More organizations every day are making robotic process automation (RPA) part of their business strategy. And for good reason. Letting software “robots” like our Buddha Botz handle repetitive, time-consuming, mundane tasks helps companies increase productivity, improve accuracy, control labor costs and free employees to tackle more important projects.

If your company is preparing a robotic process automation deployment of one or more robots, here are six things to keep in mind as you develop your digital workforce:

1. Understand the target process and others that it impacts. Before implementing intelligent automation at your organization, it is important that you understand not only how the target process works but how it affects other processes. This could be in terms of how much data those processes can handle, the timing of their execution, etc. You’ll want to think “big picture.”
2. Improve the process if appropriate before the software robot is developed. The last thing you want to do is accelerate a poorly designed process! What is the best way for the task to be accomplished? That’s the way you want the robot to handle it for you.
3. Fully and clearly document your software robot. If you are the process owner, it may seem obvious why the robot was developed and what it is designed to do. But, if someone else must later fill your shoes (either temporarily or because you’ve left the position), they may not have your understanding of the task or the robot.
4. Define a “software robot launch” procedure. If you intend to automate multiple tasks, it is helpful to have a well-defined procedure for how robots are added to your digital workforce. This might include who should be involved in developing a robot, how robots are tested, what approvals are needed before they are launched, who is authorized to use them and if/when/how employees are made aware of them.
5. Assign RPA oversight to a particular person or role. Robotic process automation can be helpful in virtually every department in most companies. However, that flexibility and a lack of coordinated oversight can lead to operational “blind spots.” While the documentation that each process owner must have for their robot(s) is valuable, there should still be someone who has a working knowledge of every robot in use at your organization.
6. Review your robots like you do your employees. Operational needs and the business processes that address them tend to evolve. Consequently, in the same way that you might do annual performance reviews with your staff, you should assess your software robots regularly and refine them if needed.

Free, Actionable Insights for your Robotic Process Automation Deployment

Not yet ready to create your digital workforce? Wondering if RPA is right for your organization? Wanting to know more about the costs and benefits? Let us help you get clarity around your intelligent automation challenges and opportunities in a complimentary 60-minute exploratory call. To schedule time with one of our RPA experts, call 303-807-6528 or visit our contact page.

About the Author

Charles Weidman is the President and CTO of Buddha Logic. Charlie has over two decades of experience in the design, development and implementation of content services and business process management solutions. He is also an expert in robotic process automation. Charlie founded Buddha Logic with the idea that well-architected digital document capture and management processes are both beautifully simple and powerfully logical. Find and connect with Charlie on LinkedIn.