We are looking to implement Robotic Process Automation in our accounts payable department. My manager wants a process map of every task first. Is this overkill, or is there a specific way to map processes that highlights which tasks are best suited for bot automation?
3 answers
It is definitely not overkill; in fact, it’s essential. To identify RPA candidates, you need to map the process at a "keystroke level." When mapping, look for tasks that are high-volume, repetitive, and rule-based with digital inputs. These are your "Low Hanging Fruit." Avoid mapping processes that require frequent human judgment or have highly unstructured data. Use your process map to tag each step as "Automatable," "Semi-Automatable," or "Manual." This visual representation will make it very easy to justify the ROI of your RPA investment to your management team.
When you are doing this keystroke-level mapping, how do you account for the "hidden" exceptions that employees handle intuitively but aren't documented in the official standard operating procedures?
I recommend using a Heat Map overlay on your process diagram. Color-code the steps by "Time Spent" to see exactly where the bots will save the most money.
The Heat Map idea is brilliant, Thomas. It provides an immediate visual for stakeholders to see the "bottlenecks" that RPA will eliminate, making the business case much stronger.
James, that's where "shadowing" comes in. You can't just rely on what's written down. You have to watch the staff perform the task. If a step has too many "if-then" exceptions that aren't programmable, we usually mark that as a process that needs optimization before we even attempt automation.