Revolutionising world of work via Robotic Process Automation

Ryohei Oda*, senior manager of ABeam Consulting Vietnam

Robotic Process Automation (RPA) is being used more and more in Vietnam. What kind of companies are using RPA in the country, and are any big names involved?

We have seen RPA used in two big banks in Vietnam with over 24,000 employees, but there are also many small- and medium-sized enterprises that have been working with ABeam on RPA projects. Most of ABeam’s clients are in the size of 200-400 employees.

We hear that RPA is best applied for repetitive tasks. Which industries can utilise RPA the most effectively?

From our experience of implementing RPA projects across Asian countries and in Vietnam, there is no limitation on the type of business that can apply RPA.

We have RPA projects for clients in manufacturing, automotives, trading, and even the service industry. And there are RPA projects in banks, insurance, real estate, and logistics companies, to name just a few.

Industries in Vietnam that already apply RPA

Much like with robotics, there are also widespread concerns that by applying RPA, which is essentially implementing robots to perform human tasks, people will lose their employment. So, is there a trade-off in human resources and efficiency gains?

On the contrary. The RPA vision is robots helping each person. There are robots that work as assistants to humans, and those that work completely on their own to complete a specific task. Robots are implemented to take repetitive tasks, time-consuming tasks, and make it easier for employees to focus on the creative work that software and robots cannot do. For example, we helped a client to implement a robot that inputs sales orders and purchase orders into the SAP enterprise resource planning system.

With that robot, the client is able to save 300 hours per year. The client also implemented another two robots and is saving another 1,300 hours per year.

Not only saving time, the application of RPA allows this client to have a new type of report delivered to managers daily in their mailbox.

The implementation of such a report takes only four weeks with RPA, while it would take three months if it was implemented in SAP, which will require more time for coding, testing, and deployment.

ABeam Consulting provides business transformation services that create strategic advantage, improve business processes, leverage technology ­innovation, and enhance organisational performance for leading multinational and domestic companies worldwide. ABeam partners with clients to diagnose and solve their real challenges with solutions that combine industry and operational best practices with technical expertise. Pragmatic approaches ensure that clients gain measurable value more quickly. Headquartered in Tokyo, ABeam’s 6,000 professionals serve more than 700 clients throughout Asia, the Americas, and Europe. For more information, please visit www.abeam.com. Contact us for more ­information about ABeam Services and Solutions: Ryohei Oda - Senior manager Email: VNABINFO@abeam.com Tel : +842839116345 ABeam Consulting (Vietnam) Co., Ltd. Unit 1509, 15th floor, No.37 Ton Duc Thang, Ben Nghe Ward, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City