Remote process automation (RPA) can increase efficiencies and reduce costs, so it’s no wonder the telecom sector is increasingly adopting this technology to automate business processes and operations. But what exactly is RPA? How does it work? And how can it help the telecom sector improve its operations and gain a competitive edge in the marketplace? Read on to find out.
Advantages of using Robotic Process Automation (RPA)
In a nutshell, RPA provides a software solution that can be used to automate routine tasks for human users. So, what exactly does that mean? Well, without going into too much detail, let’s just say it streamlines processes by automating repetitive tasks. Companies have been taking advantage of computerized solutions for years now – from bank transactions to online shopping – so it’s no surprise there are now automated programs available to tackle tedious processes. In fact, Robotic Process Automation has been widely used in areas such as finance management and document control for quite some time now.
Step 1 – Knowing what to automate
Before you begin automating, you have to know exactly what tasks to automate. Start with a task list of every process in your organization. Look for tasks that fall under a few categories: First, if a task can be done manually, it doesn’t need to be automated. Second, look for repetitive manual processes that could benefit from automation. Finally, find any manual processes that are performed differently from one office to another—and start exploring automation as an option for those processes as well. The more repetitive or inconsistently performed tasks you can identify, the higher your ROI will be when you go through with an automation project.
Step 2 – Choose your software
There are many tools out there that will help you automate your tasks, but you should try to choose one that fits well with your existing software. If you’re already using Microsoft Office, for example, Microsoft’s Biz Talk Server probably won’t be a good choice because it only runs on Windows OS. If your business uses Salesforce for lead tracking, use software designed to integrate with it. By choosing well-designed tools specifically made for your current needs, you’ll have an easier time integrating them into your system later on—if necessary.
Step 3 – Set up your processes
You can’t automate what you don’t measure, so identifying what processes to invest in automation will require some thought. Many companies (and countries) already have a reasonably good idea of which processes take too long, cost too much or cause too many human errors, but if you can find an activity that doesn’t appear to be easily measured in these terms, there may still be something to work with. One company we worked with identified a process (manually uploading information from one database into another database every month) that took up considerable staff time and could also potentially introduce human error. While not particularly time-consuming or costly, automating that process allowed for more accurate data across databases and gave employees more free time.
Step 4 – Start automating
Once you’ve put together a formal business plan, with clear statements of your goals, marketing strategies, measurable objectives, etc., automated processes are an obvious next step. Once they are in place, there is no reason for you to continue doing that mundane work. That time can be better spent analyzing data to determine what further needs exist within your company. This approach allows you to scale up as needed while keeping costs down—something critical for startups or companies with limited resources. If you think about it, automating processes makes sense for any organization at any stage. Even larger firms have many repetitive tasks that could be easily accomplished by technology rather than their employees.
Conclusion
As you can see, many of these companies are already utilizing robotics in their operations but they’re not necessarily aware of what’s happening behind the scenes. That said, there has been a significant increase in investment in automation. If your company is looking to streamline or reduce costs, then automating would be a wise decision that could benefit both parties. So if you’re ready to get started on leveraging robotic process automation (RPA) for your business processes, get in touch with us today.
