What can RPA do for you?

In the age of digitization, software is king. The fastest-growing software, according to a Gartner study, falls under the rubric of Robotic Process Automation (RPA). Think of it as a virtual robot that can take over the most repetitive administrative tasks. RPA is quietly becoming established in the financial sector, but it can also add value on the production floor. Especially in the food industry, where there is a mountain of information behind every product.

Physical robots have already transformed the workplace. Now it's up to software robots to do the same in manufacturing. RPa is a software technology that makes it possible to build, use and manage software robots that mimic human actions and interact with digital systems and software. Like humans, software robots can understand what is on a screen, press the right keys on the keyboard, navigate through systems, identify and extract data, and take a wide range of defined actions. So where is the difference? Softwarerobots do it faster and more consistently than humans, fully compliant, and they don't need coffee breaks either. 

Benefits of RPA

RPA allows companies to streamline work procedures, making them more cost-effective, flexible and responsive. Softwarerobots take on repetitive, lower-value tasks such as logging into applications and systems, moving files and folders, extracting, copying and reinserting data elsewhere, filling out forum forms and completing routine analyses and reports. Having software robots take over these repetitive tasks frees up people's time to focus on the things they do best and are more satisfying: innovating, collaborating, creating and interacting with customers. More knowledge-driven tasks or creative assignments with higher added value. So a boost for the employees, but also for the company because they see an increase in productivity, efficiency and resilience. 

RPA in production

So the power of RPA makes itself felt primarily in administration. Consequently, this method of automation first found its way into other sectors, such as finance. But in the meantime, sufficient applications in production have also been identified where the technology can add value. After all, there are opportunities for RPA in R&D, in operations, in supply chain management, in employee productivity ... Especially the combination with artificial intelligence and IoT applications makes it possible to create a smooth flow of information throughout production that in turn can result in better insight. The most obvious benefits on the production floor are faster time to market (up to 90%), higher output (up to 200%) and lower costs (up to 40%).

How does it work?

RPA software robots, on the one hand, can function completely independently. One then speaks of unattended RPA, which can prove especially interesting for work that involves collecting, sorting, analyzing and forwarding a whole mountain of data and information. In addition, attended RPAs. Users can activate these software robots to perform a number of straightforward actions autonomously and quickly, while focusing on their core tasks without further ado. This can be interesting, for example, in control processes where the worker needs to add additional information or validate the input data.

How to get started

To achieve a successful RPA implementation, a distinction must first be made between task automation and process automation. RPA works best when it involves standard processes that are the same for every employee within the company. You also don't have to automate the entire process right away. The first 70 to 80% are often easy to tackle. The last few percent more complex and time-consuming, perhaps not necessary. Also, always start from a problem analysis. Make a correct estimate of the complexity of the data processing. After all, that will determine what resources are needed to implement the software robot and thus what the final return will be. Important to remember, RPA does not actually require huge budgets or lead times. This makes them an interesting alternative for non-existent or complex to realize data exchange. But the more software robots you use, the more complex the management becomes. Then take care of the necessary post-implementation care.    

When is RPA exactly what you need. 

RPA lends itself ideally to processes that:

• Following specific rules
• Be standard with a low exception rate and use known data sources and destinations
• Being labor intensive and characterized by high input frequency
• Have an input that is electronic or machine readable
• Leaving a lot of margin for error
• Must be performed 24/7 and exactly on time