Performing the Cost Benefit Analysis

On this page, the Project Manager is able to record the costs required for the automation idea implementation. These are processed by the system in order to compute the net benefit of automating this process. By clicking Edit the following fields become editable allowing you to add the specific information as per the image below:

Project Plan

This is a granular configuration for the duration of each implementation phase.

• The Ease of Implementation is displayed as calculated by the algorithm in the assessment phase. If the Project Manager considers this, based on their experience, not accurate they can easily override it.
• The Baseline table should be filled in before starting the implementation with the Project Manager's estimations regarding the implementation duration. The platform calculates the number of working days that it takes to complete a Phase and it automatically sets the start date for the next phase. Once the Set baseline button is clicked this initial estimation can no longer be updated.

• The columns from the Actual & New Estimate need to be filled in as soon as the specified implementation phases have been completed. Within this table, the reality of the implementation progress is reflected by providing a clear view of the delta between the initial estimate and the actuals or new estimates.

  Furthermore, the Launch Date field is also editable, allowing users to add the accurate date when an idea was launched. If this field is not filled in the Actual&New Estimate table, by default the Launch Date displayed in the workspace tables and reports shows the date when the automation was updated to Live phase, status In production.

Estimation of Robots Needed & Refinement of Benefits

Check out the assumptions regarding the Automation Potential providing information about how much of the process can be automated. These results computed by the algorithm provide an estimation of how much faster a robot would perform the process, in comparison with a human.

Note:

• If needed the value of the Automation Potential can be overridden in order to adjust the volumes such that they reflect the reality of the project.
• As soon as the Cost Benefit Analysis page gets saved (even without any changes), the system saves the existing value for the Final Automation Potential as the Revised Automation Potential KPI and computes based on it the Revised KPIs that can be found in the Automation Pipeline table .

• First the RPA Software Vendor Used needs to be selected from the drop-down list. This list is populated with all the software vendors set up during the platform Cost Setup which have at least 1 Running Cost defined in Cost Setup - Running Costs-RPA Software Costs section.
• The Automation Assumptions table allows the Project Manager to select the type of robot that will be used from the below options:
• Attended: robots that need human interaction. In this case, the robot assumptions will not be displayed as the platform is set up to balance the number of attended robots with the number of employees performing the process.
• Unattended: robots that don't require any human interaction. In this case, the Project Manager needs to manually input the following automation assumptions: Robot Working hours/day, Robot Working days/year, and Robot Speed multiplier.
• The Process Volumetry is filled automatically with information from the Detailed Assessment. Make sure to first complete this assessment in the About page.
• The Average Handling Time Human vs Automated is filled in automatically with information from the Detailed Assessment for the case of Attended Automations. For Unattended Automations, the Average Handling Time per transaction for the robot can be added manually or obtained by the system dividing the Average Handling Time per transaction for a human by the robot speed multiplier (manual input). This result is used afterwards when computing how many robots one would need to handle the volume of transactions given the Automation Potential, as well as the robot assumptions.

• The Volume Split Estimations provides the KPIs related to the process as is: entirely performed by the human (Before Automation column), together with the segments that will still be handled by the human post automation, if the process cannot be 100% automated (After Automation column).

  • The last two columns provide information about what happens with the robot as estimated by the algorithm based on the Automation Potential calculated by the system and the final Automation Potential that can be provided by the Project Manager who might have additional information besides the ones introduced in the Detailed Assessment. In case the user attempts to override the Automation Potential the platform highlights all the impacted values.

  • Total FTR post automation is based on the selection done for the Automation Type:

    • for the case of Attended Automations the value suggested by the algorithm will be the same as the number of employees performing the task/process;

    • for the case of Unattended Automations the value computed takes into account the assumptions introduced in the Automation Assumptions table and the Robot Speed Multiplier which helps computing the Average Handling Time of the robot per transaction.

      The value of the FTR can be overridden if needed.

  • Running cost per year post automation represents the sum of all running costs added in the Cost Benefit Analysis page - Cost Estimates section.

  • The running cost per transaction represents the Running Costs per Year divided by Volumes per year.

Cost Estimates

This provides an estimation of the total costs required for this automation idea including implementation costs that can be set up per implementation phases and running costs that include license costs as well as infrastructure, maintenance, support, hosting costs, or other running costs. This information impacts the calculation of the Running Cost/Year for the robot.

• The data inputted by the Program Manager in the One Time Costs - Implementation People Costs provides a summary of how much each phase costs as well as the total cost for the implementation.

• In the Running Costs the Program Manager defines the costs per year for the entire lifetime of the automation idea and the number of items/licenses.

  After all the cost types from this category have been completed, the summary with all the cost types on a yearly and monthly basis is displayed. The cost/transaction when the process is performed by a human versus the cost/transaction when the process is performed by a robot is displayed on the upper part of the page in the Volume Split estimations.