The digital workforce is here

The age of digital workforce is here. At least that is what proponents of Robotic Process Automation (RPA) want us to believe in. A lot has been written about the benefits RPA promises to deliver, but still leaders are apprehensive about the technology and the implications it could have for the organization in the long run.

In a nut shell RPA is a flexible solution, requiring low investment that can change the way organizations address key challenges and overcome typical complexities in a simple way. RPA mimics human actions and can work across any application just how a human would as long as the actions are sequential and rule based. Transactional processing and reporting are generally ripe for automation solutions since they tend to be repeatable and rules-based. Decision support activities can also be in scope for automation to the extent of steps that are standard and repetitive in nature.

As organizations look at new and innovative ways to add value, they saturate avenues of value and efficiency. However, with Robotics Process Automation (RPA) coming to the fore-front, they have a unique opportunity to create a distinct position for themselves within the global business environment.

Having said that, topics around RPA’s business case, its potential benefits and most complex challenges are widely discussed but seldom have conclusive and definitive points of view. While some of the obvious benefits of RPA include replacement of human effort, better quality of work delivered, cost reduction and 24*7*365 availability concerns around its dependencies, scope etc. need to be addressed.

Therefore, to understand if RPA is another fad or is here to stay, it’s imperative to understand the various elements of RPA, the key decisions needed to be taken along the implementation journey and the fundamentals of the new organization structure going forward.