Due to globalization, companies today are subject to much greater competitive pressure than 10-15 years ago. The reasons for this lie, for example, in the disruptive business models of American high-tech companies or the rampant brand piracy caused by Asian market players. In many cases, the aim is to become more innovative, but in many cases European products are generally good, but too expensive compared to competitors in the Far East. In addition, there is the feeling that the dependency of supply chains on Asian suppliers has become too great in recent years. On the other hand, it is often difficult to find suitable skilled workers in Europe. This mixed situation leads to the decision to rethink value chains and optimize processes where possible.
If a company has identified a specific need for improvement, the do-nothing alternative is always the worst of all options and this is also where the greatest risk lurks, as the situation will not improve on its own.
It is now well known that the use of RPA technology is a way of relieving the company of simple, highly monotonous tasks, for example, and thus increasing the availability potential for its own employees. Nevertheless, it is not advisable to jump on the automation bandwagon of manufacturers too quickly. The risk of approaching such an RPA implementation project too much from a technological perspective is too high. If, for example, the right process is not selected for automation, there is a risk that the planned cost savings cannot be realized. In this case, the company will quickly become disillusioned because the immature technology may be blamed for the failure.
This approach can be dangerous if the fears of the workforce are not sufficiently addressed. If the goals of the initiative are not communicated sufficiently within the company, the project is quickly equated with rationalization, which means job losses. Supporting an RPA project with an appropriate communication and change management initiative is crucial here. It is also inadvisable to involve suppliers and customers in the process changes too early and process errors become visible to them, e.g. because delivery reliability is impaired.
To avoid such risks, CTI Consulting offers its customers a customized approach to identify the right processes with the greatest potential for automation.
The framework also offers a range of approaches to mitigate the aforementioned risks, such as work packages for targeted communication or change management. Our experience is that risks can be largely minimized by choosing the right measures. On this basis, it is possible to lead the RPA initiative to the desired success.