A.D.A.M. — The Four Phases to Full Lifecycle Process Management for Business Automation

Robotic Process Automation (RPA) is the outsourcing of repetitive tasks and sequences to a robot-in-training, that helps to evolve business workflows and processes for greater speed and data accuracy. Organizations who have already embraced automation have likely realized these output increases, in addition to significant cost-savings and improvements to their employees’ experience and productivity—boosting the overall customer experience as a result. However, as with any business transformation, it can be difficult to ascertain where specifically to deploy RPA and how to manage it once it’s in place.

A.D.A.M., our methodology to full lifecycle process management, enables a path forward that simplifies the business automation process as much as possible, by categorizing four specific phases—Assess, Develop, Adapt, Maintain. The best part is that each phase can be executed separately, altogether, or in various configurations depending on the specific business need:

1. ASSESS
   Typically, the first stage in any process, assessment is a chance for customers to gain a better understanding of RPA’s value and how it could be applied within their organization—often resulting in the desire to use software bots in some form. From there, our experts hold sessions with key business leaders to discuss the desired outcome from the troubled workflow(s) or process(es), collaboratively developing a custom roadmap. Once it’s been determined if full or partial automation is needed and where it is most appropriate, we make sure to lay out a high-level project plan for how to move forward.
2. DEVELOP
   This phase is where we help customers with their RPA Environment Setup—designing exactly how the bot will automate the process and then developing the actual bots that will support the automation. The development phase includes multiple test cycles to determine that everything is in working order and the detailed supporting documents outline all the designs, test results, and overall deployment.
3. ADAPT
   Like all digital transformation projects, for business automation to be successful, user adoption and understanding is vital. Adapting to RPA can be challenging for some users, which is why we focus on two main areas: Change Impact Analysis and Change Impact Resolution to help everyone adjust to the changes following the introduction of new software bots. Starting with Change Impact Analysis, we determine if there is fear of change within the organization, resistance, or fatigue. Once we have a better understanding, we apply Change Impact Resolution, working together with customers to create learning aids and training materials that help demonstrate the ease of use, the process improvement advantages and how users can better leverage their time savings. We never want an employee to be fearful of losing their job due to a new RPA implementation or overwhelmed at the prospect of working with new tech they don’t understand. Afterall, the main goal of using automation in the first place is to help empower both the organization and its employees.
4. MAINTAIN
   The final phase is maintenance. After the new automated bots are deployed, and all users are comfortable and confident, having received necessary trainings to help prepare, we provide Hypercare support to make sure everything is working smoothly after the implementation and training processes are complete. This constitutes 24/7 maintenance and monitoring for your automation environment, rapid resolution of any issues that arise, and speedy responses to queries via the service request system. On average, we typically see the highest use of Hypercare in the first two weeks, after which any kinks tend to be ironed out, and business workflows start to hum.

Why Automate with Apps?

From end-to-end, or whatever state of the journey you happen to be in, A.D.A.M. lifecycle process management is all in one: one vendor for assessment, implementation, maintenance, and any additional training in-between. Further, we have deep expertise with many of the leading RPA tools, including: UIPath, Automation Anywhere, and Microsoft Power Automate. With this range of options to choose from when working with Apps, you are guaranteed a flexible and customized solution tailored to your specific needs, with continued expert guidance from our team after the implementation.

At the end of the day, your decision to implement RPA should come after a careful assessment that leaves you feeling it will improve your employees’ satisfaction and increase efficiencies for your organization: streamlining mundane routines and repeatable tasks to improve productivity and reduce costs.

We consider the numerous testimonials from our customers to be the best indicator of our expertise in successful RPA implementations, and have seen how RPA can make an organization more agile, efficient and profitable—and with happier employees. If you’re unsure about your next steps toward automation and if it’s the right move for your business, our experts can help you make a more informed decision.

Wondering if RPA is right for you? Learn more about where to start on our website: https://www.appsassociates.com/expertise/automation/