Robotic Process Automation (RPA)

Simple rules suggest, start with an assumption everything can be Automated, and along the way you can use guides like attached to qualify opportunities, check feasibility and validate a business case. link

However, over the last decade a handful of vendors (Automation Anywhere, Ui-Path, Blur Prism, ...) have emerged leaders in the field, and have plug-and-play solutions for the most common use-cases found in most industries.

Implementing these solutions would only bring parity with the early adopters among competitors and the key advantage however lies in workflows that does not yet exist, workflows that were never attempted because they were beyond human limits or were cost prohibitive. These elusive projects, now made possible with RPA is what would help shift the tide and change the game.

Ripe or Not

You will find arguments on why GIC’s are the hot bed for automation. You will find classifications on why certain types of automation are more mature (scripted) than others (cognitive). You will also notice there are specialists in each category of deterministic automation like Desktop & Process automation, and no clear leader yet in the probabilistic AI lead automation category.

Despite no clear winner, no clear rules and too much noise, the start cannot be simpler than an opportunity assessment and a POC.

The Opportunity Assessment (2 Weeks)

• Few short hours with the right owners and executioners, armed with a template like attached, can help develop a HEAT MAP, to identify low risk opportunities to pilot and high impact/high ROI opportunities that will need a deeper dive.

And the POC (3 Weeks)

• Two outcomes, demonstrate the capability and develop a competency, the success of both will help scale to the more complex and trying projects
• Beyond a POC, the opportunities can be further refined and prioritized by ROI

Where Tech Mahindra Can Help

• Develop the capability within the GIC: Develop a team of interns guided by experts on the product and process knowledge. Steer and govern until the new team has developed sustainable momentum.
• Product Strategy: Develop a product agnostic strategy that includes features, deployment models, support frameworks and commercials, against the opportunities to ensure quick and sustainable ROI.
• Rapid Opportunity Assessment: Keeping costs low, do a rapid categorization of quick wins and their ROI for pilots, and bring visibility to the more complex projects with a high impact and high ROI.
• Knock the POC out of the Park: Leverage the OEM relationships to bring in the SME, to train, demonstrate value and set the stage for rapid scaling.

Tech Mahindra Assets

Through the many iterations and projects, TechM has partnered with the best in the market (UI-Path, Automation Anywhere and Blue-Prism) and have gained experience in assessing, customizing and deploying these solutions.

In the process TechM has gain an unique insight into their strengths and limitations when it comes to deployment and support, helping us get credible with our product strategy and ROI weigh in.

While at it, TechM also developed an in-house solution for assisted automation and unified desktop requirements called UNO (Unified Next-Gen Operations) that are common at helpdesks and IT service management space, giving Lowe’s a cost effective alternative to off the shelf products.

50+ Use-Cases to Consider

(you will notice the pattern and be able to spot the opportunities right away)

• Customer Processes: Manage records across multiple systems, on-boarding from websites, preparing data for subscription renewals, claims processing, complaints handling (incident generation, prioritization, resolution, escalation, etc.), Loyalty cards (lost, stolen, renewal, charges, etc.), Credit reports on demand.
• Supply Chain Processes: Stock control/Inventory management, order management, quotes and invoicing, freight management, returns processing, work order management.
• HR Processes: Recruiting, On-boarding, job movements, leaving, payroll & pay-slips, benefits administration, time sheets, education & training.
• Data & Reporting Processes: Transfer of data between apps, spreadsheets, documents and systems. Connecting process islands that span multiple teams, departments, vendors with inefficient hand-offs, month-end, weekend performance reports. Compliance & Audit reports.
• Finance Processes: Procure to Pay, Sales Orders, Incentive Claims, Order to Cash, Trends Tracking, SCM vendor Setup and Collections.
• IT Operation Processes: Monitoring, running diagnostics, fault remediation, patch management, back-ups, email processing and distribution, file management, batch processing, installations, ID creation, deletion and policy management, swivel seats.