The benefits of Intelligent Automation (IA) are widely known and documented. Companies that deploy the technology report on average 86% improved productivity and approximately 59% reduction in cost.
While these benefits are impressive, it should be noted that the digital worker fleet requires ongoing support and maintenance to ensure these benefits are upheld. In an earlier blog we mentioned that the ongoing support and maintenance of the digital worker fleet is an essential service to budget for. In this blog, we are going to explore what support and maintenance entails.
When we mention the word ‘support’, we essentially refer to the following services:
Incident management: Establishing protocols for handling incidents and issues related to automation as well as resolving technical issues promptly to minimise disruptions in automated processes. Incident management also entails setting up incident priority levels and their associated service level agreements.
Bug fixes: Resolving issues, bugs and defects that may arise during the operation of automated processes. These issues may relate to the automated code, environmental issues (hardware or application) or data input.
Performance monitoring: Implementing and utilising tools and processes to monitor the performance of digital workers, systems and processes.
Exception management: Monitoring, evaluating and triaging system exceptions to maximise the efficiency of automated workflows.
Technical support: Providing technical support to address user queries and issues related to automation.
Furthermore, a well-supported digital worker fleet will also include:
Software updates and upgrades: Regularly updating and upgrading automation software to ensure security, compatibility and access to new features.
Security monitoring: Implementing robust cybersecurity measures to protect sensitive data and prevent unauthorised access.
Compliance: Ensuring that automated processes comply with relevant regulations and industry standards.
Scaling: Expanding or adjusting infrastructure as needed to accommodate changes in the scale and scope of automation.
Continuous improvement: Regularly reviewing and optimising automated processes for efficiency and effectiveness.
The technical nature of support means skilled resources are required to perform the function. When establishing your automation programme, consideration must be put into who will own this function. You may want to develop the skills internally - this will entail recruiting or upskilling the right people, or you may want to outsource this function to your IA partner. There are advantages and disadvantages to both models, so do spend time considering all options when compiling your business case.
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