Efficiency is a key metric for many professional organizations, and understandably so. Producing high-quality work quickly is no easy feat. This is where robotic process automation (RPA) comes in handy. We’re going to explore a handful of robotic process automation case studies and review the key takeaways to demonstrate how RPA can fit into and benefit any organization.
Before we jump into the robotic process automation case studies themselves, it’s important to have a clear understanding of what RPA is.
Simply put, robotic process automation, or RPA, is a task-specific software that can be programmed to engage with digital environments in any number of ways. One of the best and most common use-cases for RPA technology is in data entry and data manipulation.
Watch this quick video for a more comprehensive definition of RPA as well as additional use-cases:
Implementing modern RPA solutions will help your organization embrace the digital era even further. For more ideas on how to continue leaning into the digital space, check out Impact’s webinar, How to Identify High-Value Opportunities for Innovation.
1. ZMac - Using RPA in First of Industry Software
ZMac is a third-party logistics provider specializing in flatbed and over dimensional freights. Looking to revolutionize the industry, ZMac ideated several software-based solutions for various solutions they could then push to market. Prior to partnering with Impact, however, they were stuck in a never-ending development-loop.
After 2.5 years of back and forth with their initial software development partner, the Impact team came in and got the ball rolling by first understanding the effect that the new software would have on the business, how it was going to operate, and where that alignment was.
Combing through about 56,000 lines of code, the Impact team worked with ZMac to streamline the development and get a first-of-industry software published to market, with an understanding that additional iterations and updates could be made after the initial launch.
ZRate, the ZMac application, allowed for a huge influx of quotes. Between December of 2022, and March 2023, 70,000 flatbed and oversized freight quotes were run through the ZRate application.
The ZRate application uses a variety of automatic processes to complete a large series of complex tasks in a matter of moments, saving time and resources, while also generating quotes and ongoing business.
2. Spotify - Expanding Enterprise RPA Efforts
Spotify, the music streaming giant of our generation, is known for its massive library of music, its impressive collection of podcasts, and perhaps most notably, it’s super sophisticated algorithm that produces nearly spot-on music recommendations for listeners.
Spotify has always embodied a culture of technology and innovation, so it should come as no surprise that the music streaming mammoth makes use of robotic process automation. In fact, they have since 2017.
Spotify has two core categories of RPA – enterprise and citizen. Enterprise RPA are the unattended bots that run without any human oversight whatsoever, while citizen programs are those that need human attendants. Spotify has found so much success with RPA software that they are currently working to scale up their entire RPA initiative.
So far, the music streaming platform has over 100 bots in operation, have saved over 45,000 hours of work, and have successfully opened up an additional 24,000 hours of staff capacity that can be allocated elsewhere.
3. JW Winco - Integrated Kofax Robotic Process Automation Solutions
JW Winco is a parts manufacturer operating in the United States, Mexico, and Canada. As their CFO Mark Winkler says,
“Automation has always been a key in our company.”
Manufacturing companies are all too familiar with the resource savings that come from automation. So naturally, when introduced to the concept of robotic process automation as a potential solution for data-entry and other tedious, low-value manual tasks, JW Winco was more than eager.
With the help and expertise of the Impact team, JW Winco deployed a variety of Kofax Robotic Process Automation software that took over the majority of the data-entry, and other data-based tasks that were greatly slowing down order processes and inhibiting the staff from focusing on customers.
After implementing a variety of RPA solutions, JW Winco saw a major bump in efficiency, significant time savings, and an improved employee experience as staff members could focus on higher-value tasks.
4. Expion Health - Staggering Productivity Improvements with RPA
Expion Health is a huge player in the $5.1 trillion healthcare industry. Their main role is helping insurance providers come to fair prices for both the end-user and the service-provider.
Needless to say, there’s a lot of math and data involved in their normal workflow. Not to mention, archaic claims processes from insurance providers also effects the speed and efficacy with which Expion Health is able to make their recommendations.
Their typical process includes pulling the pertinent data from the submitted claim, matching that against historic and current market data, then logging it into their own system before finally sending their client an evaluated price. Before they adopted a robotic process automation solution through a series of five different bots, Expion was limited to about 75 claims a day at max.
After RPA implementation, however, Expion saw a 97% increase in productivity and nearly a 600% increase in processing speed.
“We have gone from processing about 75 claims a day in the past to now frequently processing as many as 500 claims or more in a day. That’s almost a 600% increase in the volume of claims we can handle.”
D.S. Suresh Kumar, Chief Transformation Officer, Expion Health
5. Uber - RPA Solutions Create Massive Savings
Uber is one of the fastest growing businesses of the day. It’s instant popularity with consumers looking for on-demand rides made Uber a huge success right out of the gate. Becoming so popular so quickly, though, doesn’t come without a few trials and tribulations.
The ride services company is still dealing with some growing pains as they continue to scale their international business presence, offer more services, and enter new markets.
In order to combat growing pains, improve the employee experience, and streamline processes, Uber embraced RPA and made the most of it. With over 100 automations in operation, Uber is able to save an estimated $10 million/year.
Outside of savings, the RPA culture at Uber has significantly improved both the employee and customer experience.
"We began managing less than 20% of our invoices through automation two years ago, and now we're able to issue over 70% of our portal invoices monthly. With a reduced number of errors, thanks to automation, team members can now focus on problem-solving rather than just transactional tasks."
Kasumi Billington, Finance Operations for Uber
Robotic Process Automation Case Study Takeaways
Robotic process automation is an exceptional tool for organizations to utilize in several capacities. RPA software can help streamline everyday workflows, create more efficient operations, increase productivity, and even improve the employee experience.
If you think that RPA solutions could benefit your organization, but you aren’t quite sure how to start building or integrating them into your current operations, the experts at Impact can help you with everything from inception to implementation.
There are plenty of opportunities for digital transformation and innovation if you know where to look. Watch Impact’s webinar, How to Identify High-Value Opportunities for Innovation for some additional insight into modern innovation strategies.
