Automation is already present in our lives: from a mechanized assembly line to the first autonomous cars, but it is these invisible software robots (RPA), which everyone is talking about, that are shaking up all areas and departments of companies around the world to reduce costs, decrease errors, improve efficiency, be more agile and improve productivity.
What is RPA?
RPA (Robotic Process Automation) is a type of software that automates those tasks that users perform manually when interacting with the user interface of computer applications.
All those manual processes in which users spend between 30 and 60 minutes of their time, where they have to enter data into more than one system from Excel sheets and that do not require human intervention to make a decision or review the data are likely to need an RPA tool to automate them.
What are its advantages?
RPA tools have sometimes been referred to as a macro on steroids because they record the actions a user performs to complete a task by interacting with a computer, and then replicate those actions as many times as necessary and at a very fast pace. But it's not just a matter of performance:
You can navigate through different digital environments: RPA software adjusts to changing environments, movement in icons or buttons, differences in screen sizes and a host of other variables.
It is designed for complexity: RPA tools are not designed to complete tasks; they are designed to complete processes, including those complex ones that would require thousands of lines of script to automate.
It is intended to be used at the enterprise level: RPA software is best used when implemented across the enterprise and allowing multiple departments to focus on value-added work not just on a single computer running a single macro.
It's non-invasive: instead of playing around with custom programming or direct integration coding, RPA software is integrated into the front-end for easy configuration and data transfer between systems.
It's quick to deploy and quick to scale: users can be up and running, automating tasks in literally minutes with RPA software, and the ease of use lends itself to proliferative use throughout the organization by both business and IT users.
It works well with other systems: users must be able to create automated tasks that use their entire line of business systems without a single hitch. We're talking about legacy systems, ERPs, cloud applications, Microsoft, your Spotify, everything.
Includes features that encourage fast work: RPA software should, at a minimum, need to create and execute tasks quickly and effectively. These features include wizards, drag-and-drop commands, a clean and friendly user interface, and integrations with everyday systems such as Excel, SAP, Citrix, and others.
What can we do with it?
RPA tools integrate hundreds of predefined actions to facilitate the implementation of process automation:
- Reception of supplier invoices, digitalization through OCR and integration of the data in ERP.
- New user registrations in Vmware, Active Directory, new email accounts or passwords for new employees
- Performance and network system monitoring.
- Integration with applications such as Excel, VMware, Web Services, MS SharePoint, ERPs, MS Dynamics, Terminal Emulation, PDFs, among others.
- Monitoring of the DB, SQL queries and stored procedures
- Download and upload files to FTP and manage the data of the same by publishing them in different formats such as excel, web, integrating them with ERP or EDI.
- Generation of key files, open PGP/PGP support, encryption / decryption and signature and verification
- Automatic extraction of data from .csv and Excel and transfer of the same to BBDD and other formats.
- Notification of alerts via email, SMS or dialog boxes
- Automated data extraction from websites and for later publication in dashboards, excels or other formats.
- Generation of regular reports and sending by email.
- Social Networks.
- Fault and exception control.
- Cloud integration.
RPA by industry
Given its flexibility, the RPA is useful and transforming in all industry sectors because it can work and integrate processes between all departments, can create more or less complex workflows for users, technical users or business superusers, can be integrated into all types of enterprise systems such as ERPs, CRMs, bbdd, document managers, among others, and serves all sizes of business.
Banks and financial services
Banking and financial services companies manage a lot of data. Usually and unfortunately, they try to do so in complex environments involving old applications, disparate registration systems due to mergers and acquisitions, and too much paper.
RPA can quickly and accurately manage high-volume data transfers and other processes across a complex infrastructure. In addition, it can help manage the stringent regulatory compliance requirements of the financial industry.
Health
Fortunately, transferring and manipulating data between disparate systems is a core competency of RPA software. In the healthcare industry, RPA is used to update patient records, process claims, schedule appointments, manage meal plans, and more.
Also noteworthy is the role-based security common to enterprise RPA solutions, which is especially useful in protecting the sensitivity of medical data.
Insurance
Insurance companies are institutions subject to many regulations. Therefore, they are forced to face very high requirements in terms of auditing, data quality and security. Insurance companies have a wide range of processes to which the RPA method can be applied.
For example, bots can manage almost every stage of the claims adjudication process: entering the claims system, downloading and verifying claims, correlating claims with benefit information, and calculating payments. Users need only deal with exceptions that require human judgment.
Retail
In retail, RPA may be used for back office tasks such as inventory management and order processing. RPA's flexibility helps to manage processes in stores with different schedules. A bot can collect sales data to generate an end-of-day report.
Manufacturing
With increasing global competition and customers expecting faster deliveries than ever before, RPA can be a key to helping increase productivity and reduce time to market.
The ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) system is the cornerstone of every manufacturing company. RPA's software can connect to the ERP system to seamlessly integrate company data and custom reporting options that may not be directly available from the ERP system.
Telecommunications
Success in the telecommunications industry is determined by the quality of customer service. At the same time, telecommunication companies are overloaded with a large volume of repetitive administrative processes. These tasks consume the time that an employee could spend with customers, as low processing speed and human errors impair the customer experience.
RPA increases accuracy, improves operational efficiency and provides quick and easy access to data, which is essential for providing a great service.
Energy and Utilities
RPA excels at monitoring systems and executing automatic actions if a problem is discovered.
As in other industries, RPA streamlines back office work, such as measurement, billing and reporting processes, as well as front office tasks. Utilities are often highly regulated and RPA helps generate the reports required by auditors.
The tip of the iceberg
But what else will we be able to do with RPA when it is increasingly combined with artificial intelligence so that this automation becomes increasingly unmanned and what will this mean for our business? How will this disruptive technology be implemented to better serve our customers and at the same time manage our company more efficiently? These are still unanswered questions. What we can say is that the possibilities of this type of software are endless and we are only beginning to glimpse what will happen in the next decade.
