We recently wrote about how NHS Trusts should approach the ‘Start Small’ stage of their automation journey after setting a 'Think Big' vision, highlighting the need to undertake a proof of concept (POC). But what makes a successful POC?
NHS organisations typically have a culture sensitive to data protection, and with the deployment of automation in its infancy, progressing new initiatives can be a challenge. One way to overcome this is to show the potential benefits, so a successful POC is key. Here, we explain what a POC is and how to create a great one.
What is a POC?
A POC tests the feasibility of automating a process for a limited time without fully committing to it.
What a POC will deliver:
What a POC won’t deliver:
Delivering a successful POC
The delivery of a POC may be the first experience of robotic process automation (RPA) for most people in the organisation. As a result, it’s vital that this step in the process runs as smoothly as possible. From our experience, we know there are four key factors in successful POCs:
Implementing a successful POC will have a significant impact on the ability to demonstrate what automation can achieve, helping progress the automation journey.
We’ve managed multiple POCs across a range of functions and – once all approvals are in place – the automated process can be built in just three days. With such a low amount of time invested and with such potentially high benefits to be realised, delivering a POC should be seen as essential for any NHS organisation embarking on their own automation journey.