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CFO Insights
July 2017
Future smart: Why robotics
changes everything
What comes to mind when you hear the It may be time for CFOs to put aside such steroids,” but that’s like comparing the cruise
word “robot?” Maybe an image from pop misperceptions, because the robots that are control function in cars to fully automated,
culture, such as R2-D2 or, at the other end quickly and quietly becoming an integral part driverless vehicles. Put simply, RPA replicates
of the spectrum, Arnold Schwarzenegger of the finance function bear no resemblance any mouse and/or keyboard actions a
in The Terminator? Perhaps giant yellow to those just described. Rather, they are human would do across any applications
arms pivoting on an auto assembly line? arriving in the form of a technology termed on their PC. RPA can do everything from
Or even one of those package-delivery “robotic process automation,” aka “RPA,” with open email and attachments to collect social
robots currently cruising the streets of the emphasis squarely on the “PA.” media statistics to follow if/then decisions
San Francisco? In any event, you probably and rules (see Figure 1, “What RPA can do”).
associate “robot” with some sort of These robots exist as software and are In finance, that translates into everything
physical entity, a substitute human made designed to automate a wide range of from recording journal entries to reconciling
of metal, plastic, and plenty of electronic processes that tend to be repetitive, labor- general ledger accounts to auditing
componentry: mobile, task-oriented, still intensive, and rule-based. RPA has been expense reports, to cite just a few common
somewhat exotic—and certainly expensive. described as “a spreadsheet macro on applications.
CFO Insights Future smart: Why robotics changes everything
While RPA is simply software code—and
fairly simple, inexpensive code at that—it
is analogous to those giant yellow-armed
robots deployed across factory floors in
that it changes the calculus of outsourcing/
insourcing decisions by automating labor-
intensive tasks. Companies that have turned
to business process outsourcing as a way
to economically tackle a variety of finance
needs may find that an increasing number of
them can be handled by RPA.
Many, in fact, already are. This year the
market for RPA products and services
will reach $433 million, according to HFS
Research, and may climb to $1.2 billion by
2021, a compound annual growth rate of
36%.1 And in this issue of CFO Insights, we will
take a look at the process of implementing
RPA and the potential it has to help finance
automate its way to higher performance.
Demystifying RPA
As mentioned, RPA is a relatively simple and To get a robot up and running, a “robot Many vendors offer RPA software at this
inexpensive software-based technology (a configurator” specifies in detail the point, and over time its capabilities are likely
“fully loaded” robot may cost about one-third instructions the robots will follow and to become embedded in core systems as
of what a globally sourced employee might publishes that script to a robot controller, relevant applications evolve, facilitating
cost2) that sits on top of other applications (at a centralized repository that will assign the interoperability. But CFOs don’t need to
the user-interface level) requires no special jobs to various robots and monitor their wait; even in its current form, RPA is already
hardware, and plays well in almost any IT activities. The robots can reside on desktop saving companies substantial amounts of
environment. It is robotic in the sense that it computers or be virtualized, but either way time and money. In some instances, we have
does what people sitting at desks often do: they will interact directly with whatever found that RPA is 15 times more efficient
enter keystrokes, mouse over to certain fields business applications are needed to do their than humans and offers a 15% to 90% cost-
within an application, cut and paste, move jobs. Business users typically resolve any reduction opportunity,3 depending on the
data from one place to another, make queries exceptions or escalations that might occur as characteristics of the function to which it’s
and calculations, hit “send,” etc. robots do the lion’s share of the work. being applied.
Figure 1. What RPA can do
Opening email and Scraping data from
attachments the web
Logging into web/ enterprise Connecting to system
applications APIs
Moving files and folders Making calculations
Copying and pasting Extracting structured data
from documents
Filling in forms Collecting social media statistics
Reading and writing to databases Following “if/then” decisions/rules
Source: “Robotics & cognitive automation: General overview,” Deloitte Development LLC, 2017
2CFO Insights Future smart: Why robotics changes everything
Not only can RPA save on full-time Making RPA happen •• Shared services tasks that typically
equivalents (FTEs), but it can also provide When it comes to leveraging robotic process entail multiple interactions with different
several other advantages. Because it can automation, companies generally fall into systems, such as payroll, onboarding and
run 24/7, it can grind through time-sensitive one of two camps: those that have launched benefits management in HR, and folder
reporting tasks that often require finance pilots and are now trying to scale the and file management, infrastructure/
staff to log night and weekend hours in technology, and those that are at the early application monitoring, and user/
order to meet deadlines. And it is often more stages of exploring its possibilities. directory and release management in IT.
accurate, with some companies reporting
the complete elimination of data re-entry If your organization falls into that latter camp, To be manageable, an agile pilot program
and rekeying errors.4 That reliability is one viable way to begin is with a prototype would begin with selecting three to five
bolstered by the creation of an audit trail that or pilot that will allow you to become familiar processes. As with most pilot efforts, it is
identifies any potential glitches. In fact, many with RPA at a basic level. Begin by identifying advisable to make reasonably fast decisions
organizations create a monitoring system tasks that lend themselves well to RPA. regarding team composition, product
that allows a finance staffer to “supervise” a Often, this low-hanging fruit exists in a selection, and the pilot process. With RPA,
team of robots in real time. Center of Excellence or in an outsourcing though, it’s also important to invest time in
arrangement and may include the following: understanding the value and limitations of
That may sound fanciful, but RPA differs from whatever tools you decide to deploy, in order
many other technology implementations in •• Tasks that may have been outsourced, to ensure they are right for today’s needs
that it is not really about technology, but about such as reconciliations, claims processing, and, if applicable, have the ability to scale.
redeploying human talent: let the robots returns management, inventory
do what they do so well, which can free up processing, desktop support, and Another key consideration: determine how
finance talent to address activities that are network monitoring; to engage the owners of a given process to
less rote and add more value. Within a shared •• Process automation tasks in the front give an RPA pilot a try, because they have
services center, for example, using RPA to office (sales order management, the process knowledge that will be a key
automate some tasks can enable staff to focus competitor price monitoring, customer component in programming the robot—not
on delivering customer and market insights or engagement), middle office (trend tracking, to mention the business need that can prove
develop new levels of service altogether.5 report generation) and back office (data the value of RPA.
reconciliation, applications integration);
Figure 2. Where automation may happen in finance
Almost half the roles in back office functions have the potential to be automated
Low probability Medium probability High probability of
of automation, 40.33% of automation, 3.59% automation, 56.08%
Level of education (Bachelors or more)
0.8
Business &
Finance
financial project
Purchasing manager
management
0.6 Finance
professional managers and
directors account
Financial &
manager
accounting,
0.4 technician
Financial
administrator
0.2 Financial managers
and directors
Credit Payroll
controller managers
0
Weighted probability 0.3 0.7 1.0
of automation
Size of bubble represents # of employees
Source: “The robots are coming,” Deloitte UK, 2015
3CFO Insights Future smart: Why robotics changes everything
Assuming a successful pilot, many That’s not to say that robots will do already well aware that in an ever more
organizations may want to determine how everything, of course. But as RPA and other dynamic business environment, success
to scale the technology to meet additional technologies usher in an era of digital depends on continuously training, retraining
needs and opportunities. In this regard, transformation, CFOs will have to think and redeploying their human talent. The
organizations can adopt something of a pay- carefully about what (human) skills they will same holds true for the robots that can
as-you-go strategy, using the money saved need to hire or train for. One advantage increasingly augment the work of the finance
from a first round of RPA to finance the next of RPA is that it can be configured by non- team: As companies acquire and divest
round, and so on. Aside from that, several technical staff: any finance team member businesses, move to new ERP or other large-
core decisions need to be made. comfortable creating spreadsheet macros scale IT systems, change their processes,
should be able to play a key role in making or evolve in any number of ways, robots will
For example, to build a business case, RPA happen. likely require frequent reprogramming in
companies should determine what pain points order to deliver as much value as possible.
can be alleviated by RPA, what metrics will be As RPA proliferates and acquires additional They may never match the wit of C-3PO, but
useful in assessing RPA’s effectiveness, and capabilities, however, there will likely they seem bound to become indispensable
what strategy will be used for redeploying be a growing need to have finance staff members of the finance department.
existing resources once RPA is up and running. focused on how to apply an expanding
In addition, companies should also decide arsenal of digital capabilities to finance and For more information on robotics and the
which operating and governance models broader business needs. Put another way, other digital technologies that are changing
most suit their needs: Should they own RPA RPA is not a “one-and-done” technology finance, visit Deloitte’s repository on “CFOs
capability long-term, or continue to partner implementation, but a capability that needs and the digital transformation of finance.”
with a third party? Is the right team in place to be continuously managed. CFOs are
to support the solution, and who will manage
and monitor the robots as they carry out their RPA: Separating fact from friction process allows an obvious error to creep
duties? With so many vendors in this space, As with any emerging technology, RPA into the instructions you’ve provided to
organizations should also determine which is often freighted with some common your robots, they will still follow those
ones are best suited to their business needs, misconceptions. Here are four to instructions to the letter.
consider:
which sourcing options work best, and how Robots will take our jobs
various pricing models compare. Finally, it’s You need an army of robots to make An assessment of organizations that
RPA worthwhile have deployed automation suggests that
also important that the people driving RPA
In fact, one of the main attractions of RPA the majority are focused on increasing
efforts ensure that all stakeholders affected is the ability to automate the “long-tail” the efficiency and effectiveness of their
understand what RPA is, why it’s being of low-volume or low-value processes workforce rather than eliminating it,
deployed, and how it will be rolled out. that would not be economical to address and the people relieved of routine tasks
via other means. That said, there is a are refocused toward more valuable
minimum scale required to realize both or rewarding activities. Over time,
The promise and the pitfalls
the return on the upfront investment of organizations could see lower turnover,
Regardless of whether a company is piloting establishing an automation capability higher morale, and increased internal
RPA or beginning to scale it, odds are good and the ongoing overhead of running innovation.
that the tasks it’s being applied to today are one. Vendors commonly specify a
RPA will significantly reduce the
highly transactional, rules-based, and labor- minimum number of licenses that must
importance of your IT department
be purchased, but those minimums are
intensive. But already some companies are RPA can be used to automate processes
usually not prohibitive. It is quite possible
combining RPA with other technologies to across business applications in a
in today’s market to see positive results
“noninvasive” manner, which can reduce
automate not only human actions but human with the deployment of a few robots.
reliance on IT for deployment. But
judgment, and, eventually, intelligence. Robots are infallible while some subset of roles in IT may
While software robots may follow rules be reduced, others may increase. IT
By combining RPA with cognitive and artificial without deviation, don’t need sleep or typically takes responsibility for systems
intelligence capabilities, natural language take vacations, and will not make typos, infrastructure, security, resilience/
they are not perfect. Poor quality input recovery, and governance, and these
processing/generation, and other emerging
data can cause exceptions, and while functions are as important as ever.
technologies, companies can create toolsets the ways in which robots recognize the Therefore, IT should be involved in RPA
that can tackle judgment-based processes, elements of application user interfaces deployments from the outset. In fact, in
predictive decision-making, and more, are quite robust they are not completely some organizations the IT function is the
to produce virtual customer assistants, impervious to system changes, buyer of RPA solutions, as it looks for cost-
particularly when interacting with remote effective means to better support and
conversational user interfaces, and many
environments. In addition, robots have enhance the experience of its business
other advances.6 Seen through that lens, no “common sense,” so if a flaw in your partners.
RPA becomes a foundational technology organization’s robot management
for a digitally transformed enterprise that
can evolve in lockstep with these quickly
advancing technologies. *Excerpted from “Automate this: A business leader’s guide to robotics and intelligent automation,” Deloitte Consulting LLP,
2017; https://www2.deloitte.com/content/dam/Deloitte/us/Documents/process-and-operations/us-sdt-process-
automation.pdf.
4CFO Insights Future smart: Why robotics changes everything
Contacts Endnotes:
Anthony Abbattista Matt Soderberg 1. HFS Research 2017, as cited in the Horses for Sources blog, http://
www.horsesforsources.com/RPA-marketsize-HfS_061017.
Principal, Co-Leader RPA/RCA Principal 2. “Frequently asked questions,” Blue prism, 2017, https://www.
Deloitte Consulting LLP Deloitte Consulting LLP blueprism.com/whatwedo/faq.
aabbattista@deloitte.com msoderberg@deloitte.com 3. Deloitte client experience.
4. “Use cases for robotic process automation: Providing a team
of 'virtual workers,’” November 2016, Gartner, Inc., https://
Tadd Morganti Jan Hejtmánek www.gartner.com/doc/3156924/use-cases-robotic-process-
automation.
Managing Director Manager 5. “Predicts 2017: The future state of business process services
Deloitte Consulting LLP Deloitte Central Europe and outsourcing,” November 2016, Gartner, Inc., https://www.
gartner.com/doc/3512952/predicts--future-state-business.
tmorganti@deloitte.com jhejtmanek@deloittece.com 6. “Maverick* research: To avoid working for robots, make robots
work for your organization,” Gartner, Inc., January 2017, https://
www.gartner.com/doc/3565085/maverick-research-avoid-
working-robots
Deloitte CFO Insights are developed with the guidance of
Dr. Ajit Kambil, Global Research Director, CFO Program,
Deloitte LLP; and Lori Calabro, Senior Manager, CFO
Education & Events, Deloitte LLP. Special thanks to Scott
Leibs, Senior Manager, CFO Program, Deloitte LLP, for his
contributions to this issue.
About Deloitte’s CFO Program
The CFO Program brings together a
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The Program harnesses our organization’s broad
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For more information about Deloitte’s CFO Program, visit
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