Introduction

Most companies have already implemented RPA to automate manual processes; however, there are still companies that are on the fence about RPA, mainly due to reasons such as lack of expertise and not knowing how to start implementing an RPA solution. In this case study, we will showcase how Cybiant assisted one of the largest semiconductor equipment manufacturers in embarking on their RPA implementation journey, starting from developing the pilot project to building a business case and developing multiple RPA programs to automate their finance processes.

Background

The company Is one of the largest semiconductor equipment manufacturers globally with more than 2,000 employees operating in several facilities across the globe. Its equipment is used by semiconductor manufacturers to produce advanced semiconductor assemblies to provide the electronic interface between semiconductor devices, which is commonly known as “microchip”. Throughout the years, its business has been expanding rapidly growing in terms of products, revenue, and operations.

The problem

The primary responsibility of the finance department is to provide financial information for other business functions to operate effectively and efficiently, including tasks such as financial planning, resource allocation, cash flow management, and others. The function of finance also demands for low margin of error, quick access to key financial information for business stakeholders, and proper management and documentation of those key information. Thus, the finance department spends the majority of its time in mundane number crunching and copying and paste of information across multiple software and shared drives.

This is a common scenario for almost all finance departments, and it is the same for the case of our client. One of the mundane but crucial tasks of our client’s company finance team is to update its financial information at specific hours to support its facilities across different time zones and ensure that the financial information is converted according to the exchange rate of each country. In addition to that, the process also requires cross-platform data migration, which was handled manually by the team. As the business is growing rapidly, it also requires the flow of information to be almost instantaneous and without any error.

The Solution – Cybiant’s RPA implementation approach

Cybiant was selected by the company to provide our RPA consultation and implementation services. Our firm is known for our proven structured and holistic approach covering all aspects of the RPA implementation process.

Cybiant’s structured approach to RPA implementation

1) The RPA Discovery workshop
Our consultant organized the RPA Discovery Workshop to help the client’s team explore, discover, and evaluate the potential benefits of implementing Robotic Process Automation (RPA) technology in their business operations (finance department). The workshop was led by an experienced RPA consultant and covered all aspects of RPA, which included:

• • An introduction session to ensure all stakeholders understand the function and benefits of RPA.
  • The identification of processes that are most suitable for RPA.
  • The initial development of the RPA roadmap and implementation plan.

2) The Pilot Project
In order to prove that the RPA solution could bring actual value to the company, Cybiant worked closely with the finance and IT department of the company to develop the first RPA solution. The goal of the pilot project was to formulate the initial business case to assure the Return-of-Investment (ROI) of the solution and to get the buy-in from key stakeholders. The team started with implementing RPA to automate the process of updating the key financial information at specific hours to support the facilities in different countries and data migration across different platforms. The project was completed within the first 2 weeks of engagement, and the solution was demonstrated to the client.

3) Implementation and development of the RPA solution
After the successful Proof-of-concept, Cybiant and the team discussed and revised the RPA Roadmap and implementation plan, adding more details such as the actual timeline, objectives, and engagement requirements for each RPA initiative. A small team of consultants which included a project manager and 2 RPA consultants from Cybiant, was tasked to support the development of the RPA solution for the client. In total, the team deployed more than 20 RPA solutions to automate different processes.

4) Knowledge transfer and support
Another crucial aspect of a successful RPA implementation is the transfer of knowledge. The consultants and the client selected 3 representatives from the IT department to train them to become the internal RPA developers for the company. The consultants trained the RPA developers focusing on the RPA programming basics, RPA concepts, and involved them in hands-on training to develop actual RPA solutions for their company.

The Outcome and Deliverables

The RPA solution implemented has significantly increased the efficiency and productivity of the finance team, reducing human error and time spent on manual tasks. Due to the success of the RPA projects implemented during the course of the engagement, the client is looking further to scale the use of RPA within their company. Cybiant supports the client’s RPA team to implement more “robots” to automate processes in different departments and work functions.

Cybiant’s RPA Services

Cybiant is an expert in leading digital platforms that enable digital transformation through Service Automation and RPA. Our founders were involved in developing the Service Automation Framework, which today is the leading publication for service automation and RPA. Our firm offers RPA consulting and implementation services that assist companies in their every phase of their RPA implementation journey: 

• The RPA Discovery Workshop 
• RPA Vision and Strategy Workshop 
• RPA Proof of Concepts 
• RPA Implementation 
• RPA Managed Services 
• Robot-as-a-Service 

To learn more, feel free to reach out to us at info@cybiant.com 

Cybiant is an organization that specializes in the development, delivery, and execution of organizational Best Practices – proven methodologies that improve quality and efficiency in modern organizations. Our expertise includes Digital Transformation, Big Data, Automation, Cybersecurity, IT service management and asset management. If you wish to learn more about our services or know how we can help you in your ITSM journey, please contact us at info@cybiant.com.