Robotics Process Automation - An Introduction

Introduction

Robotic Process Automation (RPA) is a technology that can mimic the actions of human beings regarding their interaction with software systems and digital systems. With Robotic Process automation building, managing, and deploying such tools and software becomes extremely easy. Such technology is primarily used by business processes.

Robotic Process Automation − A wider picture

Different types of Robotic Process Automation

There are three types of RPA software.

• Attended Robotic Process Automation − It requires very less human intervention

• Unattended Robotic Process Automation − It required no human intervention

• Hybrid Robotic Process Automation − It combines both Attended and unattended Robotic Process

Why do we need Robotic Process Automation?

The main benefit of RPA is that it is better than the traditional methods of automation. With RPA it is quite cheaper to automate the systems. RPA has the advantage that it does not affect the current systems and can easily integrate into existing systems. Another reason is that it is highly scalable and can adapt itself to changing business needs.

Features of Robotic Process Automation

• RPA can be completely coded using computer programing languages.

• RPA is dependent on the process.

• RPA is easily implemented and can be integrated into existing systems

• RPA can save valuable time

• RPA requires no hardware and is run on virtual systems.

Differences between Robotic Process Automation and Automation

Robotic Process Automation	Automation
1. Computer software and tools are used	Physical equipment is used to achieve automation
2. Requires no human effort	Requires minimum human effort
3. Can easily be integrated into existing systems	The existing hardware systems have to be modified in case of automation
4. The interface can be easily exposed using APIs	No APIs systems are available which makes it difficult to access its interface
5. Initially costly but in the long run proves to be economic. Very less maintenance is required.	Initially cheaper to set up but requires a lot of maintenance in the future. Thus overhead costs add up in the long run

Cost − The cost of RPA software and tools is less in the long run. Initially, the cost may be lille higher but proves economical over the years. It is highly scalable with a positive impact on business processes. It reduces the cost to as much as 70−80%.

Reliability − All RPA systems have a set of rules and standards that act as regulations in which each system works. They offload tasks from employees who have the common problem of being less fatigue.

Accuracy − RPA systems are highly accurate as they are software and robots in action Chances of mistakes are minimal with no signs of antiqueness. They are even less prone to errors.

No Code− No specific coding skills are required to become an RPA expert.

Speed & Productivity − RPA systems have a reliable and high speed of operation and thereby lead to enhanced productivity as they are fast in operation.

Scalability − They are scalable systems.

Popular RPA software and tools are

• Automation Anywhere

• UiPath

• BluePrism

• Pega

• OpenConnect

Conclusion

Robotic Process Automation is taking over traditional methods of automation by the breeze. It is more convenient, less costly, easily maintainable, and has an API interface for its end users. This makes it a popular choice for organizations looking to automate a process that is repetitive and redundant.