Robotic Process Automation (RPA) is transforming how organizations automate business processes and drive digital transformation. According to Deloitte‘s 2022 Global RPA Survey, 63% of organizations partner with RPA service providers to successfully implement RPA.
Selecting the right RPA partner brings expertise, experience and capabilities that are instrumental to realizing the full benefits of automation. This comprehensive guide will explore the role of RPA partners, top use cases, selection best practices and leading options to consider in 2024.
What is an RPA Partner?
An RPA partner is a company that provides consulting, implementation and ongoing support services for RPA adopters. RPA partners work closely with organizations across industries like finance, healthcare, manufacturing and more to:
- Identify processes suitable for RPA automation
- Develop bots and solutions tailored to business needs
- Integrate RPA with existing systems and workflows
- Deploy and manage RPA implementations
- Provide training, troubleshooting and optimization
Image source: Research.marketingscoop.com
RPA partners need expertise in:
- RPA platforms like UiPath, Automation Anywhere, Microsoft Power Automate
- Programming languages like Python, Java, C#
- Integration capabilities for connecting RPA with other enterprise systems
- Emerging technologies like AI, ML and analytics
According to UiPath‘s 2021 Automation Maturity Report, 65% of adopters leverage RPA partners for specialized skills and faster deployments.
RPA Partner vs. RPA Consultant
RPA partner and RPA consultant are often used interchangeably. However, there are some key differences:
RPA Consultants
- Provide advisory services to identify automation opportunities
- Conduct feasibility assessments
- Create high-level solution architecture
RPA Partners
- Handle end-to-end RPA implementation
- Own development, testing, deployment, training
- Manage ongoing support and enhancements
While consultants offer strategic guidance, partners are actively involved throughout the RPA lifecycle.
Top 8 Use Cases for RPA Partners
RPA partners play a critical role across all stages of the RPA journey:
1. Process Assessment
RPA partners leverage their cross-industry expertise to analyze processes and pinpoint automation opportunities based on:
- Repetitiveness: Highly repetitive and manual tasks
- Throughput Volume: High transaction volumes
- Error Rates: Prone to human errors
- ROI Potential: Opportunity to cut costs and boost productivity
For example, Infosys helped a manufacturing client identify over 60 processes for RPA ranging from procurement to accounting. Their assessment provided an automation roadmap with quick win candidates delivering over 20% productivity improvements.
According to Deloitte, RPA can automate 50-70% of repetitive human tasks. Partners‘ experience helps uncover high-value automation potential.
2. Integration with Business Systems
Seamlessly integrating RPA bots with legacy systems like ERP, CRM, billing and core databases is vital for adoption success.
RPA partners provide specialized expertise to build connectors, APIs and interfaces enabling straight-through processing:
RPA integration capabilities are critical via APIs, connectors and more. Image source: Research.marketingscoop.com
For example, Cognizant helped a healthcare payer build a custom RPA solution integrating core claims systems with Automation Anywhere. This improved claims processing speed by over 80%.
3. Testing and Validation
RPA solutions must deliver robust, reliable performance under different scenarios. RPA partners conduct extensive testing including:
- Unit Testing: Validating individual components and bots
- Integration Testing: End-to-end solution testing
- User Acceptance Testing: Confirming business requirements are met
- Performance Testing: Stress testing bot performance under peak loads
- Security Testing: Checking vulnerabilities to prevent threats
This rigorous testing methodology de-risks RPA implementations before going live. TCS helped a financial services client develop over 100 test cases covering multiple scenarios for their RPA solution.
4. Cost-Benefit Analysis
Partners create detailed cost-benefit analysis and ROI projections for the RPA business case. This includes:
- RPA software licensing costs
- Infrastructure and cloud hosting expenses
- Development and implementation effort
- Training and support needs
- Ongoing management costs
The analysis quantifies anticipated benefits like:
- Cost savings from automating manual work
- Revenue growth from faster processing
- Improved compliance through error reduction
- Enhanced customer experience from faster response times
According to McKinsey, RPA delivers ROI of 30-200% in the first year. Partners optimize business case projections.
5. Training and Support
RPA solutions require business users to have the skills for managing and monitoring bots. Partners provide:
- Technical training on RPA platforms like UiPath and AA
- Business user training for bot exception handling and management
- Support documentation like user manuals and wiki sites
- Helpdesk for resolving issues and ongoing assistance
For example, Accenture developed an immersive 3-day training program for a retail client‘s business users covering the Automation Anywhere platform and hands-on bot control.
6. Scalability and Agility
As organizations scale automation across processes and business units, RPA solutions must flex and adapt. Partners ensure:
- Seamless cloud deployment for geographic expansion
- Modular bot architecture to easily enhance and modify
- On-demand scalability to handle spikes in processing volumes
- Agile development to pivot to new requirements
For instance, Capgemini helped a global insurer rapidly scale RPA from 200 to over 2000 bots across their US and European centers to achieve over $15 million in savings.
7. Compliance and Risk Mitigation
RPA implementations must comply with security policies, privacy regulations like GDPR and industry compliance standards. Partners provide:
- Compliance reviews to check RPA controls meet requirements
- Data protection impact assessments to identify and mitigate risks
- Ongoing audits to validate controls and enable certification
For example, Deloitte performed in-depth PII and data privacy reviews for an RPA implementation at a top healthcare provider. This enabled compliance with HIPAA and other regulations.
8. Ongoing Optimization
Partners use analytics-driven insights from RPA performance benchmarks to continuously optimize solutions. This includes:
- Monitoring KPIs like bot uptime, speed, throughput
- Analyzing trends to refine configurations and SLAs
- Identifying new automation opportunities
- Upgrading bots with latest RPA platform features
According to Deloitte, optimization can further improve automation ROI by 15-25%. Infosys helped an insurance major optimize 200 bots to increase STP rates from 82% to over 95%.
6 Best Practices for Selecting an RPA Partner
Choosing the right RPA partner is crucial for driving automation success. Here are 6 tips:
1. Check industry experience and credentials
Look for proven experience with clients in your specific industry and domain. Verify credentials like UiPath and AA partner networks.
For example, Wipro and TCS have extensive experience in banking automation while Accenture and Capgemini are strong in insurance.
2. Assess technical expertise
Review skills across leading platforms like Automation Anywhere, UiPath, Power Automate and Blue Prism. Verify integration capabilities with your core systems.
3. Evaluate implementation methodology
Understand how they assess processes, design solutions, execute testing and training. Ensure alignment with your environment.
4. Verify security and compliance rigor
Confirm compliance with regulations like HIPAA, GDPR based on past audits and certifications. Review control frameworks.
5. Compare pricing models
Evaluate options from fixed, project-based pricing to outcome-based and managed services models. Find optimal fit for scope.
6. Check regional experience
Ensure the partner has delivery teams with subject matter experts across your desired locations. Accenture has over 43K staff in India alone.
7. Prioritize cultural fit
Pick a partner that aligns with your values and is easy to work with. The relationship should be transparent and collaborative.
8. Focus on post-deployment support
Evaluate training programs, support SLAs and resources to ensure smooth sustainment after go-live.
Here is a sample RFP checklist covering key parameters for partner evaluation.
Profiles of Leading Global RPA Partners
Leading IT services firms, consultancies and system integrators like Accenture, Deloitte, TCS and Cognizant offer specialized RPA capabilities with global expertise:
Accenture
- 190K professionals worldwide
- Expertise across industries like financial services, healthcare, retail
- 50+ RPA patents and assets
- Whole-of-enterprise RPA capabilities
TCS
- 500K associates globally
- One of the largest RPA practices with over 4800 certified consultants
- Extensive experience across major industries
- Comprehensive services across automation lifecycle
Infosys
- 252K employees globally
- 35% of automation projects delivered through partners
- Strong capabilities across banking, insurance, telecom, retail
Wipro
- 182K workforce worldwide
- Dedicated 1500+ member automation business unit
- Specalized solutions for industries like banking, energy, manufacturing
Evaluate service providers that best fit your scale, industry, technology environment and global footprint.
Critical Success Factors for RPA Partner Engagements
To maximize the value of an RPA partner, focus on these success factors:
Executive Sponsorship
Secure C-suite sponsorship and tie programs directly to business KPIs. Provide regular updates to leaders on progress.
Change Management
Partners can conduct training on RPA capabilities and help build excitement. Clearly communicate benefits to users.
Technical Governance
Establish policies for standards, controls, SLAs and performance management. Create a Center of Excellence.
Business Alignment
Ensure transparency between partner teams and business stakeholders. Appoint process owners.
Continuous Improvement
Set meetings to discuss analytics insights, new features, use cases and process targets.
Here is a sample governance framework for effective management of an RPA partner covering operating model, policies, business alignment and performance reviews.
While partners provide leverage, internal leadership commitment and engagement are still crucial for RPA success.
Key Takeaways
Selecting the right RPA implementation partner provides specialized skills, experienced guidance and faster time-to-benefit for automation programs.
Leading IT services firms and consultancies offer proven RPA competencies with large-scale global expertise.
Evaluate partners based on their credentials, delivery track record, pricing model, cultural fit and post-deployment support.
Focus on executive sponsorship, governance, training and continuous improvement to maximize partnership value.
Strategic RPA partners help organizations unlock the full transformational potential of intelligent automation.