At PAteam, broadly speaking, we engage with two types of potential clients – those that ‘get’ RPA and those that don’t. Much of the trouble we have in showing our customers when to use RPA stems from them thinking of it as a fix all – which just isn’t the case.

Understanding the real value of RPA – including how and when to use it – is part of the journey we take new clients on.

Let’s get a quick glimpse of what the value is.

Three Variables

Because of the cool name and wider attention RPA, as well as AI and HyperAutomation now are getting, businesses are looking to engage with the technology from the perspective of fundamental business goals. Things like how much money can it save us and how will it help us scale? While RPA can definitely save money and help a business scale, it can only do so if applied in the right way, to the right task.

Let’s keep it simple for now. RPA ROI comes down to a basic formula – Volume x Time x Cost.

• Volume is the amount of a task that you already carry out that can also be automated.
• Time is how long it takes to complete one task
• Cost is your outlay for that task, not just the hourly fee of the employee.

While this is a little simplistic and can be expanded on, these three variables are what you should consider first when looking at the use of RPA in your business.

We’ve actually put together a far more comprehensive calculator here which you can check out to get a better idea of the savings you might expect to find in your own business. Or if you want an overview of automation adoption then check out the journey we’ve mapped for people wanting to know more.

Good Value

In the applications we develop here at PAteam, ROI usually comes between the magical numbers of 9 and 12 months – so RPA should very much be seen as an short-term investment rather than a quick fix. Clients are getting more concerned that they aren’t seeing a return even quicker; but we always remind them that this is a solution for their future, and it is only the start. The cost savings will compound and the bot will provide more and more value as time goes on.

Ultimately, RPA is a Swiss Army Knife and can be used to tackle a whole host of problems. At PAteam we believe in finding the right solution to a problem – not just shoehorning AI into your process. We help customers understand their problem, the ways that we can solve it, and what they can expect to get from their investment. We don’t just sell tech – we sell solutions.

If you want to know more about what’s out there in the world of RPA then get in touch. We’d love to chat and find out how we can help.