Performing the same tasks every day leads to boredom. A bored team cannot be productive, especially in the E-Commerce sector where there are several tasks like report generation, data entry, inventory management, etc., that can be automated. That’s where Robotic Process Automation (RPA) comes into play. It automates these tasks and frees up your team to let them focus on more critical matters. However, RPA is not a silver bullet. There are some common Dos and Don’ts to take care of while using robotic process automation to maximise your ROI. Let’s dig deep into them.
Dos
- Do choose the right process to automate: Not all processes of a business are suitable for automation. When selecting the processes to automate, look for those that are repetitive, rule-based, and time-consuming. This is similar to choosing the right tools for any job, from home repair or a paint job to more. With the wrong tools in your hand, completing the job efficiently and effectively would not be possible.
- Do involve stakeholders early in the process: RPA is a team sport. Keep stakeholders like your users, IT, and RPA experts connected while planning and incorporating your RPA solutions. It’s like building a home for everyone in the family. If you don’t ask every member for their input, you’ll end up having a residence with unhappy family members.
- Do use a proven RPA platform: There are many different RPA platforms available, but you need to pick one that’s credible, tried and tested, and has a positive track record in the E-Commerce sector. It is similar to buying a new car from a reputable dealer. Ensuring due diligence while making a choice ensures that you will get a quality product that is going to stay with you for a long time.
- Do test your RPA solutions thoroughly: Before deploying your RPA solutions, make sure to test them thoroughly to ensure that they are working correctly. You can think of it like driving your new car around before taking it on a long road trip, where you try to explore the car to get a hands-on experience and learn more about it in depth. The right RPA has the potential to revolutionise E-Commerce businesses.
- Do monitor your RPA solutions closely: Once your RPA solutions are deployed, you need to monitor them closely to ensure that they are performing as expected. You can think of this as similar to how you get your car serviced at regular intervals. With this step, you can make sure that everything is working well and that any issue detected is resolved promptly.
Don’ts
- Don’t automate the wrong processes: As mentioned above, not all processes are suitable for automation. Automating the wrong processes can lead to a waste of resources.
- Don’t neglect stakeholder involvement: Stakeholder involvement is essential for the success of any RPA project. While making any decisions regarding your RPA project, make sure you are involving all stakeholders to avoid any future disagreements.
- Don’t use a poorly designed RPA platform: A poorly designed RPA platform can make it difficult to automate your processes and can lead to failure.
- Don’t skip the testing phase: Testing is essential to ensure that your RPA solutions are working correctly. Don’t skip this step.
- Don’t neglect monitoring: Once your RPA solutions are deployed, you need to monitor them closely to make sure they are performing as expected.
Final Remarks: Let’s Wrap It Up
You must understand that Robotic Process Automation, or RPA, is not a one-stop solution to all your problems. Before deploying it in your company, explore it thoroughly, understand the capabilities of the technology, and find out its place in your business. The better you understand the ask of your business from RPA, the better control you will have over it. So, use it wisely since it has the ability to do more in less time, increase your productivity, and eliminate errors, ultimately maximising your E-Commerce business ROI.