RPA implementation: a step-by-step plan from process analysis to go-live
The decision has been made: you want to get started with software robots. You know which processes take up time and you have an idea of what automation will deliver. Now the question is how to go about it. Because RPA implementation is about more than installing a piece of software. The success of your first robot depends above all on the preparation, the choice of process and the agreements you make about management.
Before you start: goal, team and support
Many organisations want to build a robot straight away. That is understandable, but the time you put into preparation pays you back twice over later. Make sure three things are clear before you tackle the first process.
A concrete goal
What do you want to achieve? "Working more efficiently" is too vague. Formulate a measurable goal, for example: halving the processing time of purchase invoices, or letting the back office keep pace with growth without extra staff. A concrete goal will help you choose the right process and measure the result. You can read how to express that result in money in RPA costs and ROI.
The right team
An RPA project is not just an IT project. You need different people, each with their own role.
| Role | Responsibility |
|---|---|
| Sponsor | Safeguards the goal, frees up budget and makes decisions |
| Process owner | Knows the process, is responsible for the robot's results |
| Key user | Currently does the work, provides input for the analysis and tests the robot |
| RPA developer | Builds, tests and documents the robot; often the implementation partner |
| IT and security | Arranges access, accounts and infrastructure, and checks security |
In an SME, one person can fill several roles. That is fine, as long as it is clear who is responsible for what.
Support among employees
Automation raises questions. What does this mean for my job? Be open about this from the start. Explain which tasks the robot will take over and what employees will do with the time that frees up.
Actively involve the key users in the analysis and testing. They know exactly where the bottlenecks are, and their involvement greatly increases acceptance.
RPA step-by-step plan: how to implement your first robot
The step-by-step plan below is a proven approach for organisations implementing RPA for the first time. Each step builds on the previous one.
-
Take stock of processes and select one
Together with the departments, make a list of tasks that take a lot of time, occur frequently and follow fixed rules. Above all, ask the people who do the work; they know best which chores they want to get rid of. In RPA examples you will find 15 processes for inspiration.
Assess each candidate on a few criteria: how much time does it take, how often does it occur, how many exceptions are there and how stable are the systems involved? For your first robot, choose the process with the best balance between gain and simplicity. A quick win builds confidence and support.
-
Analyse and document the process
In the process analysis, you record step by step how the process currently runs. Which systems are opened, which data is transferred, which decisions are made and which exceptions occur? The result is a process description that serves as the blueprint for the robot.
This is also the moment to take a critical look. Are all the steps still needed? Can you simplify or cut anything? If you automate an inefficient process, you get a fast inefficient process. A few extra hours of analysis will save you a lot of maintenance later.
In this step, also record how you will measure success. Note the current lead time, the time per task and the number of errors. You will need this baseline later to show what the robot delivers.
-
Choose the RPA software
With the process description in hand, you know which systems the robot needs to operate and what it must be able to do. That helps you choose the right RPA software. Look at how well it fits your existing systems, ease of use, security and the total costs over a few years.
If you work with Zoho One, Zoho RPA is the obvious choice. It is included in your subscription at no extra charge, connects to the Zoho apps and also works in Windows applications, web portals and Excel. For processes in which robots and employees work closely together, Collabotics is a strong option. You will find all the selection criteria in Choosing RPA software.
-
Build the software robot as a proof of concept
Build the first robot as a proof of concept. You automate the main path of the process, the route that is followed in most cases. At this stage, you still pass exceptions on to an employee. That way you quickly see whether the approach works, without spending weeks on rare situations.
When building a software robot, pay attention to a few things:
- Use fixed reference points. Have the robot recognise fields and buttons by stable attributes, not by a position on the screen.
- Build in error handling. What should the robot do if a screen does not load or a field is empty? Define when it tries again and when it sends an alert.
- Log every step. That way you can see afterwards exactly what the robot did and where anything went wrong.
- Document. A short description of what the robot does, which systems it uses and who owns it makes management a lot easier later on.
If the proof of concept works to your satisfaction, you extend the robot step by step with the most important exceptions. You can find more background on best practices for building and rolling out robots in a knowledge article from UiPath.
-
Test in a safe environment
A robot that makes mistakes in production does so at lightning speed and on a large scale. Testing is therefore not an afterthought, but one of the most important steps in implementing RPA.
Ideally, test in a test environment with data that resembles the real situation. Run through three types of test:
- Functional test. Does the robot do what it should in a normal case?
- Exception test. How does it respond to unusual situations, such as a missing field, a duplicate invoice or a system that does not respond?
- Acceptance test. The key users check the results and give their approval. They know the process and see straight away if something is not right.
Only when all three tests have been passed is the robot ready to go live.
-
Go-live and aftercare
Do not go fully live in one go. Let the robot run under supervision for the first few weeks, for example on part of the volume or with an extra check by an employee. That way you catch any problems before they have an impact.
During this aftercare period, you monitor the robot closely. How many tasks does it process, how many does it pass on and how often does it get stuck? Compare the results with your baseline. After a few weeks of stable running, you can scale back the supervision and hand over the full volume.
RPA governance: agreements that keep your robot healthy
A robot that is live is not finished. Systems change, processes are adjusted and volumes grow. RPA governance is the set of agreements about who does what, how you implement changes and how you keep the robots under control. Without those agreements, alerts are left unanswered and robots slowly become outdated.
Good RPA governance answers at least these questions:
What happens if a robot gets stuck?
With RPA, getting stuck is not an exception, but something you need to be prepared for. A well-built robot recognises that something is going wrong, records where it left off and sends an alert.
The administrator looks for the cause, such as a changed screen or an expired password, and adjusts the robot. Tasks that were left in the meantime are then processed after all. With monitoring and clear agreements, a fault is usually resolved within a short time.
An RPA implementation that is GDPR-compliant
A robot logs in to systems and works with data, often including personal data of customers or employees. So treat the robot as an employee with access rights, and apply the same care.
Why RPA projects fail, and how to prevent it
Not every RPA project is a success. The cause rarely lies with the technology. Usually it goes wrong in the approach. These are the pitfalls we come across most often in practice.
| Pitfall | What happens | How to prevent it |
|---|---|---|
| Wrong process chosen | Too complex, too many exceptions or too little volume | Select on both gain and simplicity, start with a quick win |
| No process improvement up front | An inefficient process gets automated | Simplify first, then automate |
| Starting too big | Ten processes at once, delays and frustration | Start with one process and scale up |
| No owner | Alerts are left unanswered, the robot becomes outdated | Appoint a process owner for each robot |
| Little support | Employees work against the robot or bypass it | Involve key users from the start |
| No management agreements | A system update unexpectedly brings the robot to a halt | Set out governance and change management in advance |
What stands out: almost all these pitfalls arise before the first line of the robot has been built. Good preparation is therefore the best guarantee of a successful RPA implementation.
After RPA implementation: scaling up from one robot to several
Is your first robot running reliably and can you see the result in the figures? Then it is time for the next step. Scaling up works best if you take the lessons from your first project with you.
Want to go back to the basics first? On our page about robotic process automation you can read how the technology works. And if you are not sure whether it pays off for your organisation, RPA for SMEs will help you further.
-
Reuse what works
Parts of your first robot, such as logging in to a system or reading a particular screen, can often be reused. That makes every next robot faster and cheaper.
-
Keep a pipeline
Put all process ideas on a single list and assess them on the same criteria as in your first selection. That way you are always working on the process with the most value.
-
Centralise knowledge
As the number of robots grows, it pays to bring the knowledge together. In larger organisations, that happens in a central team. In an SME, it can also be a single point of contact, supported by your implementation partner.
-
Look beyond RPA
With more robots, you also come to see that some processes are better served by an API integration, a low-code application or AI. The combination of those technologies is called hyperautomation. You can read how to take that step in Hyperautomation: RPA, AI and process management combined.
We started with one process and got that right first. After that, the second process went a lot faster.
Start your RPA implementation with Mobile XL
RPA implementation does not have to be a large or risky project. With a clear goal, the right first process and good agreements about management, your first robot will be live within a few weeks, and you immediately lay the foundation for further growth.
Mobile XL guides you through all six steps. We analyse your processes, choose together the RPA software that fits your systems, build and test the robot and set up the management so that you will benefit from it for years. Secure, GDPR-compliant and tailored to the scale of your organisation.
Frequently asked questions about RPA implementation
-
A first, simple robot can be live within a few weeks, including analysis, build and test. Processes that run through several systems or have many exceptions take more time.
-
Start with a concrete goal and an inventory of processes. Ask the people who do the work which tasks take a lot of time and follow fixed rules. From those, choose the process with the best balance between gain and simplicity.
-
At the very least a sponsor, a process owner, one or more key users who currently do the work, an RPA developer and someone from IT or security. In an SME, one person can fill several roles.
-
A proof of concept is a first version of the robot that only automates the main path of the process. That way you quickly see whether the approach works. You then extend the robot step by step with exceptions.
-
Test in a safe environment with realistic data. Run a functional test, a test with exceptions and an acceptance test by the key users. Only when all three pass does the robot go live.
-
RPA governance is the set of agreements on ownership, alerts, changes, access and reporting. Without those agreements, faults are left unresolved and robots become outdated. Good governance keeps your robots reliable.
-
A well-built robot records where it left off and sends an alert. The administrator fixes the cause, such as a changed screen or expired password, after which the tasks that were left are processed after all.
-
Store login credentials encrypted, give the robot only the permissions it needs, log all actions and do not store unnecessary data. Set out agreements with your implementation partner in a data processing agreement.
-
Usually because of the approach, not the technology. Well-known causes are choosing the wrong process, starting too big, having no owner, little support and missing agreements about management.
-
Reuse parts of your first robot, keep a list of new process ideas, bring the knowledge together with a fixed point of contact and also look at other technologies such as API integrations and AI.
Ready for your first robot?
Book a no-obligation consultation with one of our specialists.