In the fast-moving tech industry, it’s easy to get caught up in KPIs and quarterly reports. However, at Destan, we’ve dedicated considerable time to reflecting on something that drives our success from within—our core values. Much like refining software, we believe in continuously improving the principles that power our team.

For us, values are not just abstract statements or empty catchphrases. They are practical guidelines, present in everything from our emails and coffee chats to company trips and projects. We strive to capture and maintain this authenticity in every description.

Our values influence how we collaborate and deliver exceptional results for our Clients and Partners. They aren’t dictated by leadership but emerge organically from the contributions of our entire team. They act as a guide for making the right decisions and taking meaningful action.

Here’s the story of how we developed them and the results we’ve achieved as a result.

Personalized Value Creation Process: Refining What Matters Most to Us

Developing our Fresh DestValues was a comprehensive, collaborative effort involving multiple stages, with the entire company participating.

An Automation Department (AD) operates much like a factory: each department and team brings their unique ideas, and the AD manages the process from inception to execution. This includes evaluating ideas, conducting analyses, developing solutions, testing, and automating processes.

The AD ensures that RPA initiatives are not executed in isolation but are integrated across various business units, maximizing value while minimizing risks.

Why is an Automation Department Essential for Companies?

The significance of an Automation Department cannot be overstated. As businesses scale their automation efforts, a structured approach becomes vital to prevent chaos and inefficiency. Here’s why an AD is crucial:

Strategic Alignment

Ensures RPA initiatives are in sync with the company's overarching strategy and objectives.

Resource Efficiency

Optimizes resource allocation and eliminates redundant efforts across departments.

Standardization

Establishes and enforces standards and best practices, ensuring consistent quality and performance.

Scalability

Supports the growth of RPA initiatives by creating reusable assets and knowledge.

Governance and Compliance

Maintains oversight of automation processes to ensure adherence to regulatory and internal policies.

Innovation and Continuous Improvement

Fosters a culture of innovation and continuous enhancement by leveraging the latest advancements in RPA technology.

Differentiating the Automation Department from a Traditional IT Department

The primary distinction between an Automation Department and a traditional IT Department lies in their roles, structure, and scope. While a typical IT Department focuses on maintaining and supporting an organization’s IT infrastructure, its responsibilities are mainly technical, revolving around ensuring the smooth operation of systems, networks, and user support.

On the other hand, an Automation Department takes a broader approach, extending beyond the technical realm of IT. It includes strategic planning, governance, change management, and continuous process improvement. The Automation Department not only provides direction and sets standards but also manages resources and champions automation initiatives throughout the organization. This includes identifying opportunities for automation, developing and deploying bots, and ensuring the scalability and efficiency of automated workflows.

The Role of an Automation Department in Action

An Automation Department can be built internally, hired externally, or outsourced. For instance, here’s how we supported Pain Treatment Centers of America (PTCoA) with our automation services:

PTCoA sought to automate their insurance claims submission process. Within two weeks, we developed a bot that automatically processed insurance claims, reducing the execution time to just 45 seconds. This MVP project delivered a 100% ROI within 23 days, projecting $180,000 in savings for the first year.

As a result, PTCoA built a robust backlog of automation opportunities across different departments. Acting as their outsourced automation department, we delivered a suite of bots tailored to their specific needs, significantly boosting their operational efficiency. Our solutions helped streamline various processes, minimize manual labor, and allowed PTCoA to focus more on patient care and strategic growth.

Taking into account the total costs (including two RPA developers and licenses) and the value generated, the projected ROI for the first year is 449%, with total savings expected to surpass $400,000.

The collaboration continues, with new processes regularly added to the backlog, their automation potential validated, and additional bots being developed. PTCoA is poised for scalable growth, with happier employees, satisfied customers, and a much-improved bottom line.

Outsourcing RPA development provides multiple advantages: faster implementation, immediate cost savings, and access to specialized expertise. Companies like PTCoA can focus on their core operations while tapping into scalable, cost-effective automation solutions that provide a high ROI. Outsourcing also offers flexibility to adjust resources based on project requirements without the overhead of maintaining an internal team.

Conclusion

The Automation Department stands apart from a traditional IT team with its all-encompassing 'factory' model. It manages the entire automation lifecycle—from ideation to full implementation—by standardizing processes, ensuring governance, and driving innovative automated solutions.

The Automation Department brings numerous benefits, such as aligning automation initiatives with the organization’s overarching goals, maintaining standardized processes, fostering cross-departmental communication, and managing resources for optimal ROI. Establishing an Automation Department is essential to optimizing your automation strategy and achieving sustainable success. At Destan, we’re committed to helping you build an Automation Department that delivers lasting value and aligns with your strategic objectives. Contact our expert team for further guidance or support.