How to start RPA vendor selection and ROI for data entry and invoicing?

[NoraZM]

I'm an operations manager looking to implement robotic process automation to handle our repetitive data entry and invoice processing tasks, but I'm unsure how to start the vendor selection process or build a business case that justifies the initial investment. I've seen demos, but I'm concerned about integration with our legacy systems and the long-term maintenance costs. For professionals who have successfully deployed RPA, what were the key factors you evaluated when choosing a platform, and how did you identify the right initial processes to automate to demonstrate clear ROI?

[Mia_H]

Here's a practical starter playbook I used on a similar project: 1) Build a simple ROI model: annual savings = hours saved × average hourly rate × volume; subtract upfront license/infra/dev, plus ongoing maintenance. 2) Do process discovery to identify 2–3 candidate processes with high volume, predictable steps, and low exceptions. 3) Run a 6–8 week pilot on one process end-to-end and a second one in parallel if possible, with clearly defined success metrics (time saved, error reduction, throughput, user satisfaction). 4) Choose a platform with solid legacy-system integration (APIs, SAP/Oracle ERP connectors, mainframe adapters if needed) and support for both attended and unattended automation; ensure credential management and role-based access. 5) Establish a lightweight Center of Excellence or at least a governance plan: owners, SLAs, runbooks, change-control, and a monitoring dashboard. 6) Develop an exception-handling process to minimize rework. 7) Measure ROI quarterly, adjust scope, and plan for scaling via a backlog and sprint-based expansions. 8) Prepare for maintenance costs: bot maintenance, updates, and potential retraining if processes change.

[Mia9]

Start small with one high-volume, low-variance process; prove ROI before broad rollout.

[AbigailYJ]

Question: are you dealing with compliance or data security constraints? Do you have an existing IT policy on automation and vendor governance?

[Dennis_P]

Common pitfalls to watch for: over-engineering the first bot, underestimating change management, and underestimating data quality requirements. Ensure you have a real-time bot-health dashboard, and a solid fallback plan if a bot fails.

[Ella43]

Vendor-selection checklist: total cost of ownership, depth of APIs/connectors, platform stability and roadmap, support and professional services, security features (SSO, credential vaults, audit logs), scalability (how many bots, concurrency), community and ecosystem, and available training/resources. If you want, share your current systems (ERP/CRM), data volumes, and a rough budget and I’ll tailor a concrete shortlist.