BrazilHow Node1 helps its clients drive automation with RPA
As digital disruption continues to alter the landscape of a variety of different industries, even established market players are now looking to adopt advanced levels of automation into their business models. However, to get the best out of automation, Node1 consultant Alex van Engelen insists that firms must first plan a coherent strategy around their previous business model.
Based in the Netherlands, Amsterdam headquartered Node1 is a digital consultancy specialising in realising business and technology change for clients. Founded in 2013, the company offers services including digital strategy, technology analyses, concept development and programme delivery.
One area the firm is increasingly being asked to help clients, is with the realisation of robotic process automation (RPA) change programmes. According to Alex van Engelen from Node1, RPA has the potential to majorly improve the productivity of most organisations. Speaking to technology media outlet Digital Waves, Van Engelen explained the idea behind RPA, and how consultants from Node1 help clients to leverage the product.
“RPA is a way to automate recurring business tasks. Instead of someone spending six hours a day filling in Excel documents and emails in a way that is always the same, a robot can be used to conduct all those steps enabling employees to use their time to perform more value adding tasks for the organisation.”
The early adopters of RPA are already beginning to witness the benefits of the technology, while those who are slower to act are realising that now is the time to avoid being left behind. A number of reports have already outlined the potential rewards to be reaped, which include improving operational efficiencies, reducing human error risk and increasing the proportion of time that staff are now able to focus on other activities.
Implementing RPA can be easier said than done, however. Many organisations are struggling to understand if they are succeeding with their RPA implementations, whether they are setting themselves up for future success, and how they might realise the benefits of RPA against their original business case. According to Van Engelen, this is where consulting with external experts like Node1 is key.
“With regards to how Node1 provides RPA services, we look at more than just automating the solution,” Van Engelen explained. “We take an integral approach, and look at the digital strategy of an organisation, at the business processes themselves and we find a way to use those robots in a more effective way than just providing stop-gap solutions.”
Node1 is a certified partner of UIPath, a leading vendor of software for robotic process automation.
