9 min read Beginner July 2026

RPA Implementation: The First 90 Days

What to expect when you're getting started with automation. Step-by-step breakdown of setup, training, and when you'll see actual improvements.

Team of accountants collaborating around a conference table with laptop and printed reports

Starting Your RPA Journey

You've decided to implement RPA. That's the hard part. Now comes the real work — and it's not as scary as you might think. The first 90 days aren't about seeing dramatic results. They're about getting your team comfortable with the tools, understanding what actually works in your workflow, and building a foundation for real improvements down the road.

We're going to walk you through exactly what happens in those critical first three months. From day one through day 90, you'll know what to expect, what to watch for, and when you should be getting excited about early wins.

Days 1-30: Setup and Foundation

The first month is setup and learning. You're installing your RPA platform, getting your team trained on basic operations, and starting to document the processes you want to automate. This isn't exciting, but it's essential.

Expect your team to be slow at first. They're learning new software, new terminology, and new ways of thinking about their daily tasks. That's normal. By the end of week two, you'll notice people asking better questions. By week four, they're starting to see how automation could actually help them.

Key milestone: You've documented 5-8 potential processes for automation. Your team has completed basic platform training.

Accountants in a training session reviewing documentation and notes on a desk with multiple monitors

Close-up of hands pointing at a workflow diagram on a tablet screen showing process automation steps

Days 31-60: Building and Testing

Now you're actually building automations. You've picked your first 2-3 processes, and your RPA team is writing the code that'll handle them. Your accounting staff is still doing the work manually — you're building alongside the current process, not replacing it yet.

This is where you'll hit your first real obstacles. A process that looked straightforward in documentation turns out to have three different variations depending on the client or the time of year. You'll discover that one person's method is different from another's. That's not a problem — it's actually valuable information that'll make your automations stronger.

Around day 45, you'll run your first test on real data. Don't expect perfection. You're looking for 85-90% accuracy. The remaining issues will teach you what needs refinement.

Expected outcome: First 2-3 automations in testing phase. Team is spotting edge cases and variations.

Days 61-90: Refinement and Go-Live

You're in the final stretch. Your automations have been refined based on testing feedback. You've handled most of the edge cases. Your team is ready — or at least as ready as they'll be. It's time to switch from testing to actually using the automation in your daily workflow.

Don't do everything at once. Turn on automation for one process, one client type, or one week of data first. Let your team use it in a controlled way. You'll catch the last 10% of issues that testing didn't reveal because you're now running against real, varied data at actual production volume.

By day 75, you're probably handling 30-40% of your target process volume through automation. By day 90? You're close to 60-70%. The remaining 30-40% is either handled manually for edge cases or you're already planning how to handle them next.

60-70% Process automation by day 90

2-4 hours Time saved per person weekly

5-8% Error reduction typical

Team of professionals reviewing dashboard metrics on large monitor in modern office space

What's Actually Realistic

Here's what we want to be clear about: The first 90 days aren't where you see the big wins. You're building the machine, not running it yet. Don't expect dramatic cost savings in the first three months. You're investing time now to save time later.

Team Adoption

Your team won't love it immediately. They'll be skeptical, then gradually curious, then finally convinced it's actually helping. By day 90, they're not enthusiastic — they're just used to it.

Process Complexity

Your processes are messier than you thought. That's not a failure. It's why you're automating. The automation will force you to clean up those variations and inconsistencies.

Timeline Realities

You'll probably hit a wall around day 45. Something you didn't anticipate will slow things down. Plan for it. Add two weeks of buffer into your timeline.

Success Definition

By day 90, success is: your team knows how to use the tools, you've identified what works, and you're running at least one process partially through automation.

Author

ProcessFlow Automation Editorial Team

Editorial Team

Written by the ProcessFlow Automation editorial team, focused on practical, honest guidance about RPA in accounting workflows.

The Real Takeaway

The first 90 days of RPA implementation is about building capability, not harvesting results. You're creating the foundation that'll save your team hours every week, reduce errors, and free them up for more valuable work. That foundation takes time to build correctly.

If you go in with realistic expectations — knowing that the first month is learning, the second month is building, and the third month is refining — you'll come out of those 90 days with a working automation that your team understands and can build on. That's a win worth celebrating.

What happens in months 4-12 is where you'll see the real value. But it all starts with these first 90 days done right.

Disclaimer: This article is educational only and is not financial or investment advice. Outcomes are not guaranteed and may vary. RPA implementation results depend on your specific processes, systems, team capability, and organizational factors. Consult with qualified RPA professionals before making implementation decisions for your firm.