In the fast-paced robotic process automation (RPA) world, staying ahead means doing more than keeping up—you need to innovate, adapt, and optimize constantly. One of the most critical processes in automation today is bot migration. As organizations scale their automation portfolios, migrating bots to newer, more efficient platforms is no longer optional—it's essential.
As we turn the page to a new year, it’s the perfect moment to reflect on the key migration metrics from 2024. These insights reveal how automated bot conversion and the synergy between advanced tools and skilled developers are shaping the future of automation. In this blog, we’ll explore these highlights, discuss their implications for your automation strategy, and dive into the Blueprint Efficiency Metric (BEM)—a groundbreaking way to measure and enhance migration success.
Behind the Scenes of Bot Migration: The Good, the Challenging, and the Promising
There's much more than meets the eye when it comes to bot migration. Blueprint's study spanned 148 companies and analyzed over 17 million Power Automate Desktop (PAD) actions. Imagine dissecting over 135 million lines of code to determine what works, what doesn't, and where human intervention is needed. Spoiler alert: it's a mix of smooth sailing and some repair work.
Here's how the actions were categorized:
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Seamlessly Migrated Actions: These are the success stories—actions that convert without a hitch.
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Actions with Broken Selectors: Sometimes, RPA tools struggle to identify screen objects correctly during migration. Think of it like trying to navigate a city when the street signs are missing or mislabeled.
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Actions with Compile Errors: These are the "oops" moments—syntax or structure issues that stop a bot in its tracks.
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TODO Comments: Blueprint's way of flagging actions that need developer attention. These could range from minor tweaks to full-scale fixes where automation falls short.
It's not all smooth sailing, but that's expected in any complex technical process. What matters is how efficiently the issues are tackled—and that's where Blueprint shines.
Automation + Human Expertise = A Winning Formula
Blueprint's approach to bot migration combines cutting-edge automated conversion with targeted developer involvement. While automation handles the heavy lifting, developers step in to fine-tune and finalize. Here's a snapshot of how this collaboration breaks down:
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Automation Contribution: For some tasks, Blueprint's tools handled 100% of the work, converting actions seamlessly.
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Developer Effort: On average, developers contributed about 30–50% of the total effort for fixing errors, addressing TODO comments, and preparing bots for deployment.
This balance allows teams to achieve faster migrations without overburdening developers, making it a win-win.
Meet the Blueprint Efficiency Metric (BEM): Your New Favorite KPI
Let's talk numbers. The Blueprint Efficiency Metric (BEM) is a simple yet powerful way we measure how much time automated migration saves compared to manual rewrites. Here's the formula:
BEM = 1 – (BlueprintSTH / ManualSTH)
Where:
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STH = Time from Start to Handoff
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BlueprintSTH is the time from start to handoff using Blueprint’s automated process. In other words, how long it takes to get a bot ready for developer handoff. The closer BEM gets to 1, the more efficient the process.
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ManualSTH is the time it would take for a developer to rewrite the bot manually.
High BEM scores across industries showcase the power of automated migration using Blueprint:
- Retail: A BEM of 0.85 reflects faster migrations due to simpler workflows.
- Banking: Despite regulatory complexity, a BEM of 0.73 demonstrates significant time savings.
- Manufacturing: Achieving a BEM of 0.78 highlights gains even with intricate integrations.
The impressive BEM scores achieved across these industries are not coincidental. They result from a well-designed, powerful migration platform that integrates advanced automation capabilities with strategic developer support. Here's why Blueprint is the key to unlocking such high efficiency:
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Advanced Automation Tools: Blueprint automates critical tasks like selector mapping, error handling, and flagging complex issues, reducing manual effort and speeding up migrations.
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Actionable Metrics: Real-time insights help track progress, identify patterns, and optimize future migrations, ensuring informed, data-driven decisions.
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Industry-Specific Solutions: Blueprint adapts to diverse sector needs, handling dynamic retail interfaces, financial compliance, and complex manufacturing workflows with ease.
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Developer Collaboration: Clear TODO comments and efficient workflows let developers focus on high-value tasks, creating a seamless synergy between automation and expertise.
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Scalable Performance: Capable of managing millions of actions, Blueprint efficiently handles projects of all sizes, from small migrations to enterprise-scale transformations.
How to Boost Your BEM (and Why It Matters)
Efficiency is never a one-and-done deal. There's always room for improvement, and Blueprint's study highlights a few key areas to focus on:
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Enhancing Selector Logic: Better tools for identifying screen objects can dramatically reduce broken selectors.
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Streamlining TODO Tasks: Smarter automation tools that can predict and preemptively solve common issues would mean fewer developer interventions.
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Upskilling Developers: Training developers to quickly address errors and complete TODOs ensures a faster handoff process.
The result? Faster migrations, fewer bottlenecks, and more time to focus on innovation.
What This Means for You
If you're an RPA leader or developer, these findings should be music to your ears. Automated bot migration isn't just faster—it's smarter. It saves time, reduces costs, and minimizes frustration, all while empowering developers to focus on high-impact work.
But here's the kicker: success depends on the tools you use. With Blueprint, you're not just migrating bots—you're transforming the way you think about automation. Whether it's reducing broken selectors, improving BEM, or streamlining TODOs, Blueprint's solutions are designed to deliver results.
Ready to Revolutionize Your Bot Migration Process?
Automation is evolving, and staying competitive means embracing tools that work harder and smarter. Blueprint's Conversion Metrics don't just highlight where we are—they point to where we're headed: a future where automated bot migration is seamless, efficient, and transformative.
So, what's your next step? Let Blueprint help you reimagine your migration process and unlock the full potential of your automation strategy. The future of RPA is here—are you ready to lead the charge?
