Process improvement

How to improve a monthly manual repetitive process?

19.02.2018 at 17:36 h / Edited 06.07.2018 at 20:01 h
Solved

Marieta Lean Consultant Legal Sector

1

Hello All, 

My recent client has a process where data (information in tables) needs to be extracted from different external sources (some of them are Government official statistics, others are from data companies). 

The external data is combined into a file and after that, it is imported into a software. 

My question here is how can I improve the initial step- the download of data from external sources and pasting it on excel, but use the team resources for more value-added activities? 

Thank you for the ideas! 

 

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Solution

Milena RPA, Machine Learning, Automation

2

Dear Marieta,

Definitely, the described process is low or no value added for the customer. Still, I believe it is important for the company. The main problem is that it consumes a lot of time even to some of the key roles.

Many companies struggle with such type of repetitive processes but many expensive ERP ar BPM solutions cannot respond to their needs especially when talking to internet browsing. A great solution which can help here is RPA (Robotics Process Automation). With RPA you can easily (3 months projects) automate of such type of repetitive and predictable processes and tasks. The only requirement is to have a clear logic and decision trees which can be described. If some tasks are performed by an employee based on clear rules with no subjective decision than it can be automated with RPA.

The following areas could be improved 30-100 % with such an automation: Routine Workflows
Data Input and Validation
Rules-Based Transactions
Large Scale Data Entry
Document Management
Control & Compliance

RPA is your virtual workforce, controlled by your operations teams. It sits alongside your existing technology infrastructure and has easy system integration. This means you won't replace your current systems but will make a bridge between them for only 3 months (this is a really fast alternative for some integrations that could take you one year and more to integrate).  And it can be scaled instantly. You can start with a small process and to develop step by step which can help the cost structure of the investment. And the sweetest thing at the end is that once implemented you can see the result from the next day...ROI starts immediately...

If RPA is something that you want to further investigate, I am at your disposal.

Good luck!

Milena

Marieta

0

Hello Milena, Thank you for the thorough information. I think the process of my client fits exactly in the Data Input of external sources information. Do you think there is a Demo to be shown to the client? I have been challenged that the same thing can be achieved by Excel VBA. What is your opinion? I am still confused what is the difference between Robotics and Automation?

Milena

1

Dear Marieta, Yes we have a Demo with a similar process where the data is searched and downloaded from Internet. We also have a Demo where data is taken from a system and processed in a specific way automatically. Once you see the Demos you will find the difference between RPA and Excel VBA. About your second question about Robotics and Automation - RPA is type of Automation used to mimic employees actions, working on UI (User Interface) level. We have used to hear about automations mainly with regard to BPM (Business Process Management System) and ERP (Enterprise) but development there is on the code which makes them costly and their development is much longer (1-2 years). One more difference is that even if you currently have BPM or ERP still you have staff performing manual tasks like the process you have shared...Than RPA comes :-)

Chuck

0

RPA possesses unique characteristics that set it apart from other automation paradigms contained in business process automation, business process reengineering, or business process management systems. First and foremost, RPA robots conduct work the same way that humans do, through the software presentation layer. Logins, emails, analyses, report building, data entry, and other functions are still completed. RPA robots can be compared to the recorded macros in Excel that automate specific tasks. The primary difference between the two is that RPA “macros” can be recorded to work with virtually any existing desktop or server software. RPA software generally includes an interface with a record button that, when activated, generates a script, or robot, as a user performs the task that is to be automated. With some configuration, robots can be trained to read emails, open PDFs, identify salient information, enter data into ERP systems, and send an email to specific supervisors when ambiguity or errors are encountered. All of these actions can be monitored in real-time by the user that designed the script, or by other software robots.

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