CGS Robotic Process Automation Interview with the CGS Automation Team

Capgemini Government Solutions is a leader in automation, with significant past and current experience. In general, it is growing increasingly imperative for federal agencies to efficiently use time and resources, and RPA is one way in which to accomplish these goals.

As recent hires at CGS, we wanted to learn more about RPA to further understand its benefits and implications in the federal space. We spoke with four of Capgemini’s experienced automation testers on our Automation Team to learn more:

Q: Tell us about yourself! Can you describe your background as well as your expertise with Robotic Process Automation (RPA)?

Moklasur: My background was in functionality testing, but by teaching myself I was able to switch careers into automation. At Capgemini, I am the lead for my project, and I have seven years of experience with RPA. Outside of work, I even teach automation and programming now. 

Elise: I graduated college with a degree in communications, and my first job out of college was as a Human Resource Generalist for a family-owned manufacturing company in Cleveland, Ohio, where I’m from. There, I was able to implement a (at the time) new computer system and learn the business process behind doing so. This is where I gained my interest in IT, which led me to pursue IT consulting after six years in Human Resources. Since then, I have worked for Booz Allen Hamilton, where I learned about testing through different projects I was on, and now I’m here at Capgemini as a Project Lead. A fun fact about me is that I love to do yoga and cooking in my free time!

James: I have experience at many different types of organizations, including banks, chemical companies, and NASA, where my background was in QA Functional Testing and Performance Engineering with some experience in automation. In total I have over 30 years in testing experience. At Capgemini I am the Independent Test Leader and Deputy Program Manager. A fun fact about me is that I love to travel! Within the last 3 years I have been to Portugal, Spain, Belize, Australia, and Tahiti.

Junaid: I graduated college with a degree in Business Administration, and I got into IT through my internships. My first job out of college was as a functional tester and through that I started implementing and learning more about automation, as well as by taking classes. A fun fact about me is that I previously considered running for State Delegate in Maryland and am still possibly interested in running for office at some point in the future.

Q: What is RPA and how does it work? What is the difference between robotics engineering and robotics automation?

Moklasur: RPA does not refer to physical robots that you may see in a factory, but rather software “robots” that exist within your organizations’ IT systems. Similar to physical robots, the purpose of RPA is to increase efficiency, but RPA is based on computer-based work and processes. RPA can be used in many scenarios, including data migration, interoperability testing, and creating reports, spreadsheets and presentations.

The number of licenses purchased from a vendor determines how many robots you have access to, which determines the amount of work that can be accomplished at once. Generally, one robot can run up to four processes at once as most computers have quad core processors. However, if your computer has a duo core processor then your robots would only be able to run two processes at the same time.

Q: What is the most pressing need for RPA in the federal space?

Elise: When federal agencies think about adopting RPA they need to first identify existing processes that are repetitive and that occur with significant volume. A process in which a single PDF is uploaded every six months will not be worth the transition to RPA. Generally, processes that involve paper forms, which need to be electronically uploaded into data fields, are good RPA candidates. RPA uses Screen Scraping technology to recognize information from scanned images or PDFs to automatically populate fields within a digital form. Typically, we see these types of processes occurring in Accounting, Operations, and Human Resources (HR) departments, as well as in the health market with Electronic Medical Records (EMR). After identifying a process, Agencies may have to adjust their systems to ensure their data is populated correctly.

Q: As a client, what benefits can we expect when implementing RPA?

James: RPA has many potential benefits to your organization. Some of them include:

• Reduced Costs
• Improved Quality
• Increased Security
• Improved Compliance & Reporting
• Saving Time by Automating Repetitive Tasks
• Upgraded Analytics
• Increased Employee Satisfaction
• Improved Operational Control
• Focus on Stakeholders & Value-Added Activities
• Reducing Errors and Rework

Q: I’m very interested in learning more about RPA, what resources are available for me to learn more and progress my career?

Junaid: The great thing about RPA is that it is possible to teach yourself the skill. There are many great resources online, including YouTube videos and Udemy courses, which require no prior training. RPA skills can also be learned on the job by shadowing those with experience in the field, which would enable you to see the concepts you learned online in practice. If you do have a background in development, it may be best to take a formal boot camp to learn more at a deeper level. Once you feel comfortable with RPA, many vendors, like UiPath, offer certifications to prove to your employer and clients that you so obtain this knowledge.

We hope this interview with our Automation Team was informative about Capgemini’s RPA capabilities.  Please click here to learn more about Capgemini Government Solutions Technology Consulting capabilities.

For all Capgemini Government Solutions blogs, click here

Authors details

Michael Battiato  (Consultant) michael.battiato@capgemini-gs.com

Ashley Kokoszka (Senior Consultant) ashley.kokoszka@capgemini-gs.com

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