If you’ve heard the term ‘robotic process automation’ (RPA) and are wondering what it’s all about – look no further.

What is Robotic Process Automation (RPA) and how does it help businesses?

Automate your back-office processes, get your front-line people back to doing what they do best – interacting with people, solving their problems, communicating and

connecting.

OmPrompt’s Customer Automation Management solutions are a type of RPA used by large consumer goods companies, pharmaceuticals and medical device manufacturers to streamline their entire supply chain – and their whole

order-to-cash process.

Robotic Process Automation isn’t a future thing. It's a NOW thing.

1

Automated RPA tasks are typically: 2

Are RPA technologies all the same? 3

What are the most common misconceptions about RPA? 5

Are people really afraid of ‘robots’ taking their jobs? And, if so, how would you reassure them? 6

SMARTSOFTWARE

...and applying intelligent software to do high-volume,

repeatable tasks that are usually time-consuming and mundane for human beings.

RPA isn’t about robotic-looking creatures

that move slowly and awkwardly, it’s about:

Where is RPA typically used?

• Supply chain management

• Finance• Accounting• Customer

services• Procurement• Human resources• and more!

The biggest difference is...

...that while traditional automation completes rules-based, repeatable tasks, RPA goes a step further. Dubbed the “automation of automation,” RPA is often combined with the adaptability and awareness of artificial intelligence.

3. High volume 2. Repetitive 1. Time-consuming

Desktop RPA Customer Automation Management

5. Manual tasks such as data entry

4. Back office

No! RPA technologies vary greatly: from a type of software that sits on a computer desktop, to a series of technological steps that improve the input,

flow, transformation and output of data. For example, companies like Bacardi, Ferrero, Nestle or Unilever use Customer Automation Management

(an enhanced form of RPA) to improve their supply chain processes.

RPA: real-life examples and results. 4

RPA like OmPrompt’s Customer Automation Management saves companies money.

Example: a multinational distribution and outsourcing company used Customer Automation Management to: 6

In 2014, robot sales increased by 29% to 229,261 units, by far the highest level ever recorded for one year. 5

RPA will change the world for back-office processes and Business Process Outsourcing (BPO). 7

8

“Automation software will replace up to 140 million full-time employees worldwide by the year 2025” McKinsey & Company 1

BUT many higher skilled jobs will be created for those who are able to maintain and improve RPA software. And people are also helped by RPA – they get more time to do value-added tasks.

The jobs that are at risk are:

RPA will impact outsourcing – as intelligent automation takes on the work of repetitive, mundane tasks. It’s cheaper and more accurate than low cost off-shore labour. Here are some facts and stats:

“While an onshore full time equivalent (FTE) costing $80k can be replaced by an offshore FTE for $30k… a robot… can perform the same function for $15k or less.” 2

RPA could transform service pricing in the long term. “This will affect the offshore BPOs faster than the nearshore or very voice-centric ones. RPA will transform back-office transactions in most organisations.” 3

The cost to automate [processes] will be significantly lower (about a third of the cost, as a rule of thumb) than engaging an outsourcing provider. 4

Reduce their cost per order by 64%

64%

Lower automation costs by 20%

20%

Reduce staff headcount by 58%.

58%

1. Because RPA technology tracks and monitors all the tasks that it automates, it enables companies to comply with regulations, and deeply analyse company processes.

2. Some RPA software can adapt, self-learn, and self-correct - making the possibility for future process optimisation even greater.

$80konshore

$30koffshore

$15krobot

RPA

A major global wine business used RPA to achieve the perfect order and increase order accuracy from 98% to 99.7% while reducing costs by £612k per annum.

A global dairy company used RPA to automate the processing and validation of delivery claims – and reduced goodwill write-offs by £5.4M per annum, as a result.

A $20Bn consumer goods company used RPA to connect their SAP system & transport management system. They reduced transport costs by 4.5M per annum and staff costs by 67%.

Regardless of what it’s called, RPA isn’t about ‘robots’ of old, it’s about helping businesses make existing processes faster, more efficient, and more accurate.

There’s quite a bit of sci-fi madness out there surrounding RPA – including discussions about whether robots could take over the world.

The more real misconceptions are about what exactly RPA is called! Here are some of the words used to describe it:

What’s next for the future of business processes and automation?

9

Robotic Process

Automation

Artificial Intelligence

Customer Automation

Management

Cognitive Computing

Intelligent Automation

admin jobs financial accounts

routine inspector/ tester

transport clerks

data entry

In these examples, the type of RPA used was Customer Automation Management.

Sources:1 http://www.mckinsey.com/global_locations/europe_and_middleeast/russia/en/latest_thinking/smart_computers)

2 http://www.professionaloutsourcingmagazine.net/insight/robotic-process-automation-whats-stopping-you3 https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/we-robots-rise-robotic-process-automation-rpa-simon-dillsworth

4 http://ajburgess.com/national-automation-association/5 http://www.ifr.org/industrial-robots/statistics/ 6 http://www.ifr.org/industrial-robots/statistics/

hat is ‘Robotic Process Automation’? And Will Robots Take Our Jobs?