This blog is all about Robotic Process Automation(RPA). When I saw new technology, Robotic Process Automation. So I decided to share it with you guys. You all have a question in mind “Are any robots involved in robotic process automation?

Robotic process automation (RPA) is a software technology that makes it easy to build, deploy, and manage software robots that emulate human actions interacting with digital systems and software. Like people, software robots can understand what’s on a screen, complete the proper keystrokes, navigate systems, identify and extract data, and perform defined actions. But software robots can do it faster and more consistently than people, without getting up and stretching or taking a coffee break.

RPA software automates repetitive, rules-based work tasks that rely on digital data. These tasks include queries, calculations, creating and updating records, filling out forms, producing reports, cutting and pasting, and performing high-volume transactional tasks requiring moving data within and between applications. However, unlike a human worker, the bot doesn't need a physical screen to complete the job instead of executing the task's process steps in a virtual environment. Moreover, unlike most software applications, humans can develop these bots without specialized coding knowledge, making business units the target customer for RPA.

Many business units use RPA software. For example, HR departments are using RPA to automate onboarding and offboarding. RPA bots are configured to handle credit card authorization disputes in financial services. IT teams are implementing RPA to automate routine help desk services.

The most crucial difference between RPA and traditional workflow automation tools is the skill set needed to accomplish the automation task. In traditional workflow automation, an experienced software engineer writes code to create a set of actions that automates the assignment and connects the software to the underlying compute infrastructure using application programming interfaces (APIs) written in Python, Java, or other software languages. In contrast, RPA systems typically develop the action list by recording the users' actions as they perform a task in an application's graphical user interface (GUI). Once registered, the system repeats those tasks directly in the GUI without requiring human effort.

Different types of RPA:

Assisted Automation: In assisted automation, the RPA automates applications running on a user's desktop, typically to help the user complete an involved process in less time. This usually generates cost savings and helps deliver a better user and customer experience.

Unassisted Automation: Unassisted automation requires no human agent. The RPA software performs independently, notifying the user only when something goes wrong.

Hybrid RPA: In hybrid RPA, the employee and bot essentially work as a team, passing tasks back and forth. Hybrid RPA automates the work that can be completed solely by the bot (unassisted) and assignments that involve unstructured data or requires decisions by an employee (assisted). In hybrid RPA, the software bots and employees can work on different tasks simultaneously for optimal efficiency.

Where are we using RPA?

• Customer service: RPA can improve customer service by automating contact center tasks, including verifying e-signatures, uploading scanned documents, and verifying information for automatic approvals or rejections.

• Finance and accounting: Finance and accounting processes that lend themselves to RPA include procure to pay, accounts receivable, general accounting, tax accounting, compliance, financial planning, and reporting.

• Human resources: HR tasks being automated by RPA include payroll, time and attendance management, onboarding and offboarding, compliance, and recruiting new hires.

• IT management and services: RPA can be applied to IT, including automating software audits, managing source-code control, handling incident resolutions such as password resets and server restarts, and optimizing email notifications.

• Supply chain management: RPA can be used for procurement, automating order processing and payments, monitoring inventory levels, and tracking shipments.

Benefits of RPA:

• Cost-Effective: Robots can operate 24/7 and take on vacation compared to humans. Automation can help you recover the cost within a short period.

• Accuracy & Quality: RPA offers improved services to processes with a high probability of human error, increasing accuracy.

• Consistency: RPA provides the perfect surface for performing the activities across the board, each time and every time.

• Improved Analytics: Having access to error-free, accurate data from various sources would enhance the quality of analytics in the process.

• Increased Customer Satisfaction: Delivering better quality of work with high accuracy and improved customer/client interaction leads to increased customer and client satisfaction.

• Faster: As bots are handling the execution here, a more significant amount of work can be done in a relatively much shorter period.

• Increased Employee Productivity: Automating repetitive, mind-numbing tasks allows employees to be more productive and frees them up for higher-value work.

This advanced technology is revolutionizing process efficiencies and increasing productivity across companies, changing how various businesses and business models are run. Analysts suggest that RPA creates a second parallel economy that connects to the physical economy in concurrent systems to speed up and optimize knowledge work.

Thank you! See you all at the next blog.