Dave Anderson is director of technology at Boston-based Liberty Mutual Insurance. He says that that RPA enables one crucial quality of digital transformation above all else, notably speed. Many programmers, when dealing with older software systems, may decide that a system requires a rewrite. System upgrades are complicated, time-consuming and expensive. 

RPA can unlock value in older systems by providing new interfaces. At its core, RPA helps improve and optimize business process. Liberty Mutual uses RPA selectively to automate repetitive flows and link disparate systems together. An adjacent benefit is the new flow will generate additional data, data provides insights and insights allow us to use AI services to improve further and add value to the business.

Although it can be a useful approach, there is a word of caution regarding overuse. “If applied extensively, value may be unlocked, but complex flows may impact future projects and reduce agility,” Anderson said. RPA is most effective in a bounded context when a rewrite or migration is costly. Adjacent systems may be ready for a rewrite which can happen alongside an RPA effort and, potentially, integrate.”  Like all technology, RPA is not the answer to everything but can realize significant value in your transformation. Read On: