Introduction

Robotic Process Automation (RPA) has become the need of the hour for modern-day businesses. This is because of the numerous benefits that it brings to the table, including streamlining of operations, reduction in human error, as well as cost efficiencies. In fact, the technology is proving to be so useful that several government organisations across India are already considering it. The ongoing pandemic has also contributed to the early adoption of RPA by highlighting the importance of developing processes that require minimal human contact. This blog analyses instances of early adoption within government organisations and explores the possibilities for the future.

Which Areas of the Government are the Early Adopters?

According to estimates, seven Indian states have either already adopted RPA technology or are considering its use on a large scale. This indicates that there is widespread interest in RPA within the government sector. The primary industry which has driven this rapid adoption has been healthcare. Due to the COVID-19 crisis, state health ministries are expected to create and maintain data sets related to travellers. In addition to this, they are also creating large databases of people who are being quarantined or have come in contact with someone who has contacted COVID.

State health departments have turned to RPA bots in order to meet both these requirements. These bots are being used to collate data from different areas and collate them into a single database. Another area within the government that is already benefiting from RPA is the municipal corporations. For example, the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai is using RPA bots in order to ensure that e-passes can be issued to the residents of the area during the pandemic.

Areas in the Government That We Could Look to Automate

In addition to the above, there are several other areas that the government could look to automate. For instance, public sector banks in India tend to have large databases of customers and their transactions. This is an area where RPA could prove to be extremely useful. Further, automated bots have the ability to read, understand, and respond to emails. This could help these public sector banks in minimising their dependency on human staff, while also ensuring a shorter turnaround time.

Certain other areas of the government could also benefit from large-scale automation. These include the manufacturing units owned by the government of India, as well as the utilities sector. The manufacturing units could use automation technologies in order to ensure that the products are made according to the specifications fed into the system. Similarly, the utilities sector could also use RPA bots in order to send out communications to their millions of customers across the country.

What Percentage of the Work can be Automated?

According to estimates, the RPA market in India is expected to grow at a CAGR of 20% between the years 2019 and 2025. This is a highly significant figure which indicates that this technology is here to stay for the long haul. The consistent growth of this technology will be driven by the increasing demand for automation solutions, especially from the manufacturing industry.

Further, RPA could help the Indian government in automating a significant degree of work. According to Deloitte, RPA could automate as much as 20% of the total operational work that is undertaken in organisations. This can be achieved by using the technology to carry out a range of tasks such as repetitive actions, administration work, as well as maintaining large databases.

How Can This Bring Change to a Common Man’s Life?

The adoption of RPA could result in major improvements to a common man’s life in India. Firstly, their dealings with government departments could become much more streamlined. By leveraging the power of automation, government departments could ensure that they are able to provide a quick redressal to customer grievances. This could make life much easier for the common man.

Secondly, the public also stands to gain from an improved healthcare system. An RPA-driven system would be much more efficient, and it would help the government in delivering healthcare solutions to a large number of people. Finally, robotics and automation could help India in becoming a much more efficient country. This could prove to be a major boost for the Indian economy, thereby generating more income for its residents.

Conclusion

Thus, it is evident that RPA technology has already begun to have an influence on government organisations within the country. In the near future, the technology is likely to be adopted by a far greater number of industries, thereby ensuring that its true potential can be realised. Sagacity Software provides a range of RPA solutions, including ones that cover the implementation phase. For more information about the company and our solutions, please contact us.

Introduction

Robotic Process Automation (RPA) is gained popularity in the last six to seven years. Before this, companies were reliant on Business Process Outsourcing (BPOs) in order to minimize costs and increase productivity. Since 2014, RPA has emerged as a truly global technology that has the ability to change the face of several industries. In fact, RPA has now evolved to such an extent that it is viewed as a vital component for any company that wishes to gain a competitive advantage. However, the implementation of RPA is not a straightforward task. Companies can face several challenges during the implementation phase. This article discusses such key challenges and how they could be resolved.

RPA Implementation in Organizations

The opportunities presented by RPA are endless. Companies around the world are choosing to deploy this technology in order to become more efficient, reduce down-time, minimize errors, and ensure that customer needs are met. The technology is also viewed as a great way to transform into a leaner organization that focuses only on its key business objectives. RPA has come a long way over the past few years and has now become an integral part of almost all industries. At the same time, it is also important to understand that the technology must be implemented in the correct manner. Such an implementation process could face several hurdles that companies need to be aware of.

Key Challenges

The key challenges of RPA implementation have been discussed in the points below. These challenges include internal hurdles as well as external issues that could pose a threat to the implementation process.

Managing Resistance

Perhaps the biggest challenge is that companies could face a high degree of resistance from their employees. It is a common myth that robots are likely to steal all jobs in the future. This misconception could lead to implementation issues in terms of convincing the employees about the benefits of the technology. In order to resolve this challenge, companies must invest time and resources in educating and training their employees about the technology

Setting the Right Goals

Another challenge is to ensure that the company is setting the right goals while implementing this technology. The organization needs to assess the key areas in which the technology could make a difference. These areas need to be earmarked and tracked on a consistent basis. At the same time, the company must ensure that it is not too unrealistic in terms of its expectations from the new technology. The management must devise a plan that is achievable and includes quantifiable milestones at regular intervals.

Choosing the Right Processes

The company that is implementing RPA technology must ensure that it is choosing the right processes to be modified. It is quite often the case that companies cannot automate all of their processes. Selecting the right processes can be a major challenge. If an organization chooses to implement the technology in too many of its processes, then it could cause a lot of disruption. At the same time, not implementing RPA in an adequate number of processes could hamper its effectiveness. Therefore, companies must find the right balance when it comes to implementation.

Maintenance and Review

It is also a major challenge to ensure that the implementation can be tweaked as per the needs of the company. Even before the implementation process begins, companies must create a maintenance and review plan. This is because RPA solutions need to be evaluated from time to time. Companies must plan ahead and create an in-house team that is able to review the progress of the implementation. The maintenance process should be the joint responsibility of all decision-makers.

Ownership Challenges

Another challenge that is faced by organizations is that they are unable to delegate the ownership of the implementation process. This happens because of two major reasons. The first reason is that companies tend to have a business team and a technology team. It can be very hard for them to identify whether the technology team will lead the implementation process or the business team. In such a case, the effectiveness of the implementation can get negatively impacted. The best solution for this challenge could be to designate a team of business analysts that lead the implementation initiatives. These analysts could comprise members of the technology team and the business team.

Conclusion

Therefore, it is clear that RPA implementation could result in several challenges for an organization. It is vital that these challenges are identified and tackled at an early stage so that the technology can be implemented in a seamless manner. Sagacity Software provides a range of RPA solutions, including ones that cover the implementation phase. For more information about the company and our solutions, please contact us.