One of the best results of automation or RPA is reducing the amount of repetitive tasks workers perform. Repetitive tasks can be boring and frustrating. It evokes the story of Sisyphus the goal posts constantly trudging forward. Automating repetitive tasks away will reduce this painful work and materially change how work is done.
Pega Systems, an RPA platform points this out in their sales materials.
The impact of automation can have a significant positive shift as the team moves into a higher functioning state. They create better customer outcomes and better business outcomes. They become happier.
That same culture can be damaged with spotty or unreliable automation. It is no different than a toxic employee. A bot that does a job only some of the time pushes their workload to others. This can create animosity, upend productivity and negatively impact a work culture.
An unreliable bot is the same as an unreliable employee.
The best way to keep your bots reliable is to follow the 12-factor bot steps. When put into place, the cultural, as well as financial gains from automation, can be realized.
