?

Robotic Process Automation encompasses several key elements that constitute the RPA platform. When combined, these components facilitate the automation of monotonous tasks that follow predefined rules.

The Recorder: In robotic automation, the Recorder primarily utilizes an object recording method. During the recording process, RPA bots automatically capture object properties and their corresponding values for active elements. Once the recording is finished, the RPA bots locate these elements and reproduce the recorded actions. During script execution, they interact with the identified elements by performing actions such as clicking, hovering, dragging, or scrolling. Additionally, the RPA Recorder offers the flexibility to modify the workflow and manually incorporate system actions. These actions can include opening applications, switching to specific windows, working with the clipboard, or manipulating Excel files.

The Development Studio: This is a fundamental component found in nearly all RPA tools. Its purpose is to facilitate the design and development of Intelligent Process Automation workflows. By using the Development Studio, users gain complete control over the automation process. Additionally, it enables the installation of activity wizards, packages, custom plugins, and recorders, enhancing the capabilities and customization options available.

Typical features include:

• GUI-based Dashboard: A graphical user interface (GUI) is utilized to present a dashboard in RPA systems. The dashboard offers a visual interface that enables users to interact with the RPA platform conveniently.
• Multiple Recorder Variants: Various types of recorders are available within RPA systems. These recorders differ in their functionalities and capabilities, allowing users to choose the most suitable option for their automation needs.
• Logging and Exception Management: RPA platforms incorporate features for logging and handling exceptions. These features help in capturing and managing errors or unexpected events that occur during the execution of automation workflows.
• OCR Integration Support: Integration support with Optical Character Recognition (OCR) technology is included in RPA platforms. This integration allows the extraction and interpretation of text from images or scanned documents, enhancing the automation capabilities.
• Pre-built Templates: A collection of pre-designed templates, which can be easily customized and implemented, is provided within RPA platforms. These templates often support drag-and-drop functionality, streamlining the automation development process.
• Universal Search Capability: RPA platforms include a universal search option that enables users to search across all automation resources such as libraries, activities, projects, and more. This feature facilitates efficient navigation and retrieval of automation components.
• Plugin/Extension Integration: Most RPA platforms offer a variety of plugins and extensions that aid in seamless development and execution. These plugins are additional programs that can be installed alongside the RPA tool. They handle various tasks like data extraction from invoices, database date manipulation, speech transcription, etc. The availability of plugins reduces development efforts, minimizes errors, and shortens implementation time. Once installed, these plugins can be directly utilized within the RPA tool.

Bot Runner: The Bot Runner serves as the platform for executing software bots that have been developed. These runners are machines designated to run or execute the bots. It is possible to run multiple bots simultaneously on a Bot Runner to achieve faster execution. The primary requirement for running the bots is a valid “Run License”. The bots also provide feedback on their execution status such as execution logs, pass or fail outcomes, etc., which is reported back to the Control Center. Once a developer creates a software bot or task and updates its status in the control room, the latter schedules and executes the bots on the Bot Runner. The sequence of bot execution typically depends on specific requirements or priorities.

Control Center: The Control Center is a crucial component in RPA tools, acting as a central platform accessible through the web. Its main purpose is to facilitate the supervision and administration of software bots created by the Bot Creator. By utilizing Control Center, the users can efficiently schedule, control, and expand the activities executed by a considerable digital workforce. Moreover, it encompasses a range of features such as centralized user management, automation deployment, source control, and a dashboard for monitoring and evaluating the performance of the digital personnel.

Question 2 – How Can a Business Effectively Implement RPA Services?

Here are some of the best methods to implement RPA services for your business and ensure that you get the ideal ROI from it.

Clear Definition of Scope: To effectively utilize RPA services in your workplace, it is crucial to establish the scope of the project. Assess and plan processes before delegating them to the RPA provider. With continuous evaluation and improvement throughout the project lifecycle, RPA solutions can deliver the desired outcomes.

Organized Documentation: Recording and documenting your business processes helps to identify standard and repetitive tasks. By paying attention to these daily tasks, you can determine their outcomes and potentially make positive impacts on your business. Additionally, this can facilitate the establishment of common standards for specific processes and improve workflow efficiency.

Team Involvement: Involving your team is a critical component of effectively implementing RPA solutions. It is essential to engage them before and during the automation process, ensuring that they understand its purpose and potential for enhancing efficiency. To ensure maximum benefits from customized RPA solutions, promoting awareness and encouraging adoption throughout the organization is crucial.

Setting Strong Goals: In any automation project, it is essential to have a well-defined scope and set of objectives. It is also important to maintain a goal-oriented approach. This can be accomplished by setting and monitoring specific goals and evaluating the impact of RPA on your business processes. When establishing measurable objectives and managing expectations, it is important to consider all stakeholders, including employees and partners.

Hiring Skilled RPA Professionals: Experienced and skilled RPA professionals can streamline everyday tasks and help you derive the benefits of RPA quickly. Process automation tools are designed to increase the speed and efficiency of specific repetitive processes. With the advancement of technology, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and RPA merge to take automation to the next level. RPA developers can help you take advantage of both technologies by providing customized software solutions.

Continuous Automation: Integrating automation into your business operations is a continuous process that requires assessing the effectiveness and capabilities of various robotic process automation solutions. Prioritizing the tasks you want to automate should be based on effort and risk segmentation.

Advanced Technologies for Long Term Benefits: AI has become an integral part of RPA, and by incorporating Machine Learning (ML), your RPA solutions can be seamlessly integrated with high-quality chatbots. Advanced technologies such as AI and ML enable RPA solutions to generate long-term benefits while also equip them to adapt to future changes. It is important to consider the potential value of customized RPA solutions for your business.

Opt for Readymade Solution: Developing an RPA solution is time-consuming and resource intensive. Opting for a ready-made tool is recommended to save money and time. Such tools can be implemented directly into your existing ERP system. However, it is important to conduct thorough research to ensure that the selected tool effectively meets your business requirements.

Question 3- How Much Does RPA Cost?

Businesses world over agree that RPA is a great value proposition since it helps move all repetitive and labor-intensive tasks to robots. This frees up employees to take on more complex tasks. A Deloitte study has shown that 92% of companies found improved compliance within the organization; 90% found an improvement in quality, 86% in productivity and 59% in cost reduction.

While these figures are promising, businesses naturally want to know how much it costs to implement RPA services. RPA solution prices are based on how many bots and software elements are needed to make up the deployment for your business. One bot ranges from USD 5,000 to USD 15,000. Licensing takes up about 25% to 30% of the RPA cost, and other expenses are segregated as follows:

• Annual RPA License Renewal
• Infrastructure
• Maintenance and Expansion
• Training and Hiring
• Third-party Integrations
• Break-fix Cycles
• Consulting Costs

Question 4 – Why Are RPA Vendor Services Important?

RPA services offer multiple services to manage a business’s RPA investment. This includes maintenance and support, problem-solving, hotfixes, process enhancements, etc. A business can benefit in many ways when working with an RPA services partner:

Making the Right Choice of Processes for Automation

Selecting the right processes is crucial for sourcing the perfect RPA software for your project. It is not always clear which processes would benefit the most from automation. This can be further complicated if the processes are unique and require regular human intervention.

An RPA service provider can help you figure out which processes are best suited for automation and which ones would bring the most significant Return on Investment. They can do this by evaluating the suitability, value, and risk of automating a specific process. They may also suggest a process re-engineering to leverage the benefits of automation.

Quick RPA Implementation
RPA service providers have expertise in the best practices and approaches for implementing RPA, resulting in optimal results and ROI from your investment. If your goal is to quickly reap the benefits of RPA, partnering with an RPA service provider is a smart decision.

Additionally, hiring RPA experts in-house can be expensive. Engaging an RPA service provider may be a more affordable option and will also save you time and resources needed to recruit and train RPA talent.

Dependable Support and Upgradation

Once RPA technology is deployed, it will need regular testing and maintenance to ensure that it continues to function well. It is important to work with a consulting services partner who keeps abreast of the latest RPA trends and knows how best to incorporate it to help your organization. These service providers can help you maintain and improve your RPA technology to support your business goals. They also help free up your IT team from tasks such as everyday performance monitoring.

Being Future-Ready

Deploying RPA can help your organization immediately, but working with an RPA Managed Services partner can ensure that your business is future-proof. These professionals can help you redesign your existing processes and/or create new ones that improve the efficiency and productivity of your organization. This can help your organization stay flexible and strong even during times of change and disruption – a Covid-like situation being a great example of sudden disruption.

Sound Investment

When you work with an RPA services company, you are assured of a partner who is dedicated to safeguarding your RPA investment. They work constantly towards enhancing your business’s productivity. They also understand the specific challenges your business face and will tailor their RPA offerings to provide an ideal solution. The RPA Managed Services partner will ensure that all automation is functioning at its peak, which justifies a sound RPA investment.

Question 5 – How to Choose the Right RPA Service Vendor

When a business is in the market for an RPA service provider, there are two main factors to explore – vendor-related and software-related.

Vendor-related criteria for RPA service providers

Quality of Vendor Experience

When choosing an RPA service provider, it is important to opt for a team that has experience working for similar companies as yours. This ensures that the provider understands the specific needs and objectives of your organization, and the processes that are crucial to your operations. An experienced service provider can expedite the implementation process by utilizing pre-built “plug and play” robots, reducing the time it takes to realize the benefits of RPA.

Ability to Stay Abreast of Advances 

The digital landscape is evolving continuously, and the vendors must invest in technological advancements as this has a direct impact on their clients. To ensure you are selecting the right RPA vendor, it is recommended to look for those that provide significant annual product releases and frequently have minor updates. You can verify this by requesting the vendor’s product development plans, which will give you a clear picture of how they integrate technological innovations into their software development process.

Round-the-Clock Customer Support

Having access to 24/7 technical support through the implementation process is essential for effectively utilizing software robots. When choosing an RPA service provider, it is important to select one that can provide personalized assistance via email, phone, or demos throughout the automation journey. Additionally, the vendor you choose should be capable of evolving with your needs as you progress.

Comprehensive Customer Training

To ensure a successful RPA journey, it is crucial to have training resources available for both business users and developers. To support a thriving enterprise, the vendor must provide onsite and external training, and access to online libraries. Learning RPA can be done through various channels like webinars, videos, online tutorials, release notes, and information on the best practices. The ideal service provider must offer access to these diverse learning options.

Software-related criteria for RPA service providers

Easy Implementation: A software’s ability to integrate smoothly with your company’s existing systems is crucial for seamless implementation and assimilation. These includes business process management suite, customer relationship management, enterprise resource planning, Citrix applications, etc. This flexibility can simplify the complexities of automation, from proof-of-concept to enterprise-level scaling. UiPath reports that quick implementation of an RPA product can reduce implementation costs by up to nine times.

Lower Ownership Costs: Implementation costs are a key consideration and are inclusive of vendor license fee and maintenance. For license fee, it is important to thoroughly assess the total amount you will be paying, as pricing models for key RPA providers vary. Additionally, it is critical not to overlook the investment required for maintaining bots, which may involve changes in inputs and bot configurations. While the financial costs may be challenging to determine, it is important to consider the qualitative benefits of easy maintenance such as increased employee productivity and job satisfaction.

Technical Aspects: The compatibility between your organization’s technology protocols and a specific RPA tool must be assessed with the following aspects in mind:

• The requirements for software and hardware systems
• Levels of security
• Screen scraping abilities
• Intelligent automation abilities

Ensure the Right Features to Maximize ROI: The most impactful features of an RPA tool include its capabilities, scalability, and reliability. Generalization will not work well when there are other users. Asking the following questions can help in selecting the right RPA tool.

• Can the software effectively automate routine, rules-based tasks by interacting with other computer systems and applications?
• Is it easy to set up additional servers using advanced production management techniques?  It is also important to consider the extent to which the software relies on imitating individual user actions.

RPA is an advanced technology that revolutionizes process efficiency and productivity. It transforms the way businesses and business models operate. Some analysts suggest that RPA is creating a parallel economy that operates in tandem with the physical economy, resulting in faster and optimized knowledge work system. Ensuring that your company makes the most of these services is a great way to gain an edge in this competitive market.

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