The telecommunications sector is one of the most important business industries if we consider that it contributes to a functional, strongly interconnected world – as more and more devices are being connected daily on a global scale.
Moreover, if we think about the pandemic period, we could say the telecom industry has become even more important for maintaining functional economies, as work from home was the way of working for the vast majority of companies across the globe. What’s more, the trend of remote work is here to stay, so the demand for a good network infrastructure and connectivity will increase.
As a consequence of these facts, now, more than ever, telecom providers need to adapt their services to meet the requirements of their customers, in terms of both quality and affordability. And let’s not forget about the 5G implementation (the fifth generation technology standard for broadband cellular networks), which is transforming this industry.
But to do all of this, telecom companies face a few challenges, such as: high operating costs and capital expenditures, inefficiency when it comes to workflows or developing new services, errors caused by managing a high volume of data, difficult cost controlling and the list could go on.
So, what is the solution? Since the telecom industry is based on a lot of repetitive, rule-based processes and managing a high-volume of data, automating them with the help of robotic process automation (RPA) could solve all of these challenges. Software robots could perform all of the mundane tasks of an employee faster and more effectively, allowing them to handle more strategic activities.
Essentially, RPA implementation increases employee efficiency and productivity, cost savings, better customer experience and improved data quality, which will eventually lead to increased revenues for the company.
The potential of RPA is significant: global robotic process automation (RPA) software revenue is projected to reach $1.89 billion in 2021, an increase of 19,5% from 2020, according to Gartner. Also, the RPA market is expected to grow at double-digit rates through 2024.
In pandemic times, robotic process automation was (and still is) a key factor of growth for all business industries. If you’re curious to find out more, we’ve written extensively about how RPA revolutionized healthcare and what digital transformation during the pandemic looks like.
Benefits of RPA in telecommunications
Let’s explore deeper what the main benefits of RPA in the telecom industry are:
- Cost saving: automating all the repetitive tasks performed by human workforce means a lower cost of labor for the company; you should also keep in mind that RPA implementation is more affordable than other automation solutions;
- Reduced risk of errors: software robots don’t get tired, don’t take breaks and they are available 24/7, which will reduce to zero the risk of errors; ultimately, this will lead to a better business workflow and a better customer experience;
- Higher productivity: software robots can deal faster and better with the tedious, high-volume tasks, enabling employees to handle more strategic activities, that bring high added value and boost their motivation;
- Efficiency and scalability: robotic process automation can be easily implemented in different business departments and it doesn’t require any changes in the existing IT infrastructure, aspects which allow business efficiency and growth of the company;
- Better customer experience: since RPA in telecom could automate back-office activities, employees could focus on delivering better services which will increase the customer satisfaction level.
More and more companies seem to understand and acknowledge the advantages of RPA in telecommunications, but it is also true that RPA implementation requires a well-crafted strategy and the right automation partner to do this. Read more about the 8 steps to successful RPA implementation and how to start your RPA journey in 5 easy steps.
As an official UiPath partner, we at Aggranda build complex software robots using the UiPath platform. We invite you to explore more about it from our RPA case studies.
6 use cases of RPA in telecommunications
We’ll explore the most common use cases of robotic process automation in telecom:
1. Billing and invoicing processes
Automating the process of billing and payments brings efficiency and allows employees to perform more important activities. Besides, software robots can perform these activities with a reduced risk of errors, can send email reminders and keep the payment records.
2. Customer management
Telecom companies deal with a lot of personal information about their customers, so managing it manually could be a nightmare for every employee who could easily commit errors. Moreover, the process of customer on-boarding and off-boarding requires a lot of information to be gathered and constantly updated.
Robotic process automation could manage the information when a new customers signs a contract and remove the data when the customer no longer wants to use the services of the particular provider.
3. Data management
Extracting, storing and managing data from different databases are a big part of the operational workflow in telecommunications. Software robots can do all of these, gathering the data in a structured way, faster and better, which ultimately increases efficiency.
4. Network management
People stay connected using multiple devices, so telecom providers have to make sure their customers are experiencing quality services and a good network infrastructure, facing an increased level of pressure.
Using RPA, companies can implement automated systems able to solve simple network incidents or to offer a diagnosis whenever a technical problem happens. This frees up network engineers, enabling them to focus on more important challenges.
5. Debt collection
RPA implementation could be very useful for the entire debt collection process within a telecom company: software robots could perform the tasks regarding the payment information updates, due dates, payment reconciliation and other aspects. This will lead to a higher efficiency and better business results for the company.
6. Customer support
Software robots can be used for customer interaction, they can respond to emails or deal with simple queries, while forwarding the complex one to human employees. These aspects will provide a better customer experience, a better reputation and increased sales.
On the other hand, robotic process automation could be successfully implemented when it comes to the First Call Resolution process (FCR refers to the way the customer care agent deals with customer demands on their first call, without follow-ups). RPA also enables customer retention and loyalty.
Conclusions
We have seen that Robotic Process Automation can be crucial for the telecom industry. But even if we have mentioned a few of the robotic process automation use cases in telecommunications, this technology can be successfully implemented across many business industries, providing the same or even better benefits. There is no doubt that automation is a real game-changer for every sector.
Take into account the need of having the right RPA implementation partner by your side for an effective automation strategy. Aggranda can help you develop the ideal software robots for your needs. Contact us – we are just one email away.