Let’s say you’ve run a proof of concept project using Robotic Process Automation (RPA) and have validated its potential for your business. Nice work! You’re primed to begin your automation journey. So, what comes next?
To ensure long-term success, you need to build a backlog of automation projects and begin prioritizing them in alignment with your organization’s goals. Said another way, you need an automation roadmap. Establishing a roadmap – and remaining faithful to it – will help you to build momentum and reap all the benefits your RPA automation program has to offer.
A well-defined automation roadmap will provide you with several benefits, including the following:
The cornerstone of any automation roadmap is a project backlog. A backlog keeps your team fully engaged with a steady flow of work and helps everyone develop vision for how the RPA program will develop in the weeks and months ahead. But what’s the most effective way to build that backlog?
To build a backlog for your automation program, first identify which part of your organization you want to improve with RPA. Most organizations begin with groups that have numerous automation-ready tasks, such as those commonly found in operations, HR, or finance departments.
Next, you should create a value chain map for your selected team or department. A value chain map is essentially an organizational chart of the core processes in a particular working group.
For example, let’s say you’ve chosen to begin automating your finance department’s work. You’ll build a value chain map to capture all the finance processes at a high level, including budgeting and forecasting, reporting, payroll, accounts payable, etc. Each of these is then detailed in a process map to provide an overview of how work flows through the department. Individual process maps can be further disaggregated into subprocess maps to capture step-by-step tasks, the roles that perform those tasks, and the systems that are used, thereby providing a detailed picture for this area of your business.
To create a value chain map, follow these steps:
The sample value chain map below applies to a bank’s operations, but you can imagine a similar map for your business. While not shown, this particular map drills deeper into each process to outline the step-by-step tasks, roles, and systems that make up each process.
Creating a value chain map requires time and collaboration, but the final product is extremely valuable. Often, the people doing the work have a very different view of the “as-is” process than the management team, so putting in the work to understand your processes up front will help ensure successful automations later.
Now that you fully understand your processes and the value they deliver, you can evaluate the potential impact of automation on each one. To do so, ask yourself questions like:
The answers to these questions will help you determine which processes should be automated and how to best prioritize them. Obviously, you’ll focus on the project with the greatest potential impact on your organizational priorities first and then move to the next.
In case you missed it, you just created your automation roadmap and backlog of projects! Of course, the roadmap can and should evolve along with your business goals and priorities. It’s a good practice to revisit the prioritization quarterly (or on whatever cycle your organization sets new goals or objectives).
As you experience the positive effects of RPA, you will want to apply this approach for other functional areas in your organization. You just identify the next focus area, document the value chain, identify the processes that can benefit from automation, and prioritize them according to the potential return.
At R-Path Automation, we leverage our decades of experience and expertise to help businesses like yours effectively implement automation. Working with the experts in RPA will set you up for success in your automation journey and drive real value for your organization – fast! Contact us today to get started.