How Robotic Process Automation Lessens Remote Work Challenges

COVID-19 has forever altered everything about the way we do business. As organizations adjust to the new environment, automation is now playing a big part in how we move forward.

At the same time, to keep businesses productive, a dramatic transfer of onsite workers to remote workers was required. A major driver behind the new remote work paradigm is automation through Robotic Process Automation (RPA). With the right remote workforce management plan and RPA, businesses can stay agile and competitive in this unfamiliar landscape.

Remote work has moved from being seen as a temporary arrangement to a more permanent one as many businesses are experiencing the benefits of a permanent remote workforce. It’s estimated that 56% of the US workforce has a job that is at least partially compatible with remote work, according to a Global Workforce Analytics forecast. The forecast further shows employers can save an average of $11,000/year per person when working remotely at least part time. But how does RPA fit in?

Simplifying Standardized Processes

The ability to tailor and structure RPA systems to your requirements and regulatory requirements is a top reason to streamline standardized processes. It's why more than 50% of enterprises have already adopted RPA with full market saturation happening in the next five years, says MarketWatch.

Making Room for Higher Value Work

Bots can integrate platform and application silos to drive seamless transmission of business-critical data across enterprises. Integrating RPA and AI enables automated processing of tremendous amounts of data for analytical decision making. The result is faster and more accurate process fulfillment that frees a human workforce to concentrate on higher value tasks. This enables them to do more to advance the business and the bottom line. But what does remote work look like with RPA?

The robotic process automation market will surely go beyond $2.9 billion worldwide in 2020, according to Statista. Simultaneously, 82% of company leaders plan to allow employees to work remotely some of the time, according to Gartner. Your business is likely contemplating or has already decided to make remote work a permanent part of your operations. The good news is that RPA’s focus on automating repetitive and standardized tasks makes this reality easier, not harder.

RPA and a Remote Work: A Perfect Match

Bots become a boon to employees and employers by automating routine tasks that can be integrated into remote workflows. RPA bots can provide the process fulfillment, productivity increase, and cost-reduction engine powering the remote workforce through:

• Data aggregation across disparate systems and completing online forms with information from various software systems to call center process support.
• Fast adaptation of legacy HR and finance processes to remote workforce needs
• End-to-end automated invoice processing
• Sales order processing that automates data entries into CRM systems, ERP accounting updates, etc.
• Automated team reminders using applications like Slack
• VPN batch list access automation with triggers to remove permissions based on non-use periods for security
• Remote automated payroll processing
• Integration between call center software, CRM systems, and shipment tracking systems
• Access to customer profiles for remote call center workers
• Automated customer profile updating for call center agents

We can make frontend and backend systems and processes better for a remote workforce through RPA implementation. Besides automating time-consuming repetitive tasks, it removes the human error possibilities with manual data input for remote personnel.

Bots can benefit small businesses and enterprises alike by creating cost reductions and time savings and reducing errors from repetitive tasks previously done by onsite employees. This enables the remote workforce to concentrate on higher-value tasks and customer-fulfillment needs that boost the bottom line.

To leverage the benefits of a remote workforce powered by RPA, you need careful planning and bot development managed through a Center-of-Excellence (COE). The best approach for most businesses is to merge control between an internal team and a trusted RPA implementation partner, such as Solugenix, to work onsite.

To learn about how Solugenix can support RPA implementations that deliver real-world results for your business, see Solugenix RPA Services.