In order to implement RPA “the smart way” and take the most advantage of it, you should be aware of the robotic process automation pitfalls from the very beginning.

We must all acknowledge and take seriously the fallibility of our endeavours, and, consequently, we should not allow ourselves to indulge in surreal expectations. The simple truth is that sometimes projects fail, for a very large number of reasons. According to IBM Systems Magazine, up to 25% of technological projects fail downright, while up to half of them require extensive revisions by the time they are set to go.

Bernard Marr writes in Forbes adds that more than half of the technological failures are in fact due to poor management, and only 3% are caused by technical problems. DIfficulties may also arise from not choosing the right processes to automate.Here are 8 questions to ask that should ease decision making in this regard.

So let us now delve a little deeper into potential robotic process automation pitfalls and corresponding means to avoid them in the course of implementing RPA.

Forethought is definitely needed for good results and successful RPA implementation. Of course you should first spell out what ‘successful’ means; but for now, let us tackle the question about what could go wrong during the implementation of your software robots. Here is a list of 7 aspects that ought to be considered and/or avoided if you want to stay safe from robotic process automation pitfalls.

1. Not choosing the right processes to automate in the beginning

This refers to picking the process that is most appropriate for an effective start of using automation in your business. By no means should you neglect a thorough, exhaustive and, of course, realistic evaluation of the tasks that may be passed on to robots. You do not want to start automating the wrong things, resulting in difficult to manage workflows.

A piece of advice courtesy of Cem Dilmegani, CEO at appliedAI, is that you should consider features like, for example, the process complexity and its business impact. Briefly put, you should perform a cost - benefit analysis of automating the candidate processes, based on what you consider to be your top goals.

2. Trying to implement robotic process automation on your own

You probably know this by now, otherwise you wouldn’t be reading this: RPA provides highly technical ways to carry out faster and more efficiently the dull jobs that would cause your employees unnecessary distress, boredom and fatigue. Precisely because of the high level of technicality, it is not at all advisable that you attempt to carry out the implementation process on your own.

Division of labour is with us for good reasons, so you must not forget to delegate the responsibility of implementation to the specialists who can best handle it. Tony Warren, executive vice president, head of strategy and solutions management at FIS, mentions things like “technical maintenance, operational monitoring and the appropriate change management procedures” among the RPA services that call for the right level of expertise, which specialist implementation navigators possess.

3. Not setting clear objectives for your automation strategy

This is a more general rule of thumb: it is vital that your business objectives, as well as the role that you expect RPA to play in getting there, are crystal clear.

What do you need RPA for?

Relatedly, which software provider is likely to do the best job for what you need?

While uncertainties in these respects are likely to be burdensome, definite answers to such questions will facilitate a smooth transition to delegating the tedious, repetitive tasks in your business to software robots.