Winshuttle Research Suggests That RPA Is Increasing Staff Productivity

Automation is enabling nearly half of managers to start new projects that they previously did not have the time for, according to research by Winshuttle.

Robotic Process Automation (RPA) tools allow large enterprises to eliminate manual processes like repetitive data entry, lower overall costs and free up employees’ time for other tasks. Winshuttle research shows that successful adoption of automation has enabled 34 percent of professionals working in shared service centres in the UK and Ireland to instead focus their skills and attention on more productive tasks that have the potential to offer greater value to the business.

The Winshuttle research also shows that shared service centre managers have taken proactive steps with their teams to ensure success with initial implementations of automation software.

For instance, over half of respondents (52 percent) reported it was essential to reassure staff that the introduction of automation would not put their jobs under threat. In fact, successful automation projects have seen over a third of employees transfer their skills elsewhere in the business doing higher value tasks.

Winshuttle: “It’s not about replacing humans”

For 42 percent of Winshuttle survey respondents achieving small project wins using automation software was necessary to demonstrate its value to the wider business.

In addition, 30 percent believe that to guarantee success, it’s important to start small and ensure that business and user expectations for the technology are aligned.

Andrew Hayden, senior product marketing manager at Winshuttle, said: “People often perceive that automation of manual processes is fuelling worker displacements. The reality, however, is that automation software enables finance professionals in shared service centres to play a more valuable role beyond data entry, and this has been reflected in the research results. It’s not just about replacing humans with robots, it’s about using automation to drive greater worker productivity.

“It’s not unusual to see highly qualified professionals spending a significant amount of time on error-prone, manual data entry for financial processes. This can include processes like accounts payable and purchase to pay, general ledger or journal entries. As a result, these tedious activities can drain morale, and lower team productivity. Adopting automation frees up these professionals to take on other projects and make a real impact on the business.”