Many organizations dive into Robotic Process Automation (RPA) with the promise of cost savings, efficiency, and scalability. Vendors pitch RPA as a quick win – automate repetitive tasks and watch productivity soar. But what they don’t always tell you is that these savings can be short-lived or entirely negated by hidden RPA costs that arise post-implementation.
In this blog, we’ll pull back the curtain on the real financial impact of RPA, exploring the unexpected costs that vendors often overlook. More importantly, we’ll offer RPA solutions to help you avoid these pitfalls and ensure your automation journey is truly cost-effective.
The Cost of Poorly Designed Automation
The Issue: Short-Sighted Process Selection
Many RPA projects fail because organizations rush into automation without thoroughly analyzing their processes. Automating a broken process only magnifies inefficiencies, leading to costly rework.
How to Fix It: Process Optimization First, Automation Second
- Conduct process mining and mapping before automation.
- Identify standardized, high-volume, rule-based processes for automation.
- Use a proof of concept (PoC) to validate feasibility before full deployment.
The True Cost of RPA Maintenance
The Issue: Underestimating Ongoing Support Needs
Many businesses assume that once an RPA bot is deployed, it will function autonomously. However, bots require constant maintenance, updates, and monitoring to ensure they remain effective.
How to Fix It: Plan for Long-Term Sustainability
- Allocate 20-30% of your initial RPA budget for ongoing maintenance.
- Build an in-house Center of Excellence (CoE) to handle bot optimization.
- Use AI-driven self-healing automation to reduce manual troubleshooting and mitigate RPA costs.