How to Use the Estimator Dashboard
This dashboard delivers estimated timelines for users to prepare bots for production following migration.
To access the dashboard:
- Choose RPA Dashboards and Reports dropdown in the main header, then click Estimator.
- Select the desired scope on the top right by clicking Change Scope and click on ok. For more information on selecting a scope, please see Selecting a Scope in Dashboards.
- The Estimator Dashboard only works with the Per Call Tree View.
How to use
Export Simulation in Blueprint:
Blueprint simulates exports to Power Automate Desktop to generate the metrics listed below. By default, processes are not automatically calculated. Once a scope is selected, users will have the option to initiate a job to calculate Estimator stats.
Calculation Status:
While a project is being calculated or recalculated, users won't be able to view Estimator Stats until the job is completed. The status of the job can be found on the Jobs Page.
Automatically Calculate on Import:
System Admins have the choice to enable automatic calculations upon import by navigating to Admin > RPA Management > Dashboards > Automatically Calculate Estimations on Import. It's important to note that enabling this option can significantly increase the time required for importing RPA files.
Features available on the Estimator Dashboard:
- Views: Change the View between Per Process View or Per Call Tree View
- Change Scope: Changes the scope of where Blueprint will look for Processes to present in the dashboard.For information on how to use Views and select a scope, please refer to Selecting a Scope in Dashboards.
- Parameters: Allows users to adjust an array of productivity rate values. Although Blueprint supplies a set of default values for these metrics, users have the flexibility to modify them to more accurately reflect the needs of their organizations. At any time, these values can be set back to their default values.
- Advanced: Additional advanced functionality such as viewing and exporting a Call Tree, Exporting the RPA Mapping Framework, or Recalculating Estimations
- Recalculating Estimations are needed when changes are made to the Blueprint project containing the current scope.
- Refresh: Refresh the data in the Dashboard
Parameter Glossary:
TODO Fix Rate | ||
Attributes & Parameters Mapping | Refers to tasks associated with defining and verifying data mappings, handling JSON values, managing RPA integrations, and adjusting environment variables. | |
Error Handling & Refactoring | Refers to tasks that involve the identifying, managing, and refactoring of portions of RPA processes relating to error handling. | |
FilePath & FileHandling | Refers to tasks that involve the identifying, managing, and refactoring of file or folder paths. | |
Format & Standards Validation | Refers to tasks related to validating and adjusting various formats and standards in your code, such as DateTime, regular expressions, passwords, etc. | |
Input Validation & Verification | Refers to tasks related to verifying and validating various inputs and operations in your code. Usually verifying correctness of migrated code in more complicated instances. | |
RPA Action Implementation | Refers to tasks related to the implementation of various RPA actions that could not be completely migrated. | |
Unmapped Actions | Refers to actions Blueprint has not yet mapped. | |
Unsupported Conditions | Refers to conditionals that Blueprint cannot map due to a lack of support in the current export options. | |
Unsupported Features & Actions | Refers to actions Blueprint cannot map due to a lack of support in the current export options. | |
Variable Assignments & Definitions | Refers to tasks related to validating and adjusting various parameters related specifically to variables. | |
Compiler Error Fix Rate | ||
Argument | Any error relating to arguments. | |
Data Table | Any error relating to data tables. | |
Expression | Any error relating to expressions. | |
Image | Any error relating to image actions (OCR). | |
Miscellaneous | Unspecified errors. | |
Subflow | Any error relating to the calling of a subflow. | |
Syntax and Logic | Any syntax and logic errors. Can relate to expressions, conditionals, loops, or variables. | |
UI Element | Any error relating to interacting with UI elements. | |
Variables | Any error relating to variables not exist or not having as specific parameter. | |
Other | ||
RPA Developer Productivity | Estimate for how many lines of code an RPA developer can code per hour. |
Information Presented in the Estimator Dashboard:
Planner:
The planner form allows for users to connect effort calculated by the estimator dashboard and to connect a dollar value and schedule to the migration. There are inputs from the user and system, and the final outcome is the cost of migration.
User Inputs:
- Annual Fulltime Employee (FTE) Salary in Dollars ($)
- One of: Number of fulltime employees, project start date, project end date, or desired project duration.
System Inputs:
- Days of effort (8hours/day) to complete migration
System Output:
- Total Labor Cost in Dollars ($)
- One of: Number of fulltime employees, project start date, project end date, or desired project duration.
The relationship between start date, end date, duration, and # of FTEs is a 3 variable relationship. The way this form works is by allowing the user to lock one variable as a constant, modify the second variable, and then allowing the system to update the third value.
For example, in the screenshot above the Start Date is locked. Therefore, if the user updates the Duration the system will update the End Date.
Process Stats in Aggregate:
Displays average, total and/or max (highest) metrics for all Bots in the selected scope.
Reports:
Effort - Big and Complex first:
Blueprint orders all Call Trees by size and complexity, starting with the biggest and most complex first.
There is also the ability to export to excel via the Actions dropdown.
- Export Current View to Excel: Exports a report with 2 sheets. The first is the current table exactly as is. The second is the current adjustable metrics at time of export.
- Export All TODOs and Compiler Errors to Excel: Exports a report with 3 sheets.
- The first table displays all TODOs. The "Duplicate" column indicates whether a TODO is listed twice, typically because it is part of a reusable component. If necessary, users can filter the table to display only unique TODOs, excluding duplicates.
- The second table displays all Compiler Errors. The "Duplicate" column indicates whether a Compiler Errors is listed twice, typically because it is part of a reusable component. If necessary, users can filter the table to display only unique errors, excluding duplicates.
- The third is the current adjustable metrics at time of export.
Parent Column Name | Column Name | Description |
Maintainability | Blueprint's algorithm orders all Call Trees by how Big and Complex they are, starting with what are the biggest and most complex first (Rank 1) | |
Metrics | Statistics for all Bots in the current scope | |
Call Tree | Effort - Per Call Tree: Name of Root Process | |
Completely Migrated Actions | Actions that have migrated without a compiler error | |
Compiler Errors | Actions that have migrated with a compiler error that must be fixed | |
TODOs | TODO comments that need to be reviewed, completed, or refactored | |
Effort Blueprint Saves (Est.) | Formula that estimates how much effort Blueprint migration saves: (CompletelyMigratedActions / RPA Developer Productivity) + (CompilerErrors / CompilerError Fix Rate) | |
Effort to Complete Code with Blueprint | Estimate to complete a Blueprint-converted Bot. | |
TODO Fix Effort (Est.) | Estimate of effort to complete TODOs: TODOs / TODOFixRate | |
Compiler Error Fix Effort (Est.) | Estimate of effort to complete actions with Compiler Errors: CompilerErrors / CompilerError FixRate | |
Total Effort (Est.) | Sum of TODOs Fix Effort, and PM Effort | |
Manual Migration | Comparison of migrating using Blueprint vs. manual rewrite. | |
Total Manual Effort (Est.) | Estimate of effort to convert the Bot manually. | |
View Call Tree | This icon provides you a visualization of the Call Tree as a pop up |
Maintainability:
Blueprint orders all Call Trees by their Maintainability, starting with the least maintainable first (Rank 1)
There is also the ability to export the current view to excel via the Actions dropdown.
- Export Current View to Excel: Exports the current table exactly as is with two extra columns: Process ID and Maintainability Score.
Column Name | Description |
Maintainability Rank | Blueprint orders all Call Trees by their Maintainability, starting with the least maintainable first (Rank 1) |
Call Tree | Effort - Per Call Tree: Name of Root Process |
Target Action | Number of Robin actions in PAD (Includes comments, regions, etc.) |
Target Actions/Source Actions | The ratio of lines of output vs number of activities in Blueprint |
#Target Regions | Count of #regions used in PAD |
#User Comments | Count of comments in export |
#Target Subflows | Count of sub-flows created |
#Unmapped Reuse Opportunities | Count of how many reuse opportunities are still available |
#Complex Nested Ifs | Count of nested ifs 4 deep or more |
#Complex Expressions | Count of complex expressions throughout export |