How to automate SAP SuccessFactors configuration using Robotic Process Automation

Robotic Process Automation (RPA) is primarily used to automate processes that are repetitive and uniform in nature. They are very effective when the process is stable and minimal logic and decision making are required. But bots are becoming more advanced and with the inclusion of machine learning they will be able to automate more complex processes. The question is whether they are currently capable of automating SaaS system configuration.

Configuration and code generating are certainly more complex than automating a well-defined process. There are more variables and the utilization of complex logic is required. The system architecture and UI used for configuration can have a lot more features available which the bots will need to be trained on how to use. With that being said, I think the future of using RPA for automating SaaS system configuration is actually here. 

In this blog, I will cover how bots can be used to auto configure SAP SuccessFactors and the benefits that can be derived. This is based on a recently completed POC. Some portions of the process are captured in a video which can be found at the bottom of this blog.

There are multiple use cases where RPA can have an impact on SaaS system implementation and maintenance. Here are some of the more preliminary activities that can be completed by using Bots

1)    Reverse engineer configuration workbooks from the actual system configuration

2)    Auto configure the system based on the design captured in the workbook

3)    Porting configuration to multiple instances/tenants (QA, Parallel, Prod)

4)    Use the same configuration workbook to maintain current configuration across multiple environments

5)    Validate system configuration

Using RPA for Iteration One

I will run thru the Auto Configuration activity (for Iteration One) in more detail so you can see how bots can be incorporated into the typical SaaS project implementation.

Here are the steps to complete Iteration One when using Bots

1)    Client is assigned a pre-built instance/tenant

2)    An RPA is triggered that reverse engineer the creation of the config workbook from the actual baseline configuration in the system

3)    Consultants work with clients to document all Iteration One changes in the config workbook as they currently do

4)    An RPA process is triggered and uses the workbook to complete the Iteration One configuration in the system

5)    A second RPA process gets triggered after the config process is complete to compare the config workbook with the actual system configuration and flag any discrepancy

6)    The system is returned to the client for Iteration one validation

Benefits

The configuration of a typical Iteration one cycle will take approximately two or more weeks to complete. Using RPA this can be done in a fraction of the time. But that is not the only benefit. Manual configuration is costly, time consuming, error prone and communication between onsite consultants and back off configurators is never perfect. Using RPA to auto configure a SaaS system will eliminate most of these issues. From an implementation perspective, here are the four top areas where RPA can have an impact.

From an overall business perspective there are lot more benefits to be gained. The first SaaS vendor that is able to effectively use RPA to automate configuration will have a huge advantage. Their implementation cost will be less. The implementation timeline will be compressed. As such clients will realize benefits earlier and get a better ROI. Client satisfaction will also increase since they will be dealing with less errors, delays and resource utilization. The end result is a larger market share for this vendor.

Conclusion

I have just touched on a few of the areas where RPA can have an impact on SaaS implementation. There are numerous others such as testing and integration. There is one other area that is currently very relevant to SAP SuccessFactors. That is the migration of clients from Onboarding 1.0 to 2.0. How about using bots to capture the client configuration of Onboarding 1.0 in a workbook and then using bots to build out the same configuration in Onboarding 2.0.

Please click here for a video showing how bots can be used to Reverse Engineering the EC configuration workbook and also how to auto configure changes from the workbook into the SAP SuccessFactors Employee Central module. 

To learn more about SFCodeBot, please click here or for more information about implementing SAP SuccessFactors, you can access my other blog posts.