Necessity is the mother of invention. Companies see automation as the absolute necessity in these testing times. That is why we see a surge in RPA automation implementation across industries. However, management show a combination of interest and hesitancy.

Management is forced to ask familiar questions when they decide to implement RPA Automation as part of their workforce.

• How can RPA be incorporated in their operating cycle?
• What processes is user friendly in conversion for RPA?
• How can it be prioritized?
• Which vendor and software gets the nod for go ahead?
• Time frame and measuring the results

Once, these outlines are drawn, the management needs to take the more vital decision from where RPA robotic automation should start from

1. Process top-down approach
2. Process bottom-up approach

1 Process top-down approach:

This approach is the usual traditional way; the enterprise top management drives the RPA automation.  A centralized RPA team coordinates the RPA process between Operations, Consultant and Management.   The processes are analyzed before automation and focuses primarily on jobs requiring less or no human intervention.  In simpler terms, it is the ‘Process Centric’ approach for automation.

When management considers adopting this approach the primary focus is to enhance operational efficiency and overall scalability.  The target is automation of standardized, routine, and high-volume business transactions for the entire enterprise.

a. Management challenges:

• Re-orientation of entire organization
• Optimal mix - job losses and re-allocation of staff
• Costs involved – from initial to maintenance
• Improvement of data quality for accuracy and efficiency

b.  Strategy to adopt:

• Proven and trending automation technology
• End to end process automation of routine transactions in an inclusive manner
• Centralized control

c. Areas for implementation:

• Back-office support functions, where the work practice is repetitive
• Following standardized and routine templates

d. Implementation Process

• Uninterrupted
• Incremental

e. Benchmark derived:

• Cost savings due to non-stop functioning of bots
• Time reduction due to faster completion of tasks
• Proper capacity utilization

2 Process bottom-up approach:

This is a democratic approach empowering employees to participate in the decision making process.  Their inclusion brings change in productivity level and training helps in understanding elimination of routine jobs.  In simpler terms, it is the ‘User Centric’ approach for robotic automation implementation.

When management considers adopting this approach the primary focus is to identify tasks, automate those identified tasks leading to automation of processes and finally deploy robotic automation to the entire enterprise.

a. Management challenges:

• Adaptability as per the changing need
• Investing in human resources through proper training
• Introducing swift or rapid working style
• Creating a harmonious environment for innovation

b. Strategy to adopt:

• Proven and trending robotic automation technology
• De-centralization giving more autonomy to the divisions

c. Areas for implementation:

• Front office
• Back office

d. Spotlight towards:

• Long-term employee satisfaction
• Improved client experience

e. Implementation process:

• At frequent intervals

f. Benchmark derived:

• Reduced transactional time
• Higher employee satisfaction
• Higher Client value created
• Additional income through stronger customer base

An enterprise should keep in mind that after RPA automation is completed, it never remains dormant. It needs intermittent upgrading and maintenance.

We at Integra Balance, specialist  accounting automation supplier, give you both the options. You can go either top-down or bottom-up approach with us. You get the flexibility to choose the ‘correct mix’ and flexibility to scale as per your business requirement. Contact us to setup a robotic automation demo and discuss your options with one of our automation specialists.