A New Approach For Process Automation In Large Organizations
With new technologies and pressure of reducing human cost and errors, companies look increasingly at areas of automation.
In large organization, processes are very complex and often involved a lot of functions and departments. How can we prioritize and optimize ROI.
A lot of the time, we have to make decision on which processes should be prioritized to automate. We need to measure capacity, accuracy, and the time it takes to execute when they’re functioning, as well as diagnose breakdowns and bottlenecks when they’re not. This is a challenging task before we actually start automating any process.
Taking a process insights approach
High-stakes decisions require compelling evidence, and big data sets can deliver, offering agnostic, statistically significant evidence that can inform a robust analysis. Many new digital tools allow companies to monitor the way work is done. Along with big advancements in analytics, AI, machine learning, and computer vision, these new tools not only enable observation but also help companies analyze with great granularity. Companies can test historical assumptions, hunches, and hypotheses before committing resources to craft solutions. And they have the option to revisit these later to cull further insights or to inform other decisions.
Capture, diagnose, analyze, improve
Process insights involves capturing the activities that comprise a process — through tools that record it, from start to finish, while it is being performed. This data collection allows for rapid diagnosis and documentation. From here, a company can automate the start and end point for the given process to allow for large volumes of data (statistically significant enough to reveal task variations) for mining and analysis. With an accurate end-to-end picture, companies can derive insights and ultimately improve or reengineer the process.
Whether or not automation is the driving motivation, the process insights approach serves three basic purposes. It provides a proof point so that decision makers don’t act on gut feel alone (“We think claims processing is way too complicated and is taking way too long”). It can reveal process information that leaders lack (“We have no idea how long it’s really taking”). And it can be a litmus test to validate the expected gains of a new approach (“With the new process we’re rolling out, we’re banking on a 20 percent faster average time to process”).
Select the right tool for the job
There are numerous automation tools available, so how do we go about selecting the right ones? The choice largely depends on the nature of the problems we’re addressing.
For smaller, more individualized processes, Power Automate is a viable option. It’s a Microsoft product and incredibly user-friendly.
When dealing with medium-sized processes that don’t require integration with other systems, tools like Python, PowerShell, or Intelli Bot can be quite valuable.
However, for complex and large-scale processes that need seamless integration with upstream and downstream systems, .Net and UiPath are often the preferred choices. These tools offer an efficient way to connect with various systems.
In essence, the key to process automation lies in recognizing that there isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution. Instead, it’s about identifying a suite of technologies that can cater to your specific needs and help you comprehensively understand and manage your operations.
Maintenance and Monitoring
Not all processes can be fully automated, especially when Optical Character Recognition (OCR) is involved. Checker roles are likely necessary during the initial stages. Additionally, it’s crucial to consider the costs associated with maintenance and monitoring during the triaging phase. Bot stability is of utmost importance when handling high-volume processes. Occasionally, system upgrades and package version changes can lead to Bot breakdowns. Therefore, maintenance and monitoring play a vital role in ensuring smooth operations.
In conclusion
Automation will increasingly gain significance as technology continues to advance and labor costs rise. Companies that effectively utilize automation will reap its benefits.
