We’ve been hearing a lot about RPA in recent times. However, just like many buzzwords, we do not always know what it means or what it incorporates.
Simply put, RPA or Robotic Process Automation is the use of a robot or machine to perform actions as humans would without human intervention. Once a robot is programmed to do a task, it can do it repetitively without stopping and without error.
Elaborating on this simple explanation, to automate business processes, RPA uses business logic and structured input. Through RPA tools, a robot can amongst other processes communicate with other systems, manage and process data, and initiate a series of actions when a trigger is fired.
RPA is adaptable to organisational needs. RPA can be applied to simple and straightforward processes which take a few seconds to complete. It can also be applied to complex scenarios having multiple robots working together, each with their own processes to achieve complicated and detailed automation.
Why should you be looking at RPA?
First and foremost, RPA can equip organisations with massive advantages. The organisation will experience an increase in productivity as RPA relieves employees from the pressures of repetitive mundane tasks and allows them to focus on high-value work instead. There will also be an increase in process precision. This ensures that an organisation is compliant with regulations as robots perform processes consistently.
Research from Gartner found that RPA can save organisations 25,000 hours that would otherwise be spent correcting human errors in financial reporting[1]. This shows the fast ROI of RPA, this one-time investment that will save an organisation hours of avertable costs per year.
Moreover, RPA allows organisations to scale up as per the organisational needs. Robots work in parallel, so they can be adjusted to work as the organisation changes. If need be, robots can be added instantly without affecting the ongoing operations.
Another great attribute of RPA is that it is a technology that integrates across platforms, even if no APIs are available.
RPA in action
There are many use cases for RPA. It can be implemented in various areas and industries. As the saying goes, the sky is the limit. Any process which is repetitive, deals with data and is rule-based is a contender for RPA.
Here are some examples of RPA implementations:
- RPA logging into a website or application, extracting the information needed from the website or application and writing the data into an internal database.
- When a filtered email is received, the attachments are immediately saved to an internal system, making sure no important attachments are skipped over.
- Fetching data through an API connection, saving it to internal databases and performing calculations with it. Moreover, RPA can serve as a solution to integrate with solutions and systems that do not have the possibility of API connectivity.
If you would like more information about how RPA can transform your company and improve your business metrics, schedule a meeting with us through this link.
