8 Best Practices for RPA Change Management

Robotic Process Automation (RPA) is a buzzword these days. And why shouldn’t it be? After all, it brings reformative changes and enables organizations to automate business processes for better efficiency, productivity, and profitability. But wait!! Implementing RPA in an already well-setup business environment is not an easy task. In any organization, there are numerous stakeholders involved and many aspects need to be taken care of before moving ahead with automation.

A successful RPA implementation is not just dependent upon an excellent automation solution but also on how you manage to deal with the changes that come along. Managing such changes well in advance decides the effectiveness of its successful roll-out.

Here, in this blog, we are going to cover all such aspects in detail that play a crucial role in RPA change management.

RPA implementation roadmap starts with having a clear, precise, and perfect plan about what you want to achieve through automation. Your RPA program should be well-researched, documented, and clear to every stakeholder involved. As robotic process automation (RPA) work is a very high-value task that takes time, money, and skilled efforts, therefore, you should clearly set all the short-term and long-term goals well in advance. Also, set the expectations right by defining the scope of the RPA solution. It should clearly state about its capabilities as well as limitations.

RPA experts suggest that it is always a wise idea to analyze the impact of RPA implementation in the early stages. So that you can better prepare to counter various obstacles that may come at the time of implementation. It helps in the smooth and timely roll-out of RPA bots into the system.

Advancing an existing system to a newer technology looks glittery to many but it’s not that easy to embrace. Sometimes, it does not even require you to automate certain business processes. There should be a strong need to implement an RPA solution. Until that need is proved valuable in terms of ROI, productivity, efficiency, ease of use, adaptability, and cost-efficiency, its roll-out would not prove beneficial for you.

The benefits of implementing robotic process automation (RPA) solutions should justify the efforts taken and the cost involved in its implementation. Experts suggest that an enterprise should first execute a process discovery module to understand which business processes may turn out to be beneficial through automation and which would not.

Before implementing an RPA solution, it is vital to understand all the technical nitty-gritty surrounding it. Checking and understanding technical feasibility is of paramount importance here. Your robotic process automation (RPA) solution should integrate well with your existing IT system and it should not impact any of your current business processes negatively. Else it will not prove beneficial at all.

It is due to this reason, RPA best practices involve a feasibility study conducted by RPA experts to help you tackle this concern with ease. Always remember that your RPA solution should not require too many modifications to an existing IT system.

No matter how good a technology is, unless you take your people along with you, its successful roll-out is not at all possible. Employees are very much concerned about technology and especially about automation. Many times, it has been observed that companies face resistance from their own employees. Especially, from those who do not understand technology in-depth and are fearful of its consequences on their employment. It is therefore essential that you should demonstrate to them how automation can help them do their jobs easier than ever and how RPA is good for everyone. Unless you communicate well to your employees and win their confidence on the RPA implementation roadmap, resistance is bound to appear. Sooner or later.

Whenever we implement a new thing related to technology, something gets changed. It is the nature and characteristic of any technology that it brings change but to taste the benefits of such ‘change’, you require to modify the current ecosystem to a certain extent as well. It is therefore vital to understand which are the things that could be affected at the time of RPA implementation.

Usually, common challenges revolve around the following things:

• IT Compliance
• Governance
• Data Security
• Training Manpower
• Compatibility with current IT infrastructure

Check on these things and be prepared in advance to enable a successful RPA implementation.

There are various RPA solutions providers available in the market that promise to build advanced RPA bots. But not all may be the right fit as per your business environment and needs. It is thus necessary that you research well about a company, its capabilities, and past track record before going ahead. Whatever solution you decide to shortlist must fulfill your business goals and must be within your budget.

Managing RPA jobs is not a day-long task but it needs constant maintenance and support, therefore try to pick a partner that offers flexibility along with the promise of value addition to your business and is ready to go the extra mile whenever required. Sometimes not money but sincere commitment and assurance towards positive change is where you should put your bet on.

Once your RPA system is ready as per the initial recommended requirements, you need to test it in a real environment. Run a small project to analyze how your existing system is behaving or what modifications you need for better performance. Note down the errors/issues that are arising and fix those in a timely fashion. Once the updated system is ready, get it implemented all over. It is during this stage that you must start employee training for a smoother transition with minimal effect on the functioning.

Once it is implemented successfully, you need to monitor its overall functioning. Make sure that your employees are able to work in a newly set up RPA environment without any hassles. In case of discrepancies or other issues, note down the problem and get such issues resolved on time. Keep a close watch on the latest RPA trends and try to advance your RPA environment as per the changing business needs. As your business grows, you might need to add, remove, or modify a few functionalities in the RPA setup. So be ready for that. Make a team of technical geeks to run automation 24/7 in a smooth manner.

RPA is the future of technology. Enterprises around the world are embracing it for greater business benefits. It is synonymous with growth. But progress is impossible without change and those who don’t change with time and embrace the things that are needed along with time, lag behind. Robotic process automation has the potential to transform your business and take you to greater heights but its successful implementation is much dependent upon how best you deal with its change management. Follow the proven tips shared in this blog and you will experience a hassle-free RPA roll-out without any resistance.