RPA, or Robotic Process Automation, has rapidly become one of the most popular tools for businesses in a variety of sectors; from the FinTech field right through to the medical industry. As with all new and developing technologies, there can be certain flaws and weaknesses and although these are to be expected, there are ways to deal with the challenges. In this post, we’ll be looking at 3 challenges and how to overcome them.

Cultural shock

Perhaps the most prominent challenge facing businesses is the fact that Robotic Process Automation can be a huge shock to the system for anyone not used to dealing with a tool like this. As with AI, RPA operates in its own programmed manner and anyone not used to it may find it hard to adjust. Fortunately, there are a number of solutions that can help, from investing in RPA consulting to receiving input from a trained expert that can guide employees and business owners as they grow accustomed to their new tool, right through to dedicated education via courses and online sessions.

Once the initial shock of working alongside a piece of software designed to make life easier is dealt with, many will find the potential almost too good to be true as tasks are handled and simplified with minimal fuss.

Manual input may be required

Although RPA is a fantastic way to handle particular tasks and challenges, the harsh reality is that it is still an evolving technology and as a result, human input can be required. At first, this can require additional resources, but over time and as people learn just what RPA is capable of and how to utilize it, it won’t take long for tasks to be delegated accordingly.

A good solution for this need for human input is to identify just what RPA can do, as briefly mentioned above. Although limited as far as certain skills are concerned, a good RPA tool can certainly make a workload easier to manage by automating specific tasks, data activities, and more – so a good solution would be to assign someone as a dedicated over-seer to keep the RPA tool on track. As time progresses, RPA tech will certainly evolve until manual input may no longer be required, or until it will be substantially minimized.

Overlooking best practices

RPA is just a tool and where AI can struggle with adhering to specific protocols and pieces of legislation (such as GDPR rules), RPA is even more limited. Unfortunately, this can result in hiccups occurring from time to time which is why a human presence is recommended, but there are still ways to solve this dilemma. For instance, by ensuring that the tool isn’t required to perform tasks that may breach best practices (such as avoiding data storage when compiling information), the risk of GDPR breaches will be reduced if not negated entirely. As stated previously, a good consultant in the RPA field can help with guidance, support and education whenever needed.