There is no end to the blogs and articles written on the technical capabilities and challenges around RPA implementation and use. There are also plenty of articles about selling RPA and how the market will grow astronomically in the coming years; but what has surprised me most on our journey when selling, implementing and using RPA – is the shift we have seen in our clients concerning the value RPA brings.
Traditionally, initial sales focus on how it can reduce costs and increase throughput. As the market continues to mature, we have seen a shift in this focus. Once a customer has implemented RPA, they now see quality and productivity as the main benefits for its use. To our surprise, cost reduction is becoming a less important factor. I’m not saying that cost reduction won’t continue to open new doors, but it seems that is it no longer the largest benefit. Implementing RPA does allow cost-cutting, but it seems naïve to see the technology only from that viewpoint.
As the capabilities of RPA are better understood by clients, there is a natural maturity and appreciation of what can be done and the advantages it can offer. As that grows, its true value becomes more pronounced and the simple benefits of cost reduction become less and less of a pull. This is not just the experience of myself and the team I work with but is born out in several papers and articles.
One paper ranked the benefits of RPA:
- Increase Productivity
- Better Quality
- Stronger Competitive Market Position
- Higher Customer Satisfaction
- Greater Speed
- Greater Employee Satisfaction (reduction of mundane tasks)
- Improved Compliance
- Fewer Errors
- Higher Revenue Generation
- Reduced Costs
Though cost reduction may lead to new opportunities, it’s importance will soon defer to other long-lasting benefits (productivity, quality, customer satisfaction) as the technology becomes better understood.
