RPA migrations follow a similar story.
Like other managers, you might have noticed one or more of these problems with your RPA implementation:
- The implemented RPA platform is slow. It takes forever to learn or execute minimally complex repetitive tasks.
- The RPA tool is not secure. It requires sensitive employee login details to carry out screen recording macros.
- People aren’t using it often enough. Adoption is slow and training is limited.
- Teams aren’t aligned. IT gets value from it but Sales struggles to see its value in their business process.
Meanwhile, you’re spending money each month on an enterprise license with unused seats and idle digital workers.
This situation quickly becomes untenable, unsustainable, and unstable. And before long, your team is saying the same thing:
“We need to start thinking about RPA migration.”
Reasons for RPA platform migration
There are many reasons why companies might choose to migrate their robotic process automation solution to a new provider, especially after already switching from previous legacy systems. These include:
- A slow platform
- Security concerns
- Spotty RPA uptime
- Governance issues
- Extensibility issues
- Adoption challenges
- Compliance concerns
- Challenges with high cost and low ROI
A slow RPA platform makes tasks take longer to execute. This is because your employees spend more time trying to trigger and run software robots than on actual work.
Certain systems present an RPA security risk that threatens your entire system and network as unauthorized parties can gain access to sensitive company data.
RPA uptime indicates how long each RPA bot in your system can perform. Limited uptime means you’re not getting the full value of RPA technology, costing your business time and money.
RPA governance issues make it harder for management to control what’s happening in critical business processes using robotic process automation – which defeats the purpose of getting a centralized platform in the first place.
Extensibility issues arise when your existing RPA solution doesn’t allow for new integrations, doesn’t scale with your business workflows, and doesn’t allow for more complex bots to be built.
Adoption challenges are caused by island deployments – situations where one ‘island’ or siloed department uses the RPA software but others can’t, don’t, or won’t use it, either due to limited value, lack of training, or poor change management.
RPA compliance issues arise when the style, format, duration, or process of automation goes against your established compliance standards.
Challenges with high cost and low ROI arise when you’re paying for more process automation power than you need, caused by unused license seats, low adoption, or lack of training.
So, to ensure you don’t make the same mistake with your next RPA implementation, let’s look at a few questions to ask before deploying another solution.
7 questions to ask before RPA migration
As you think about RPA migration in your organization, ask the following seven questions of your team:
#1 How much business process automation do we actually need?
First, break down your current business processes into discrete tasks. This will help you identify which ones take up the most time – such as data extraction and data entry – and which ones to plan for automation.
#2 How much training will our teams need?
If you’ve built a well-trained IT team since your last RPA deployment, implementing a robotic process automation solution becomes easier. If your team isn’t tech-savvy, however, they might require extensive training – or you might need to consider a no-code RPA solution.
#3 Which other services and tools do we need RPA integration with?
The more tools you use in your business workflow, the more robustly your chosen RPA solution needs to integrate with them all.
#4 Which compliance and governance requirements will be affected?
As you automate business tasks through RPA, you’ll need to ensure you’re not running afoul of any internal or global compliance and governance initiatives. Your RPA provider can work with you to build an automation system that stays within your guidelines.
#5 What’s our budget and expected ROI?
Determine what your running costs will be to migrate data, rebuild each software robot, retrain your staff, and maintain your new automation program. Then, be clear on the ROI you expect – whether that’s regained time, increased profits, operational efficiency, or reduced running costs.
#6 What’s our timeline?
Having a defined timeline for implementation gives your RPA provider something to work with and helps you prepare for change management. Note that it’ll take time for the RPA migration to be completed, get adopted by your organization, and start returning business value.
#7 How can we pick a better RPA vendor this time around?
While you might have your eye set on a specific RPA tool, your implementation vendor can make or break the process. To ensure you pick the best possible RPA vendor, ask yourself the following questions:
- What are their credentials? You want an RPA vendor with deep knowledge of different use cases, implementation timelines, and requirements, and with multiple case studies to prove it.
- What RPA systems do they offer? The top RPA vendors offer only the best process automation solutions from the bunch. At Thrive Automation, we offer two best-in-class intelligent automation solutions for businesses looking to streamline their processes.
- What pre-sales help do they offer? A valuable RPA implementation partner understands that RPA migration is a big exercise for your organization. That’s why they’re willing to jump on a discovery call with you to find out your exact needs and help you chart a way forward.
- What’s their implementation strategy? Your ideal RPA vendor will know exactly which of your tasks would be best to automate, help you build your RPA bots (or point you to helpful resources), define a clear timeline for completion, and provide ongoing support as needed. Learn more about Thrive Automation’s RPA implementation process.
- How’s their after-sales support? The last thing you need is for an RPA vendor to come in, install the RPA solution, and leave you high and dry afterwards. You want to be able to call them when something breaks, and the right RPA provider still supports you after the sale.
- Can they help me understand my options? A best-in-class RPA provider understands your need to do extensive research before committing to a way forward. To that end, they’ll have all the resources and case studies you need to make the right decision.
Should you hire a freelance RPA developer or an agency RPA service provider?
The choice between hiring RPA developers or agency RPA providers comes down to cost, timelines, expertise, and after-sales customer service.
While freelance RPA developers can assist with the early stages of your RPA migration process, we recommend going with a fully-fledged RPA consulting firm. This is because large RPA service providers can support your end-to-end RPA initiative to drive digital transformation on the underlying systems that power your business.
At Thrive Automation, we’ve helped a wide range of companies including accounting firms, medical practices, manufacturing & import/export companies, e-commerce companies, automotive companies and many, others deploy and migrate RPA systems and can apply our expertise to your situation.
Migrate your RPA platform today
RPA migration can be challenging, but with the right partner in your corner, it becomes one of the most fruitful investments you’ll make for your business. At Thrive Automation, we help Canadian businesses implement and migrate their RPA systems to new platforms successfully.
But not all RPA systems are created equal – and choosing the wrong solution is costly. Find out more about your options in our article outlining different types of RPA solutions on the market. You’ll learn:
- The difference between code-based RPA and no-code RPA solutions
- Four ways RPA bots work
- The difference between attended RPA and unattended RPA – and which one is right for your tasks
- Self-learning RPA: the future of robotic process automation through machine learning and artificial intelligence
Looking for a trusted RPA provider to walk you through the process? We’re just a call away. Contact us today for a commitment-free consultation to learn more about your RPA needs.
