RPA: which process to start with? 5 criteria for choosing the right first process

Software robots (RPA) carry out the repetitive steps an employee performs on screen: they read from one system, write to another, download files and send emails. Because they work without changing existing software, the investment is low; but not every process is suited to automation.

Five criteria for the first process

• Clear rules: can the steps be written as “if this, then that”? Work that needs interpretation should stay with people.
• Repetitive and high-volume: a job done once a week is not worth writing a robot for; one done dozens of times a day is.
• Digital input: is the data on screen, in Excel or in an email? A hand-filled paper form is a poor starting point.
• Stable: a portal whose screens change every month means a robot that breaks every month.
• Costly errors: if a wrongly entered figure is expensive, the return on automation is greater than the time saved.

Examples that work well in practice

• Repetitive data entry into bank and government portals
• Classifying incoming email attachments and passing them to the right folder and system
• Daily and weekly reports that collect data from different sources
• The steps for opening accounts for new staff and closing access for leavers

Which process to start with: begin small and measure

We choose the first robot from a process that can go live in two to four weeks, measure the time saved and rank the next processes on that data. For businesses using Microsoft 365, starting with Power Automate usually involves no extra licence cost either. See our RPA and Process Automation page for details.