Getting Smart With Business Process Automation:
Integrating Cognitive Tools, Keys to Success and Lessons Learned
SUMMARY
Robotic Process Automation (RPA) tools that execute routine administrative tasks without human intervention are helping enterprises reduce costs, increase productivity and enhance accuracy and auditability. Moreover, integrating basic RPA functionality with more advanced cognitive capabilities can expand the scope of automation and take the benefits of the technology to a new level. But experience shows that automating business processes is not a simple matter of replacing people with intelligent robots. Keys to success include the right methodologies to implement smart tools, effective change management and governance to reengineer processes and redefine human roles, and a Center of Excellence (CoE) structure to focus expertise. Close collaboration with the IT function – often neglected by early adopters – is also imperative.
MAIN TAKEAWAYS
Potential benefits of Robotic Process Automation (RPA) include cost savings and increased productivity – but deploying the tools is more complex than many suggest.
The integration of more advanced cognitive technologies with basic RPA functionality can take automation benefits to a new level.
Keys to effective implementation of RPA include agile methodology, process optimization and a Center of Excellence structure.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Daniela Henriques 
Daniela Henriques is a Shared Service and Business Process Outsourcing Professional with over 16 years of experience. She developed her career leading projects and teams focused on the Transition and Transformation of the Finance process (Procure-to-Pay, Order-to-Cash and Record-to-Report), Human Resource Process (Payroll, EDM, Benefits, Relocation) and System Implementations (ERPs) for Latin America and North America.
Prior to joining Softtek, Daniela worked at General Electric, IBM and EDS (also known as HP Enterprise Services) where she successfully delivered results throughout projects using Lean and Project Management methodologies.
Daniela holds a Bachelor degree in Business Administration and an MBA in Project Management. She is a Project Management Professional as well a Risk Management Professional certified by the Project Management Institute.
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Founded in 1982, Softtek is a global provider of process-driven IT solutions with 30 offices in North America, Latin America, Europe and Asia. With 15 Global Delivery Centers in the U.S., Mexico, China, Brazil, Argentina, Costa Rica, Spain, Hungary and India, Softtek helps improve time-to-business-solution, lower costs of existing applications, deliver better engineered and tested applications, and produce predictable outcomes for top-tier corporations in over 20 countries. Through on-site, on-shore and its trademarked Global Nearshore™ service delivery models, Softtek teams with CIOs to constantly increase the business value of IT. Softtek is the creator and a leader of the nearshore industry.
