Robotic Process Automation (RPA)

Robotic Process Automation (RPA) is an effective tool in automating manual steps and rule-based processes by replicating human action, based on software robots or digital workers. Robots mimicking human actions across multiple software platforms. It is becoming a widely used tool due to it’s scalability and efficiencies at streamlining work that mimics high volume, repetitive business processes and it’s effectiveness at reducing error rates, assuring greater accuracy, reducing turnaround times and providing more timely information. It is non-invasive and can be integrated without changing the existing IT landscape.  It transforms end to end business processes and realizes the best qualities of humans and computers working in tandem.

Capability and Expectations

RPA Opportunities Across Government

What Can Robots Do?

Robots can log into applications, move files and folders, copy and paste data, fill in forms, extract data from documents, scrape websites, do calculations and more.

Expected Outputs

• Cost-Effective
  • Robots can operate 24/7 and take no vacation. Depending on the volume of work processed,  automation can recover its costs within a short time span.

• Precision & Quality
  • Robots are reliable and consistent, and they do not falter or lose concentration with heavy workloads. They follow all rules to the dot, thereby producing 100% precision in the process results, greatly reducing re-works and manual entry errors.

• Non-Invasive
  • Robotics is a safe technology that doesn’t interfere with the inherent systems, and it will only mimic those actions capable by a human on the same console.

• Improved Analytics and Decision Making
  • Having access to error-free, accurate data from various sources improves the quality of analytics possible for a given the process. This leads to better decision making and overall, to the betterment of the process execution.

• Increased Employee Productivity
  • RPA ultimately facilitates humans and robots to do just what they excel at. As RPA frees the employees from their mundane tasks, they can focus more on client and customer interaction, relationship management and other such activities where humans naturally excel.

• Faster
  • As bots are handling the execution here, a larger amount of work can be done in a relatively much shorter period. A faster delivery, coupled with accuracy becomes the norm with automation.

Centre of Excellence (CoE)

In order for the software solution to be implemented into business processes Department-wide, a Centre of Excellence (CoE) aids in overseeing and guiding the RPA practice development and evolution within HC. Health Canada’s Regulatory Operations & Enforcement Branch (ROEB) will lead in the establishment of the Health Canada RPA CoE in the inception of this model (Phase 1). However, the future-state of the CoE is intended to be managed by IT services going forward.

The Health Canada RPA CoE will provide resources, governance and guidance through the process of ensuring RPA projects are efficiently and effectively delivered with a focus on organizational needs, client service and departmental priorities. The RPA practice at HC will enable enterprise-wide digital transformation, which reduces cost, increases speed, reduces  manual processing, and improves quality and control.

Development

Intake

The process of intake consists of 5 stages. In the first stage of process discovery challenges in businesses are discovered and candidates are solicited through interviews. Following this is the process analysis where the feasibility of a high level RPA candidate is determined and detailed assessment is considered. Third stage is the Automation Assessment in which performance is tested through reviewing complexity, frequency, stability and input types. After this is Automation Qualification where RPA candidates are further qualified using benefit analysis and comparing assessment score cards. In the final step resources are assigned to start the implementation processes and items are added to Jira.

Governance

Governance and prioritization is to be handled by the CoE Team, and are reviewed during the ROEB Transformation Meetings.

Build, Test and Implement

The following table shows the process of building, testing and implementing RPA.

RPA is first prepared, with one-time set up activities that set up infrastructure and design server architecture. Products and applicable modules are installed, and access to all applications and systems needed are acquired. A process is selected based on pipeline management.

A solution is analyzed and designed through documenting and re-engineering processes, creating a high level timeline, creating test scenarios and conducting infrastructure review.

RPA solution is then configured, building the robot automation. a reusable component library is developed, along with workflows with application integration. Workflow is integrated into the robot automation process, and testing is done for queue processing. A development specification document is created and test data is prepared.

For RPA solution testing, a test plan is provided, conducting a user acceptance test and fixing issues uncovered during the testing. Test results are reported and signed off.

Monitoring, Maintenance and Support

This stage in the process consists of going live with RPA, performing a Read Only testing in production. The automation is deployed to production and monitored. Metrics and SLAs are consistently tracked and reported. Results are documented along the way.

Reporting, KPIs, Continuous Improvement

This stage of the process involves conducting regular reviews and assessments, with changes to workflow and/or code made based on improvement opportunities. Tracking benefits are realized and service models are enabled.

Work to Date

• Two 2 successful pilots with RPA software were conducted by ROEB:
  • Medical Device Establishment Licensing (UiPath)
  • Annual License Renewal Invoice processing (Blue Prism)
• ROEB presented the RPA pilot findings and intent to move forward with an RPA solution at Architectural Review Board (ARB) on Q1 FY2021-22.
• ROEB returned to ARB Q3 FY2021-22 and received endorsement to:
  1. run a Request for Proposal (RFP) procurement process to procure an enterprise RPA software solution that program areas can leverage.
  2. establish a separate professional services procurement vehicle (e.g.: TBIPS) for development
  3. create a HC/PHAC RPA Center of Expertise (CoE)

Next Steps

• Engaging IT resources to implement and support RPA software implementation:
  • Cloud intake
  • Security for RPA licenses
  • Accessibility verification
  • Governance and approvals
• Establish a Center of Expertise, starting with ROEB and expanding to other programs areas :
  • Intake process (e.g. use cases) / RPA guidelines and guardrails - Done
  • Governance and prioritization
  • Security for each RPA architecture pattern
  • Change management
  • Training
  • Release management
  • Resourcing
  • Terms of Reference - Done
• Implement RPA technology within selected business use cases
  • Will require support and engagement from program SMEs and process owners
  • Intake form was the first step that will lead the discovery phase, and subsequent planning
  • First process to automate will be ALR