American Furniture Outlet

Andres has long been a proponent of embracing new technology, but historically has not had the most productive experience with Robotic Process Automation (RPA). While the purpose of RPA is to automate and reduce working hours for monotonous or repetitive computer tasks, the method of doing so is not always the most intuitive. When asked about his use of automation software previously, he shared about his experience using a free, but limited software with little instruction, and the strain to become proficient with it. It was very difficult to use, and he could not fully complete the tasks he had set out to.

This type of product is commonly known as a freemium model. Users are allowed to download a certain program or application at no cost, but only with partial or basic functionality. Generally, the software's core utility is severely limited, and keeps the majority of its valuable features accessible only through purchase or subscription. Fortunately, this is not the case with KEYENCE’s RK Software.

“People who are not automating yet, are missing out.”

What he regards as a vital factor for purchasing the software, KEYENCE’s support and training team are included in the subscription price. This means no strenuous scouring of the internet for assistance; KEYENCE offers a knowledge base, e-learning and direct customer success support. This has allowed Andres to meet virtually with one of the Chicago based support representatives multiple days a week to continue learning the tool and building out more automations. While his fluency has increased dramatically with use, he greatly appreciates the flexibility of having a specific individual assigned to him and his learning. He even shared that each meeting and automation scenario has been critical to his “RK journey”. So, while the freemium product comes at no cost financially, the burden of unguided learning, lack of support, and immense time to deployment all equate to a much greater opportunity cost than the initial savings.

Andres went on to explain that, “…this [RK] is something else. It can’t compare. And there is no reason to try and check [out] anything else once you see what this is capable of.” Though his previous experience with RPA had left a bitter taste in his mouth, Andres was adamant that seeing a demonstration was crucial in his move to KEYENCE. Seeing the software in action allowed him to better contextualize what it could do for business processes specific to AFO and showed massive potential for time saving. This, paired with the unlimited support structure, made the decision even easier. After using RK for a brief amount of time, Andres has already seen superior results to his previous RPA tool. He has a few larger automated processes in use and development, in conjunction with several smaller automation scenarios saving time daily. Yet what is most impressive is that he is still automating additional tasks.

“Any business that has very repetitive tasks computer wise should one hundred percent be using this. If anyone is doing repetitive processes manually, they are absolutely missing out.”

While AFO’s use cases have changed slightly since the software’s introduction, they continue to have a myriad of automation scenarios and are constantly adding items to their automation wish list. In the past, Andres would spend upwards of 45 minutes each morning manually downloading inventory guides into Microsoft Excel and transforming the data for their internal inventory format. Although the scenario was intricate, he utilized KEYENCE’s comprehensive Customer Success team to automate the process quickly, producing results that have been undeniably valuable. “[That process is] something that's very manual, very time intensive. Something that would take me - to manually do it - a lot of time, hours, and possibly errors.” The scenario runs in less than 5 Minutes, equating to upwards of 20 hours of time savings each month. Andres has also developed a scenario to automate cross-referencing, and listing products between multiple software systems including their e-commerce site. The automation aims to eliminate the current manual process, which is both error-prone and high-risk, as it is critical to core business functions.

While Andres is firm in his belief that RK is an impressive tool, he also made a point to acknowledge the importance of proper implementation. He was not initially concerned with the return on his investment and understood the learning curve associated with adopting any new software. Among many things, the sustaining value of RK takes time to develop.

“This is one of those things that’s a return on investment with time… the more you use it, the more scenarios you build.”

The support structure has been crucial for this. Having dedicated time to meet and work towards automation ensures consistent progress is made. Not only is Andres able to reduce the time for task completion, but he is able to use that time for other tasks.

As he delves further into RK's capabilities and refines its applications, he is enthusiastic about the possibility of automating increasingly complex processes throughout the organization. Realizing the true value of RK is a long-term benefit, meaning that the time you invest in development will return exponentially. However, what resonated the most was his outlook for what is next with RK.

“In the near future we are going to explode with the knowledge that we have on this.”

KEYENCE RK software has revolutionized AFO's operations, unlocking a new era of efficiency and productivity. By embracing this technology, AFO has streamlined its processes and reduced errors, allowing employees to focus on strategic, higher value-added tasks. As they continue to grow, AFO’s operations will scale accordingly, allowing for even greater integration of automation. While RK is easy to learn and implement, its true value lies in the exponential return on investment.

AFO's commitment to investment in technological innovation sets yet another compelling example for businesses across industries, demonstrating the transformative potential of technology in driving growth and success.