When robots move into the office…

Today there are already plenty of application scenarios – purchasing systems for example – in which standardized and rules-based operations for ordering, delivering and invoicing are the norm. If RPA is in use here, a human need only intervene in complex individual cases and the human effort required is significantly reduced. This type of mass-execution of procedures, which constantly repeats itself, is found in many companies and also banks and insurers. One can even imagine the use of RPA in the maintenance of computers or entire server parks. It is not for nothing that we speak here of an attack on the long tail of IT applications. This opens up completely new areas for the digitization of company processes and entire business models.

In order that the use of such software robots works and really can reduce the burden of routine tasks, it is, as already mentioned, necessary to find out in detail exactly what an administrative worker is doing and which individual processes they are conducting. Based on this so-called “desktop activity mining” granular process models are created. And by the way, this step alone can already lead to process improvements – long before RPA is brought into use. In so doing, for example, best practices can be determined by comparing multiple workstations conducting the same tasks, which then leads to new, more efficient standards for all involved.

Naturally, an RPA system is one which needs to be developed. Using desktop activity mining, a reliable model must be generated in order that it can be completely automated and then executed by the use of software robots. If this process is combined with continuous process mining, as known also from the business process management approach, then continual improvement of all process steps can be guaranteed.

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