RPA CoE: Everything You Need To Know

In this article, we will talk about RPA CoE(Center of Excellence).

RPA initiatives do not generally fail due to the tool, they mostly fail because there was no strategic direction.

Introduction

CoE is the heart of RPA implementation & strategic planning. This article gives a complete insight into:

• What is the RPA Center of Excellence (CoE)?
• How to set up RPA CoE?
• What are RPA CoE Operating models?
• Key roles & responsibilities
• RPA CoE team’s setup?
• What is the RPA CoE framework?

CoE – Center of Excellence

It is pivotal to scaling and acts as the hub for RPA implementation. RPA is a joint effort with IT & Business collaboration. The CoE will set success parameters and goals for RPA implementation, optimize the digital workforce, identify and qualify the best business processes for automation.

The CoE is the governance model to lead and direct the RPA initiative to maximize the Return on Investment.

Below are the key objectives of the CoE:

• Standardization
• Widespread adoption of the digital workforce
• Competency Management
• Impact Realization
• Control framework

CoE Teams

The CoE is categorized into six teams:

• Demand Management Team:
  • Identify automation opportunities
  • Process prioritization automation pipeline management
• Bot Framework & Library Management Team
  • Development of reusable bots and scripts
  • Responsible for developing best practices, a common framework, and reusable meta bots
• RPA Scripting Team
  • Core scripting team which includes Developers and solution architect
  • Responsible for bot delivery
• Research Team
  • Identify new technologies (AI, ML, NLP) Integration to (end-end automation)
  • Internal demos & PoCs
• Production Support & Monitoring Team
  • Maintain runbook\KBAs
  • Resolving common Infrastructure issues
  • Root cause analysis bot production issues
• Risk and Control Team
  • Check bots operation risk and control methods
  • Password management policies e.t.c.

CoE Planning

Infrastructure: Engage IT to determine how the development client, control room, and runtime clients can be managed within the customers’ environment.

Operations: Engage application and security teams to discuss robotic access to applications and other systems.  Implement production operations procedures.

User Operations: Discuss a rollout of RPA capabilities within the entire enterprise or a more phased approach that staggers rollout from business unit to business unit.

Development: Define an approach for staffing and utilizing a COE based automation development team staffed by Partner, customer, and possible third-party resources

Development Life Cycle:

1. Process Identification
2. Requirements Gathering
3. Process Evaluation/ Feasibility Analysis
4. Solution Design
5. Bot Development
6. Unit & Integration Testing
7. User Acceptance Testing
8. Deployment
9. Hyper care
10. Maintenance/Support

CoE Structure

Key Roles and Responsibilities

The CoE operating model comprises different layers that perform a specific role within the operating model.

RPM: The Project Manager works closely with the automation developers and stakeholders to ensure that development is aligned with planning.

• Estimates & Plans resource
• Drives the strategic & tactical roll-out of RPA Projects
• Engages the Key stakeholders to achieve a quick ROI
• Involved in project management and risk identification/mitigation

Solution Architect: The solution architect is a core team member of the Robotic Process Automation development team. This role involves starting with requirement gathering till deployment. The main objective is to understand the stakeholder/process Owner’s requirements and design automation solutions for the business process.

1. Technical Feasibility
2. Prepare the to-be process
3. Project Plan Preparation
4. Prepare LDD & Solution design
5. Carry out license calculation
6. Guide AA Expert for Development
7. Architect to carry out code review, before forwarding to UAT

Automation Expert/Developers:

1. Development with the reference of Requirement Document
2. Carry out pre-defined Unit Testing and log the results on the Test Cases sheet

Business Analyst/ SME: Identify the process for automation

1. Process Documentation
2. SME to carry out testing for the Code deployed by AE in Pre-Prod environment and log the results in Test Cases template

Business Owner: Collect approval for documented process steps, accesses, etc.

Maintenance Team: Production issue handling

Change Management: Change/Defect Management

CoE Operating Model

An enterprise that wants to scale with RPA technology, needs to identify and set up a robust and comprehensive industrial operating model.

1. Business unit/Division Specific
2. Federated
3. Centralized

We have written a detailed post on all the 3 operating models, you may refer to it by clicking the link given below.

RPA Operating Model

Process Flow

Process Flow Includes CoE teams at different stages of the project life cycle:

Footnotes

• CoE

That concludes our RPA CoE topic. Now you know everything you need to know about the RPA Center of Excellence. If you like this post, please share it with your friends and colleagues.

Happy Automation!