In today’s maturing Robotic Process Automation (RPA) market, the enthusiasm surrounding increasingly compelling success stories is tempered somewhat by increasing awareness of potential pitfalls. Consider, for example, the unintended consequences of developing ad hoc pockets of automation
In addition to operational issues, developments in the commercial marketplace also merit attention. As RPA capabilities move from the realm of edgy innovation to table stakes, service providers face growing competitive pressure to include RPA in their portfolio of services or risk being excluded from an opportunity. This can lead to overstating of capabilities and overpromising of results, particularly for incumbents who face the prospect of losing existing revenue to an aggressive RPA pitch.
Indeed, we’ve observed instances of slipshod RPA projects characterized by shortcuts, a lack of IT governance and change control mechanisms, and by haphazard automation of processes that aren’t ready for automation. The result is increased complexity and lack of business value.
For buyers, the lesson is to proceed down the RPA path with a sound strategy backed by careful process analysis and consideration of business impacts and organizational change implications. Be leery of providers who are too quick to say, “Sure, we can automate that!”
