Robotics makes the world go round – Learn how RPA can help your business by automation
Robotic Process Automation is designed to help automate processes and ease the work of SAP users. But what actual benefits and savings does RPA offer?
Are you looking to
- streamline existing processes
- improve your quality of service
- reduce costs
without going through the hassle of transforming current processes or starting new system-update projects? If the answer is yes, you should consider RPA.
In some cases, it is the human touch that weakens the quality of data. People are prone to making mistakes, such as forgetting to fill in a form or repeating the same typing errors. The less there’s a need to copy information from one system to another, the better. This is where automation steps in.
WHAT SHOULD BE AUTOMATED – AND WHAT SHOULDN’T
In practice, Robotic Process Automation means that a robot performs routine tasks. The robot is able to:
- Write large amounts of data to systems without errors
- use any system as a human being would use it
- perform predetermined workflows and report the progress to a person, for example by e-mail.
While any process can be automated, not all of them should. It is important to carefully consider what kind of processes are actually necessary. Every company struggles, to some extent, with processes that have become redundant.
On the other hand, you can also achieve short-term savings with robotics. The software robot can also be used to temporarily run a process that will be renewed in the near future.
BENEFITS OF RPA IN AN SAP ENVIRONMENT – PRACTICAL EXAMPLES
Sofigate relies on UiPath, the leader in the robotic process automation field. For SAP users, automation offers numerous benefits. If even one of these scenarios sounds familiar, robotic process automation is worth studying!
- Do you always use a certain logic, based on input from another system, for placing a purchase or sales order? The software robot is able to start SAP and place orders there.
- Does a project opened in another system have to be manually opened in SAP? The software robot is able to open the project in the SAP system while the project is open in the source system.
- Are you using an interface that is malfunctioning due to system features? Access control can be automated with RPA. For example, a software robot is able to notify the system administrator that the interface is faulty. The message may be accompanied by the original, faulty message.
- Are you setting up products, customers, vendors, or maintaining master data in the SAP system due to something happening in another system? The software robot can do this for you.
- Would it be easier for you to integrate SAP with another system that does not have the interfaces needed for traditional integration?
- Is importing data from an old legacy system into SAP difficult and requiring a lot of manual work? For example, RPA can be used to retrieve data from an old system and enter it into Excel – or even directly into the SAP system.
- Does your company connect invoice information with system information? RPA can read pictures and PDF documents and do it for you.
- Do invoice audits reveal that some invoices are incorrect because the invoiced products have not been opened to the right sales organisation? The software robot is able to check the invoice and open the product to the right sales organisation and accept the invoice if it matches.
About the author
Sampsa Akonniemi is an RPA developer and SAP consultant with a strong interest in business automation. In addition to his impressive SAP background, he has experience in many other business systems. Sampsa has a strong business understanding and a constant desire to learn new things.
"Coaching can and should be fun!” - Liisa Korkiakoski transforms people and organisations at Sofigate Academy
There is a productivity leap hiding in Finnish companies – here's how to get started
