To be Transformative, Connected-RPA Needs Buy-in from the C-suite

Every business in nearly every industry nowadays is trying to profit from the wave of automation. This is usually achieved through Robotic Process Automation (RPA) implementation. Business and IT teams implementing RPA, however, have a response to every challenge of automation that often fail to achieve returns. In these cases, application of RPA appears convincing in the early part, but they fail to meet final results during final deployment.

To achieve long-term success, picking the right option is critical. Gaining clarity about RPA, however, is a major concern; especially since most new offerings such as Robotic Desktop Automation (RDA)–do not offer business-grade capabilities as RPA. These RDA tools guarantee' quick wins' which may sound compelling–but as organizations try to scale these RDA tools to achieve higher business goals, their design limitations are becoming increasingly evident. Organizations that avoid the long-term dissatisfaction are those that have chosen connected-RPA technology intended to help organizations remain competitive, pivot and then become as agile, agile technology-friendly as their entrepreneur-driven start-up suppliers.

To be transformative, connected-RPA also needs to receive buy-in from the C-suite as they support and champion it. If they see RPA as a long term business project, they will assist in providing the financial and human resources required. Obtaining buy-in from stakeholders means setting up strong change management practices from the outset, with sustained vision communication, clarity about the endpoint, what will happen–with complete information about individual roles and the potential impact of RPA on them.

The implementation of a pragmatic approach to its advent and management within the enterprise is an important factor in achieving superior results with connected-RPA—one that shapes and notifies all related activities. Having a solid vision for using RPA ensures that the right software is selected to meet the majority's collective needs. Implementations of RPA work more smoothly where procedures have gone through a thorough process of employee selection from the company. One of the challenges faced by most organizations is to continuously buy business into automation, so organizations need to work hard to develop interest and commitment in this area–to help sustain the journey. The cardinal rule with connected-RPA is to gain support across the company, create a vision of desired outcomes–then start small–and offer multiple RPA delivery initiatives using trustworthy advisors.