Nearshore Brings RPA to the Mid-Market

Robotic Process Automation (or RPA) is coming of age, with more enterprises relying on software bots that are supported by cognitive/artificial intelligence (AI). RPA has great appeal in that it effectively supports user interactions and replaces/supplements human efforts over repetitive and mundane tasks, effectively eliminating human error.

The result is that companies can use RPA to support advanced analytics, delivering on more efficient processes and driving down costs. Given RPA’s increasing popularity, there are now many companies that offer RPA solutions, as well as services companies – both large and small – that can help with implementation, architecture, project management and support.

Given that there is an entire professional services component that third parties can provide, it’s critical that this piece be done well, and in a cost effective manner. Companies can work with customers to get the most out of their RPA solution, eliminating and automating routine and repetitive tasks. This then empowers an organization, freeing up employees to engage in higher value activities.

With RPA, some organizations fail to adequately assess the need for ongoing project management and maintenance. That can be a problem, as it can add to costs, with many of the advantages that come from full RPA engagement being missed. There is always opportunity to improve processes and to learn from analytics, but many mid-market organizations miss out due to an inability to embrace RPA’s full potential.

Here is where nearshore can make a huge difference. Costs in a nearshore environment can be 60% below those in the United States, with quality maintained by a skilled, certified workforce. Nearshore resources are close by and in the same time zone, with easy access for face-to-face meetings.

That level of engagement with a high-quality workforce is important given that mid-market customers are forced to compete with the big players. They need an RPA solution with continued, high-quality maintenance, and enough resources to support cutting-edge development for intelligent automation.

Nearshore does more than lower the barrier for access to RPA. It also drives down those costs associated with delivering the most value. With intelligent automation, that means running analytics to run your business as efficiently as possible, with the information generated from employee and customer engagement leveraged to make the best decisions.

By embracing a nearshore provider, a company of any size can then have a more secure RPA journey that supports scaling, without getting bogged down by maintenance. This is a critical factor, given the popularity of RPA solutions. More often than not, after RPA is enabled it must scale to support more interactions, while also delivering the best in analytics.

It is also critical to get RPA right from the start – an organization doesn’t want to be playing catch-up, and addressing mistakes made in the early stages. You need to begin with the right strategy and road map, including an evaluation of business processes. With that in hand, implementations go more smoothly, with immediate gains in employee productivity, and measurable ROI.

From there, enhancements and support – as well as training – ensure that you get the most out of your RPA implementation. And there’s a lot to be gained. RPA can reduce operational risk and output variability, while driving process improvements and increasing throughput. Operations can also follow defined governance structures, with zero errors, and all while ensuring the job security of existing IT teams.

Bottom line: there’s incredible value in RPA, and nearshore not only drives costs down for large corporates but also brings it within reach for mid-market organizations.