Use Cases of RPA in IT that have changed the face of business
admin
Artificial Intelligence
June 2, 2021
5 min read
Automation is not a novel 2000s concept. No, it has been in existence for some time now and there are several sectors that have already implemented automation into their business processes for agility, efficiency and effectiveness. What however is new is Robotic Process Automation or RPA and the rise in the number of interesting use cases of RPA technology in IT Operations and other sectors. Streamlining processes after all is no longer just a smart move – it could be the game changer and that’s exactly what we will be exploring.
The core of RPA is to enable processes with bots/robots that can execute rule-based mundane tasks with precision and exact accuracy to zero-errors. In terms of business profitability, it helps to optimize resources, reduce costs and time, and free-up time for human resources to engage in more cognitive tasks. Considering that Forrester predicts RPA growth to expand to US$ 2.9 billion by 2021, it is imperative for businesses to understand RPA basics to be able to include it into the right processes.
In the next section we will be looking at some real world use cases of RPA software in IT and how they have been instrumental in changing the future of the business processes.
RPA Use Cases: How Bots transformed IT Operations processes
RPA technology has emerged as a universal hit in the last couple of years as more and more businesses have started to reap the benefits of it. There was a time when the implementation of bots into processes seemed like a colossal investment (in terms of money) for the organization to bear, especially because the ROI from RPA implementation was in the shadows. This however has changed.
Implementing RPA bo solutions usually involves minimal development and can be integrated into existing IT systems within hours/days. The process moreover is a phased one with the bots being deployed in specific processes only to measure its impact, challenges and returns. This automatically lessens the cost burden on the organization. Top RPA service providers moreover understand this, and build solutions that are affordable, reliable and result-oriented. And the solutions for IT Operations especially did make heads turn. Let’s have a look.
RPA solutions in Customer Service:
Automating repetitive processes help in improving service levels and reducing resolution time. Customer service involves several processes which are repetitive and can be automated. A simple example of using RPA in customer service is with sorting out queries and to which department they belong to.
An IT service provider based in Europe was running a support service for a leading industrial customer. The customer had a huge team handling over 15,000 calls a month. However, the team worked with a mix of new and legacy systems, which were complex and difficult to navigate. This would lead to an average call time of 6 minutes, resulting in poor customer satisfaction.
The RPA solution provided through Virtual Workers reduced the call times to less than 50 seconds, providing an 83% reduction in execution time. Apart from increasing the customer satisfaction, it also reduced the volume of support resources, providing a cost benefit of an estimated €1 million annually.
IT & Infrastructure Support:
Some of the best RPA use cases are provided by the IT sector. Here is another example where implementation of RPA worked wonders.
A leading IT support provider was tasked with a niche skilled support solution for it’s new client. The complex nature of management of the client’s systems left the IT service provider with no other option other than having to employ expensive experts to run the operations 24/7.
With such a challenge at hand, RPA services came to the rescue. Proving all RPA myths to be untrue the deployed Digital Workers were able to manage low volume administrative tasks around IT applications and infrastructure. This included validation, regular testing, diagnostics and fault remediation. With these services being automated, there was no need of employing highly skilled labour for the same activities. The quality of the service had improved with critical activities being delegated more regularly in less time. The solution delivered better service and savings of up to US$ 500K compared to locally employed staff.
Optimizing User Emails using RPA Technology:
User notification process involves standard guidelines, usually a three strike rule, set according to predetermined rules, hence, it can be automated. Activated by a task manager, the RPA bots log in to the IT service management (ITSM) tool, run reports, capture pending cases, send mails, audit reports and update ticket status. If no action is taken for three days continuously, then the ticket is closed automatically.
A manufacturing company based in Germany was burdened with a repetitive back office process that involved 400 emails per day. The average handling time per email was 5 minutes with the use of an IT service management tool, email and excel, making it a laborious and a time consuming process.The firm had implemented a change to its IT service management tool, which had severely impacted KPIs, prevented staff from closing tickets on time and had created a growing backlog.
By deploying top RPA tools built by UiPath, the company was able to achieve 95% automation with 5X processing times and get an ROI in 3 months. Improvements in service quality, regulatory compliance and KPIs were observed while employees were able to focus on more strategic decision making work.
Robotic Process Automation, Data Migration and Management:
The need for migrating data can arise due to several factors such as merger, infrastructure consolidation or due to strategic ventures. RPA automation is particularly efficient when it comes to this as it can effortlessly connect with systems without intensive programming.
An IT and Business Process Outsourcer was providing a management service and recording all activities in its own case management application, which was a shared platform between the outsourcer and all of their clients. One client required the activities to be recorded in their dedicated system as well. However using the client’s management application as well as their own would be inefficient. On top of that connecting both systems wasn’t allowed due to client restrictions. So, 12 employees were assigned the task of rekeying the records manually from one system to another. However this turned out to be a slow process creating a huge amount of backlog of cases to be migrated.
For such situations, Robotic Process Automation bot architecture was considered the best solution. A RPA solution was created using BluePrism, consisting of two Digital Workers which replicated data from one system to another. The backlog of cases was cleared in a jiffy saving US$ 200K for the client in the first three months of operation as no additional labour had to be employed.
Simplifying Insurance Processes the RPA way:
Here’s an interesting case of a client of Infosys BPM. The team processed almost 830,000 requests annually. That’s a lot of requests to deal with. Received as a scanned PDF file, these requests pertained to various financial and non-financial processes. Agents were required to collect the necessary data from the document and place the information in various applications – a mundane, rule-based, time consuming task.
In addition to that, the process was client specific as each had their own guidelines and procedures. Not surprisingly, it led to an unhappy, annoyed and complacent workforce that sought a smarter way out.
The company, Infosys BPM decided to go the RPA way and implemented RPA bot solutions across various processes. The validation activities of each process were embedded as business rules in the bots. The bots performed the validation across different data points and the results delivered were impeccable. There was a 58% reduction in manual effort, along with a 50% reduction in headcount and a 70% improvement in average processing time.
Conclusion
RPA and AI Consultancy services have created a niche place for itself worldwide. These solutions are contemporary, yet future-driven; they are not always economical but the ROI and results are far reaching. In short, these technologies define the future, and there are no two ways contemplating whether or not to onboard them.
This is all the more true for IT, an industry where many tasks are repetitive and mundane in nature. RPA can make workflows simpler, minimize resolution time, seamlessly connect to systems, gather data while saving a fortune as seen in use cases above. As a leading RPA vendor and bot developer, we encourage businesses and decision makers to implement RPA solutions for better returns. It is after all what the future demands, and there is no better time than today to be ready for it.
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