RPA consulting for repetitive business processes

Start with a repeatable process

Copying records between systems, checking application details or submitting the same information through a legacy interface can consume significant staff time. Before automating it, the rules need to be understood: what triggers the work, which checks matter and when a person needs to intervene.

We map the process with the people doing it. That exposes exceptions, inconsistent data and steps requiring judgement. It also helps determine whether the right change is automation, a better integration or an improvement to the process itself.

Choose the least fragile way to connect the systems

Where a suitable API is available, a direct integration may be easier to operate than reproducing actions in a browser. Robotic process automation can be useful when an essential system has no suitable interface and the workflow is predictable.

Browser automation still depends on the external application. Changes to screens, permissions or authentication can affect it. We consider those dependencies, the permitted use of each system and the maintenance needed before recommending an approach.

This service concerns rules-based automation. If a step requires interpreting variable text or preparing a draft for review, we can separately assess whether an AI component is justified through our AI consulting service.

Make exceptions visible to the team

The implementation needs to do more than complete the straightforward examples. We define validation checks, partial-failure behaviour and how the team can see what happened to each item.

We agree how failed work is retried without creating duplicate records or submissions, when processing should stop and how someone can correct or complete a task manually. Access, audit records and responsibility for monitoring are part of the scope, alongside the automation itself.

Automation in practice: Concordia

For Concordia, we built a browser automation tool to transfer batches of visa sponsorship applications into a legacy Home Office system. It synchronised the issued Certificate of Sponsorship numbers back to Concordia’s application after payment.

The tool used Watir, a Ruby browser automation library, with improvements to the application’s user experience. It helped Concordia issue more than 3,500 Certificate of Sponsorship numbers in under two months without increasing its workforce. This was conventional automation, rather than an AI implementation.

What makes a useful first engagement?

Bring a representative example of the work, its volume, the systems involved and the exceptions staff encounter. We can assess technical access, dependencies and the checks needed to establish whether a trial is useful.

We agree the first workflow, acceptance criteria and operational ownership before expanding the scope. Ongoing maintenance matters where external systems can change; our support and maintenance service covers how that responsibility can be arranged.