Understanding robotic process automation

RPA Playbook

Written by the RPA CoP, the RPA playbook provides detailed, accessible guidance for federal agencies starting a new RPA program or evolving an existing program.

At a Glance

To serve as a guiding reference tool for federal agencies, the playbook covers both program management and technology management strategies for RPA programs at all levels. Readers can expect to find guidance for:

• RPA Fundamentals — What is RPA, the RPA CoP and its mission, Benefits of RPA, How to get started with RPA
• RPA Capability Areas

  • RPA Program Technology

    • Technology Infrastructure — Selecting, building, operating, and maintaining a secure and scalable IT platform for development, testing, and production.
    • Security Policy — Designing streamlined security/ATO processes to deploy automations safely and rapidly.
    • Credentialing Policy — Designing compliant credentialing processes aligning with RPA program resourcing and technology strategies.
    • Privacy Policy — Developing processes to meet relevant federal privacy and ethics standards for RPA deployment.

  • RPA Program Management

    • Operating Model — Establishing an effective oversight and management framework to foster cross-agency collaboration and accountability.
    • RPA Program Design — Designing an RPA program structure to meet established throughput goals and deployment strategy.
    • Management Reporting and Business Value — Creating operational metrics, strategies, and business-case models to drive common measurement and impact analysis.
    • Process Selection, Assessment, and Improvement — Identifying and assessing processes for automation that maximize the value of RPA within an agency. Using RPA effectively for broad process improvement within an agency.
    • HR Planning and Impacts — Drafting HR processes and guidance to address the impacts of RPA—including employee reskilling, redeployment, and satisfaction.
    • Operations Management — Defining processes for developing automations, scheduling automations, facilitating capacity management, license management, and monitoring and fixing errors.