Why RPA Doesn't Solve All Business and IT Problems
If you refer to any automation consultant worth their salt, such as Laserfiche, you’ll quickly learn that Robotic Process Automation is only a ‘finger’ on the hand of Business Process Automation (Staff, 2018).
Business process automation focuses on the end-to-end process, whereas RPA focuses on automating tasks to reduce or remove bottlenecks. A great picture that sums up the differences is seen below:
Simple example of why RPA isn't always the answer
To exemplify how a business process would be managed in a support sense, we can imagine a customer calling in to reset their password:
- First, they must navigate the call-tree using either number options or voice-based commands.
- Secondly, they must authenticate themselves using an account number or pin.
- Then the customer waits and is finally connected to an agent.
- By this point, the customer likely has to repeat their issue and wait some more for the agent to complete their request.
Not ideal...
In the example provided above, the process may be well documented and it may also be consistent for all customers. But it certainly isn't optimized, and it has room for improvement. A classic mistake at this point would be implementing RPA to 'automate' all the pain points away.
Imagine in the example above that a consultant not familiar with the operations space claims that they can help agents complete such tasks with a click of a button (without requiring them to sign into an admin portal, tracking down the customer, and clicking to reset the password). Simply implementing RPA in this manner may not be the best use of technology.
Consider that the company representative for automation may have preferred that their agents not even pick up the phone for simple requests. If that preference doesn't make it down from leadership, an RPA consultant or IT partner may end up implementing a technical solution in a manner that isn't ideal.
A collapsible digression on the aforementioned topic
One amusing thing to note is that many people equate call-trees or 'smart phone systems' with why automation is bad for the customer experience. Unfortunately, this is a concept that has to be broken, since such phone scripting relies more on voice recognition and totally different technology than RPA.
The example was also given because it raises questions around whether automating such a human interaction is beneficial. Contractors or consultants not familiar with a client's business may throw out things that sound great in whitepapers, but they don't always pan out the same way in the real world.
Considering that this password reset opportunity may provide representatives with a chance to offer a discounted renewal, or an upgrade to a new package, it may not be valuable to automate away. As long as customers can reset their password using a 'forgot your password link,' but they decide to call in, they should always get help especially if it it would result in the business's bottom line being improved as a result.
Improve processes first and then automate
Often times, the best avenue for companies is to re-imagine what processes would look like with the possibilities of RPA. Just automating the old way of completing a process doesn't mean that it'll be scalable in the long-run, nor does it mean that it'll result in the best outcome for the customer.
In the case of 'build a password reset bot,' one might consider that some websites use a one-time link or SMS in place of a password. Who's to say that your own company couldn't explore such an authentication method? It's not that your product needs to be redesigned, but rather, that there's more than one way to peel a potato and that appropriate alternatives must be explored. That type of problem solving and design thinking takes place at the process improvement level and not the 'RPA it away' level.
The problem with RPA initiatives is that they often involve bringing in costly resources who promise ‘fast’ turn-around times for automation. These resources, sometimes as third parties to the companies that hired them, promise results without requiring long meetings with executives or other forms of 'disruption.' What this fails to consider is that a process which is automated in this manner (of keeping everyone comfortable at a high-level) still bakes in inefficiencies for years to come.
The approach to 'flying by the seat of your RPA pants' goes against the crux of what lean process improvement sets out to accomplish.
RPA is only successful when it's used as a component for digital transformation, not as a foundation for it.
BPM and RPA go together
Not all companies are large enough to apply Business Process Management technology. Regardless of software usage, most companies use process management as a method to run their business. If they aren't mature in this area, they're likely not ready to implement RPA in a way that'll increase quality, decrease costs, and grow the business. Companies looking to improve their maturity model can explore ITIL, COBIT, or CMMI, which are covered further in How to Establish RPA Governance.
Where BPM comes in handy...
After a bot is put in place, the benefits must be measured, the maintenance must be timely and effective, and the individual bots must be well managed from a program aspect. If this doesn't take place then the program will have a hard time scaling, especially as individuals who were involved in its inception move onto other things or companies.
As this article is closed out, consider a quote from Bill Gates that sums it up perfectly:
"The first rule of any technology used in a business is that automation applied to an efficient operation will magnify the efficiency. The second is that automation applied to an inefficient operation will magnify the inefficiency." -Bill Gates
Footnote:
The term 'Robotic Process Automation' is used due to its popularity in the industry. Process automation is a clearer term that'll ideally replace 'RPA.'
References:
Staff, L. (2018, February 21). What is the difference between RPA and BPM? Enterprise Content Management (ECM) | Laserfiche. https://www.laserfiche.com/ecmblog/what-is-the-difference-between-robotic-process-automation-rpa-bpm/
