With the proposition of Pilot to Center of Excellence (CoE), we at MvR Digital Workforce enhance the knowledge of our client organization about RPA (and AI), train employees to become RPA Product Owners, RPA Developers, or RPA Business Analysts, and ensure that all organizations we support as a team (CoE) can independently create and manage digital assistants.  

Today we will have a conversation with one of our most experienced colleagues in the field of RPA. Nick Wesseling, Senior Hyperautomation Consultant, has established several CoEs in different organizations and across various sectors. We will ask him five questions about how it works in his role.

Hello Nick, can you briefly explain to us what RPA is? 

Robotic Process Automation (RPA) is a promising technology to automate processes and achieve several goals, such as reducing administrative burdens, speeding up process execution, and eliminating monotonous work. Additionally, RPA contributes to excellent service delivery and optimal business operations.  

RPA is a low-code solution that is versatile and has the unique property of being able to operate just like humans with a user interface (account, username, and password). This makes it relatively easy to train internal employees, allowing for both management and development of new automation in-house.  

What does it mean for an organization to move from pilot to CoE? 

It is a stepwise transition. The transition from a pilot phase to a Center of Excellence is a crucial step in the maturity of an organization and in achieving the goals of RPA deployment. What sometimes begins as a small-scale experiment, where new technologies, processes, or methods are tested, must develop into a structural and strategic pillar that benefits the entire organization. This transition requires careful planning, knowledge retention, and best practices, as well as the right allocation of resources.   

The transition from a pilot phase to a Center of Excellence also marks an important milestone in the pursuit of continuous improvement and organization-wide impact. Through a structured approach, a focus on knowledge sharing, and ongoing innovation, the CoE can play a fundamental and strategic role in the success and growth of the organization and the adoption of new technologies (such as AI).  

How do you initiate this transition? 

In the approach I have developed together with my colleagues, the learning and coaching of employees within the client organization is central at every step. This way, they learn to assess themselves whether processes are suitable for automation and actually to develop them. I often see information managers, business process managers, and functional application administrators taking on the role of RPA Business Analyst.  

In the initial phase of every automation journey, it is not only important to make the right analyses and choices but also to create support within the organization. Therefore, in our way of working, there is ample room for collaboration between the people who create the digital assistants and the business, information managers, and functional management.  

RPA yields the best results when it contributes to business and organizational objectives. It is important to create a roadmap that focuses on future developments within the organization.  

What in your opinion is one of the most interesting phases? 

Perhaps one of the most enjoyable phases at the beginning of every automation journey is identifying one or more processes that are promising for automation with RPA. (What we colloquially call picking processes). These do not necessarily have to be complex processes; it is important to zoom in on the question: where do you see repetitive actions in the flow, where do you see waste of time, where do you see a decline in efficiency? For each process, seven fixed steps are followed. These steps are part of our way of working that we bring into our approach and fine-tune to the way of working within the client organization itself.  

Are you saying that if organizations carefully follow the 7 'golden' steps, they can then create their own digital assistants? 

Every client organization that follows this approach observes how my team and I describe a process in a functional design and how we build a digital employee. These organizations may subsequently involve their own RPA developers in training to participate in the building, testing, go-live, and management of the digital assistants. We first demonstrate it stepwise, then we do it together, and ultimately we mainly assist with senior reviews and contributions. So, yes, in practice, in my role as PO, I ensure that digital employees are built and launched, then the new team can proceed because there is enough knowledge in-house, and I can advise the organization on the next steps of their automation journey. 

Curious about Nick's 7-step approach? Feel free to reach out to him directly via LinkedIn or to schedule a conversation with him via: info@mvrdw.nl.