The costs and benefits of an RPA implementation

What are the costs of RPA?

There are some costs associated with an RPA implementation, and these can be broken down into preparation costs, development costs, and infrastructure costs. Preparation costs come with identifying processes that are aimed to be automated. A good RPA vendor will work with its client to identify the most optimal strategies. Clearly defined processes will help smooth out the implementation and bring benefits on day one.

The development costs are dependent on how large the implementation is. A lot of processes can be automated simultaneously, but you can start small and scale up as you go. The costs may vary depending on how complicated the implementation is, with some infrastructures requiring more detailed work to implement RPA. The right RPA provider can communicate these costs clearly and tackle more complicated implementations safely.

There are some costs associated with infrastructure. On-site infrastructure may be cheaper depending on the company. Cloud infrastructure comes with hosting costs but offers elasticity, scalability, and, depending on the vendor, security. Choose a vendor that provides out-of-the-box enterprise security, so you don't need to pay for additional service in securing your infrastructure.

Human costs

Introducing RPA into an organization is an extensive process of change. To be fully implemented and used, a workforce needs to be adequately acquainted with it. The costs related to training a workforce for RPA are not enormous, and the process is very beneficial, as it builds a culture of efficiency and a problem-solving mindset. A well-trained and well-informed staff tends to welcome the use of RPA and even help find ways to improve the process. On average, only around 3% of companies reported some form of employee resistance after an RPA implementation.