1. NASA’s Implementation of Robotic Process Automation (RPA) – aka “Bots”
AGA 23rd Annual Commonwealth of Virginia Professional Development Training (PDT)
December 6, 2018

2. Agenda NASA as Innovation Engine Robotic Process Automation Journey
Bots in Use
Digital Employee Considerations
Lessons Learned and Best Practices

3. NASA as Innovation Engine

4. Involve the Right People Bring the Right Message
RPA Journey
NASA focused on three key elements to successfully implement and begin using bots in the production environment.
Focus on Innovation
Involve the Right People
Bring the Right Message
Process Robotics was selected as a winner of NASA’s annual Innovation Kick Start program – which embraces innovation across the Agency.
The entire Agency voted on the winners – Process Robotics was one of 70+ innovations presented!
Collaboration is key!
NASA built support by involving key stakeholders on day 1, which included the following people:
Executive Sponsor
Robotics Lead
CFO Representation
CIO Representation
Lines of Business Leads (Finance, HR, IT)
The term “digital employee or digital assistant” is used regularly to describe the bot at NASA.
Fears or concerns are quickly dismissed when the bot is described as an “assistant” who has to follow the same rules and standards as a FTE. Access, roles, security, SODs, etc. – the bot follows the same rules as humans.

5. RPA Journey (cont.)
NASA Shared Services Center first adopter of Bots  largely transactional processes
Quickly adopted governance model to manage develop, integrate, review, operate, and maintain new automations, and avoid stovepipe capabilities

6. Bots in Use Today Funds Distribution [2+1 almost ready]
Human Resources
Office of the Chief Information Officer
Procurement
Description: Distribution of funds through the NASA budget structure hierarchy
Description: Creating suitability records for employees in NASA’s systems (e.g. ServiceNow)
Description: Creating purchase requests (PRs) in SAP for NASA CIO contracts
Description: Updates PRs with Grants Award Agreement information and assigned to CO
Annual savings expected: 26,000 hours of manual work (160,000 transactions averaging 10 minutes of manual work)
Annual savings expected: 37 days of manual labor to be automated by the bot (2.4 days saved within first month of deployment)
Annual savings expected: Hundreds of PRs created each year, ranging in timeframe from 15 minutes to hours to create (depending on complexity)
Annual savings expected: 700 Hrs of manual work (7,000 transactions averaging 6 minutes of manual work) Currently assessing adoption agencywide

7. Digital Employee Considerations
Washington is a digital employee working in the server room.
Agency User ID
Agency User ID
Login and Password
Login and Password
Encrypt and Signs
Encrypt and Signs
DAR Using 256 Bit Encryption
DAR Using 256 Bit Encryption
Use NAMS for Access
Use NAMS for Access
Have a Valid .gov Address
Have a Valid .gov Address
Uses CITRIX and/or VPN
Uses CITRIX and/or VPN
Requires a computer seat to work
Requires a computer seat to work
Takes Annual IT Security Training
Override IT Security Training
Requires SW licenses as necessary
Requires SW licenses as necessary
Occasionally makes a errors (Why we audit)
Cannot make errors (Increased control)

8. RPA Lessons Learned
Make sure you identify all of your key customers and stakeholders and engage them early and often
IT security
Target/recipient application service provider
Management/internal controls
Involve staff that perform the work the Bot will automate  be transparent why you are doing this and what staff will do if Bot is doing some of their work [“will I loose my job?”]
Select proof of concept projects
Is business process well/optimally designed or does it need to be reengineered
Be patient (integration of functional & technology communities; test, test, test; user, customer, stakeholder acceptance)

9. RPA Best Practices
Address process for handling system changes/enhancements early
Establish a process to identify and track RPA ideas, lots of interest will drive need to prioritize and establish expectations
Get an executive sponsor that can drive change
Encourage “out of the box” thinking  question the status quo/we’ve always done it this way
Build and maintain documentation library and system architecture requirements
Early engagement with OIG and audit firm