Module: Process Methodologies and Planning:

Lean,
Six Sigma,
Applying Lean and Six Sigma to RPA,
Planning:ROI for RPA,
Agile technology for RPA
Relationship between RPA and Workload Automation
Self Learning Topics: Other relevant architectural views
Module 2B
Factors to consider for process automation
• What is the degree of automation in your department?
• What works already? Why?
• What is falling short?
• What processes can be improved? And can automation help?
• What are the processes that are repetitive and routine? How many people
are involved?
• The time spent on the processes?
• What technologies have not worked in the past? Why?
• What is the general sentiment about automation? Is there resistance to
this? Might employees fear for their jobs?
Structure of workshop for RPA implementation
• Introduction to software bots and automation: This is a general primer on
RPA and how it is used. There is also coverage of different use cases that are
relevant to the client’s industry.
• Process Automation Identification and Elaboration: This involves group
activities to produce ideas to identify areas to automate. By doing this, you
can have a white board or wall where you pin them. After some discussion,
the team can then score the ideas (in terms of feasibility, cost, and potential
return), such as by voting.
• Discussion and Validation: This is another interactive discussion. You can
divide the group into different teams and then present and validate the
ideas.
Areas that are right for RPA
• Tedious work: It’s the kind of activity that requires little knowledge. This could be cutand-paste and clicking a variety of buttons. Let’s
face it, do you want to pay a talented employee do such mundane things?
• Time-consuming: Which types of processes result in late outcomes? This could be, say, for creating a report or doing end-of-quarter
processing.
• Repetitive: The process has a set of steps that rarely change. This is ideal for the mechanical approach of RPA.
• Frequency: To get real value, the process is something that is recurring. This may be where a person engages in the activity a few times
a week.
• Rules-Based: This is because RPA allows you to easily create workflows, which have features like IF/Then logic to carryout actio ns on a
consistent basis.
• Clearly Defined Processes: You want to make sure you have some basic metrics, such as the number of steps or a flow chart.
• High-Volume: Such activities can be problems for workers. But of course, software is spot-on for handling high-speed processes.
• Prone to Error: Are there areas where data input errors are common?
• API: If an API is not available, then the process could be a good candidate for RPA automation.
• Customization : True, your apps may allow for this. But it is costly. You may have to pay fees for the vendor as well as for hiring third-
parties. In other words, the RPA option could be more cost-effective.
• Sensitive Data: Access to employees is certainly a risk. But with part of a well-defined RPA bot, you should have much better
protection of the data.
• Scale: If you do not want to hire more people to ramp up operations – because the current IT setup is fairly rigid – then RPA could be a
good option.
• Organization: Look for areas within a company where there are persistent silos and bottlenecks.
What is ROI
• ROI stands for Return on Investment. It's a financial metric that measures
the profitability of an investment by comparing its gain or loss to its cost.
ROI is expressed as a percentage.

• What is ROI used for?

➢Evaluating investments: ROI is a tool for assessing the potential returns from
investments like stocks or business ventures.
➢Measuring marketing effectiveness: ROI can be used to measure how much revenue
a marketing campaign generates compared to the money spent on it.
➢Gauging business viability: ROI is a tool for assessing the viability of business
ventures.
Return on Investment (ROI)
ROI for RPA
ROI for RPA
• Example: Suppose you want to automate the invoicing process, and it
requires four FTEs who are paid $20 per hour. They work on the process 40
hours a week. Thus, the total labor costs will come to $166,400 per year.
• As for the RPA system, it has reduced the costs by 60% or to $58,240 per
year – which puts the net gain at $108,160 ($166,400 minus $58,240).
• Next, the annual costs of the RPA system are $80,000. This means that the
ROI is as follows:
Year Amount Saved ROI
1 $108,160 35.2%
2 $216,320 170%
3 $324,480 306%
• In this example, this project would certainly be a big winner.
Areas to look for other than ROI in RPA Implementation
• Accuracy: What has been the decline in errors compared to handling the process in a
manual way? Also, is the data quality better because there are fewer mistakes with data
input?
• Customer Satisfaction: Has there been an improvement? One common metric to look at
is the Customer Satisfaction Score (CSAT), which is a customer survey that asks, “How
satisfied were you with your experience?” Or you could use the Net Promoter Score
(NPS). This shows a customer’s interest in recommending a company’s product or service
– and the index ranges from –100 to 100.
• Agility: How fast is the process now? After all, a bot can work at high-speed on a 24/7
basis.
• Employee Satisfaction: You can send out a periodic survey to see if there has been an
improvement. Furthermore, look to see if absenteeism and turnover rates have dropped.
• Innovation: With the RPA handling mundane tasks, has there been more time for
employees to provide higher added value? Are they creating new approaches or
innovations?
• Analytics: You can get better tracking of your processes, which can provide even more
insights on what areas to improve upon.
Agile, Scrum, Kanban, and Waterfall
• In today’s world, software development has become even more difficult because of the
emergence of new platforms like the cloud and the hybrid cloud. Some software management
approaches are as follows:
• Agile: The focus of this was to allow for incremental and iterative development, which begins with
a detailed plan. This also requires much communication across the teams and should involve
people from the-business side of the organization. Nowadays, Agile has gotten easier because of
the of the emergence of sophisticated technologies like Slack and Zoom that help with
collaboration. “
• Scrum: This is a subset of Agile. But the iterations are done as quick sprints, which may last a
week or two. This can help with the momentum of a project but also make a larger project more
manageable (just as a side note: Scrum was first used for manufacturing, but it was later found to
work quite well with software development).
• Kanban: This comes from the Japanese word for visual sign or card (the roots of the system go
back to Toyota’s high-quality manufacturing processes). With Kanban, there is the use of visuals to
help streamline the process. The general approach is similar to Agile as there is iterative
development.
• Waterfall: This is the traditional code development model. The waterfall model is a structured
plan that goes over each step in much detail. To help this along, there may be the use of a project
management tool, say, a Gantt chart. While the waterfall approach has its advantages, it’s not
used as a preferred software management approach. Some of the reasons are as follows: It can
be tough to make changes, the process can be tedious, and there is often a risk of a project being
late.
Agile Approach for RPA implementation
• Lot of organizations executes automation programs in the agile mode. The schedule is broken up into a series of sprints, with each
sprint running over 8-10 weeks covering business analysis, bot design, bot development, unit testing and UAT.
• Each sprint can have one or more automation pods. Each pod has 3 automation developers working as a team on a set of logicall y
related processes. One pod can automate 3-5 processes in one sprint. So, if a sprint has 2 pods, it can automate 6-10 processes.
• In addition to the pod(s), the sprint team typically includes the following resources (shared across the pods).
• A Team lead (TL) with end-to-end responsibility for all the pods.
• A Solution Architect (SA) who helps the automation developers to develop the optimal automation solution for each process.
• One or more Business Analysts (BAs) who help in creating the Process Description Documents (PDDs) & Solution Design Documents
(SDDs).
• One or more Quality Assurance (QA) lead(s) who help the pod teams in testing the bots.
• Production support team members who get added to the team after the completion of the first sprint for on -going support of the bots
as they go into production.
• This approach ensures that:
✓ Sets of 3-5 bots are going into production every 8 weeks or so. The program can be scaled up to deliver more bots in each sprint by simply adding
more pods.
✓ Related processes can be grouped logically into a pod so that they can be analyzed, designed and built together.
✓ This minimizes the amount of time that process SMEs must spend with the automation team for the business analysis (related processes can be
covered in one workshop by the same SMEs).
✓ It also ensures that bots are smartly designed with a layered/ componentized architecture (as common elements across related processes can be
built as reusable components).
Sprint
• Each sprint comprises of the following sequence of activities

The Business Analysis Phase is usually the first two weeks of each sprint, during which the RPA team gets a
detailed understanding of the as-is processes from the client’s process SMEs.
Analysis & Design
Process Walkthrough
• A Process Walkthrough is a discussion between the process SME(s) and the BA(a) to
understand the as-is process in detail. Process walkthroughs need to be scheduled with the
relevant SME(s) for each process.
• The SME(s) should document the step-by-step flow of the process in a process mapping tool
and share it with the RPA team before the walkthrough.
• During the walkthrough session:
• The SME(s) give the RPA team a live demo of how the process is carried out as of today.
• The SME(s) walk through all the different scenarios/ variations to the “happy path”.
• The SME(s) walk through the various errors/ exceptions that are known to occur during the
process and how they are to be handled.
• The SME(s) identify all the applications/ technologies used in the process.
• After the walkthrough session RPA team prepares the Process Description Document (PDD)
and shares it with the SME(s) for their review to ensure all the steps, variations, exceptions
etc. are fully captured. Once the SME(s) sign off on the PDD document and starts
developing the automation solution (SDD) for the process based on the same.
Analysis & Design (Contd.)
Bot Design
• Bot design process involves Solution Architects (SAs) analyzing the as-is process flow and
designing the to-be (automated) process and high-level bot structure in an SDD
document. This phase will also involve some discussion with SME(s) if there are parts of
the process that have feasibility challenges like usage of dynamically generated one-time-
passwords (OTPs).
• Below are some of the best practices for bot design:
✓ Utilize the standard structure of one master bot with several sub-bots to ensure modularization of
bots
✓ Use Single Responsibility Principle i.e. each logically separate functionality of the process or bot should
be encapsulated in one sub-bot
✓ Ensure usage of standard re-usable components from common repository like for error-handling, login
to a common application like Service-Now etc.
✓ Ensure the bots take care of not just the happy path or automated part of process but also the
exception scenarios i.e. inform and enable the process SMEs to handle exception scenarios in case
those need to be addressed manually
✓ Ensure the bots are designed to handle the volume of transactions in the given SLA window i.e. if the
volume of transactions is high the bot might need to be logically broken up for load balancing and
parallel execution from multiple runners
✓ Collaborate with process SMEs to design the to-be process if changes are expected in up-stream or
down-stream parts of the business process/ underlying applications
Bot Development
Automation Pods (teams of 3 automation developers) work with SAs and BAs to understand the
process & bot design and develop bots as per the requirements. Deliverables that are created as part
of the bot development are:
• Technical design document (TDD): Detailed document about the bot code including the pseudo
code
• Peer-review sign-off: Every bot is peer reviewed by another automation developer to ensure that
coding guidelines are being followed
• QA sign-off: Internal testing by QA team ensures that bot meets functional and technical
requirements
• Below are some of the coding best practices for development of bots:
✓ Use configuration file for all the environment level settings to ensure no changes are required in bot code for migration of
bot from dev to UAT & from UAT to prod
✓ No hard coding of paths, file names, URLs, etc.
✓ Ensure usage of comments to explain the code as much as possible
✓ Two types of logs need to be created for different audiences:
➢ Process log: For the process SMEs to know the functional progress of the bot and exceptions that might need to be handled.
➢ Technical log: For the support team to troubleshoot in case of failure.
✓ Ensure standard naming convention for variables, folder structure, config files, input and output files
✓ Ensure error handling at two levels 1) enclose the whole code in an error handling block and 2) every critical part of the
bot in its individual error handling block
✓ Use credential vault or encrypted store for credentials or other information that needs to be secure
User Acceptance Testing (UAT)
• Business Analysts (BAs) co-ordinate with Process SMEs to conduct UAT sessions of
the bots. The process involves running the bot as a demo to the SMEs for them to
visually see the bot in action and then review the results of the bot execution in
form of processed transactions and process logs generated as part of the
execution.
• Below are some of the best practices for UAT:
✓Ensure the test of exception scenarios in addition to the happy path scenarios.
✓Conduct the UAT execution of the bot from control room instead of developer’s
workstation/VDI.
✓Plan to make sure SMEs have time and bandwidth to create the test data for all the test
scenarios.
✓Ensure access to UAT systems is gained well before the bots are ready to go into UAT to avoid
delays.
✓Document any changes/ defects discovered during the UAT session and if possible,
communicate the timeline for the fix to ensure availability of test data and SMEs for next UAT
session.
Bot Deployment
Bot deployment is one of the topics that is often ignored till the last minute and should be considered early in the
process to avoid implementation delays and improve reliability of bots as they move to production. It is important
make sure that bots follow well defined bot promotion process as they move from Dev to UAT and to Production
environments. Work with client to finalize the bot deployment process in early stages of project.
• Before we move the bots into production, the following points need to be taken into account:
✓ Make sure that bots have been properly tested in UAT environment and have received a UAT sign off
✓ The underlying application environments that the bots' access in UAT need to be different from the environment used during the
development. This confirms that bots are configurable as they move from one environment to another and don’t have hard coded URLs,
application paths etc.
✓ Code review is conducted to make sure development best practices have been followed
✓ Any pop-ups, message boxes that were added as part of the development process are removed
✓ Any application paths, input and output file locations required by the bots have been created and access to these locations has been
tested
✓ Access to applications and systems that bots are going to access has been received
✓ The runner machines have been tested to confirm the applications are accessible from the runner machines
✓ Any installed application that bots use for processing need to be installed on production runner machines before the first production run is
scheduled.
✓ Run-book for production support of the bots is reviewed and a production handover meeting is scheduled.
✓ Bot execution schedule is reviewed and finalized with process SMEs
• As part of the production cut over, the following points need to be taken care of:
✓ All bot dependencies are mapped and migrated as part of the cut-over process
✓ Hand over meeting with production support team is conducted
✓ Production support team is part of the first execution of the bots in production
✓ Bots are scheduled and executed by designated bot promoter/ production support team only to maintain delineation of duty
Why Agile Approach to Automation Drives RPA at Scale?
• Positives
➢ Agile accelerates RPA ROI due to rapid development, deployment, and lean resources.
➢ The Agile team structure and communication dynamics work well for RPA which requires close co-operation between
business and IT.
➢ Short sprints and manageable tasks improve process-measurability and help easily plan for required outcomes in the
forthcoming iteration. This arrangement works very well for RPA which is usually implemented for highly transactional
high-volume tasks. Agile methodology not only delivers the required results but even helps in the creation of reusable
workflows.
➢ Simplifies project execution and status tracking. With Sprint User stories, project progress and velocity are visible to
the entire team increasing co-operation amongst them
➢ Nimbleness: Iterative changes can be incorporated without any fuss.
➢ With agile, a final product concept does not exist at the start of the sprint. Only an MVP (Minimum Viability Product)
proposition exists and is improved upon in each sprint iteratively
➢ There is more room to experiment and a higher failure tolerance with Agile for RPA. This is important as various
process paths may have to be evaluated.
➢ Sprint retrospectives allow teams to examine their RPA effort, take stock of their RPA ability, avoid recurring errors
downstream, and implement best practices.
• Negatives
✓ Security considerations dampen project velocity. That security is not usually factored in the early stages of
development which adds to the problem. Access controls, auditability, data-protection, credential vaults must be
incorporated from the very beginning.
✓ More complex RPA projects require the onboarding of a Solution Architect, specialist developers, and bot
orchestrators increasing team size. There could be 2 or more agile teams but managing the project scope and project
execution becomes more difficult.
Workload automation in ERP
• Workload automation in ERP refers to using specialized software to automatically
schedule and manage repetitive, background tasks within an Enterprise Resource
Planning (ERP) system, allowing for seamless execution of critical business
processes like data updates, inventory checks, financial reporting, and more,
without manual intervention, significantly improving efficiency and reducing
errors across the entire ERP system.
• Key points about workload automation in ERP:
➢Centralized control: A workload automation tool allows you to manage and schedule various
ERP tasks from a single platform, even if they involve different modules within the ERP
system.
➢Cross-system integration: It can orchestrate workflows across multiple systems, including the
ERP, databases, and other external applications, enabling seamless data transfer and
processing.
➢Event-driven automation: Tasks can be triggered based on specific events within the ERP
system, like reaching a certain inventory level or a new customer order being placed.
➢Batch processing: Repetitive tasks like generating reports, updating customer data, or
processing invoices can be grouped and executed in batches at scheduled times.
Benefits of WLA
• WLA increases efficiency due to being more focused on real-time processing
than time-based processing.
• It reduces turnaround time for workflow because it takes very less time.
• WLA predicts the impact of changes and implements accordingly.
• WLA simplifies the complex processes and provides easy to final output.
• It can spot and fix problems in the workloads before they happen.
• It improves decision-making and is cost-effective.
• It increases productivity regardless of dynamic workloads.
• Processes any request and gives fast service.
• WLA reduces errors as it is completely software-based and doesn’t use any
manual or human involvement.
Difference between RPA and WLA
RPA WLA
It is an advanced way to automate repetitive workloads. It is a traditional way of scheduling jobs.
It uses Graphical User Interface (GUI). It uses Applications Programming Interfaces (API).
It works on the user end. It works on the back end.
It doesn’t use scripted languages. It uses scripted languages.
It produces a list of tasks by observing the customer’s It produces a list of actions to automate tasks by observing the
wishes and demands. features added by the developers.
The technical barrier is lower to a higher extent. The technical barrier is comparatively higher.
How Do WLA and RPA Work Together?
• WLA and RPA both have important roles to play in IT — they’re great partners in automation.
• WLA automates the logic of a business process, while RPA automates specific highly repetitive
tasks. When logic-based decision-making is combined with repetitive task execution, the result
is a fully automated IT business process.
• Workload automation and robotic process automation when used together can cater to
creating synergies for your business processes and operations. Robotic Process Automation
relates to that part of the automation software which is focused on replicating human actions
with the help of bots. It is generally associated with the human-machine interactions and is
best suited for the situations where there is a need to manage certain routine tasks over a
manually operated user interface.
• Workload Automation, on the other hand, is the discipline that relates to the management and
performing of business processes, operations, tasks, etc., for the purpose of delivering a certain
business service. The software used for workload automation is particularly more complex and
works in multi-cloud environments using several data sources and other applications.
• So, both workload automation and robotic process automation help you ease out your tasks
and business processes, relieving you from some, or many of your routine jobs and duties so
that you may as well focus on the jobs that are more important and need your attention.
How Integrating WLA and RPA Helps?
• For any business, customer data, information, and other database make up for an asset.
Now consider this, you have a mobile application for selling out your products and
services. Every time a customer uses your mobile application and creates an account
over it, you have valuable information in your system that you need to feed into your
database for its proper management and use. What you can do for the creation of this
database is to use an automated business intelligence tool that pulls the entire data from
the account creation process and feeds it into the database files and systems.
• Now another thing that could be required here would be an analysis of the data
collected and the creation of reports on the customer behavior and patterns. In this
case, you can easily use robotic process automation for interaction between the data
files and interfaces so that the reports are automatically generated with efficient
software with zero chances of discrepancies or errors.
• Basically, this is a simple flow of activities where workload automation has been used for
the creation of database and file structures and simultaneously RPA is used to pull these
files to other systems and create reports for analysis and developing future strategies.
• The need in the entire flow of the process was to have clean, error-free reports and at
the right time. The sweet spot for using RPA came with the need for zero chances of
errors, while the strict timeline requirement made way for workload automation to take
its place. And the results have been an overwhelming response from the customers
because they are getting just what they need.