This text is the gateway to the world of robotic process automation, or RPA, and business automation Have you heard people talking about RPA and automation? Perhaps it’s already being used in your business. Or perhaps you simply want to keep up with the latest trends and be prepared for tomorrow’s working environment.
Let’s begin by defining what RPA and automation are, and understanding their role in the current digital transformation.
RPA o Robotic Process Automation is the technology that enables a piece of software to reproduce the actions of a human being, interacting with the user interface of an IT system or programme. For instance, filling in an Excel template or sending an email with a summary of monthly sales, are activities that may typically be carried out by a robot. This technology is not designed to substitute a human being, but rather it is designed to work alongside them, freeing them up from repetitive and usually boring tasks, thus leaving more time for tasks that add real value. It is therefore a non-invasive technology that can be adapted to all types of business processes.
Nowadays, RPA is making workers more efficient in a wide range of industries and processes, by freeing them from repetitive, tedious tasks. Sectors including financial services, healthcare, manufacturing, the public sector, retailers, among many others, have implemented RPA in a wide range of areas such as finance, accounting, legal, client services, operations and IT. And this is just the beginning.
RPA has become so widespread because it can be applied to such a wide range of things. Almost any repetitive process, driven by pre-established rules and which is high in volume, is an ideal candidate for automation. The possibilities are endless!
Robots are faster, and they are as accurate as the instructions that developers create when programming them. This saves time (they execute repetitive tasks faster than a human), reduces costs and increases ROI. In addition, it reduces errors by automating highly manual, repetitive and rule-based processes with low exception rates.
However, digital transformation refers not only to technology but also to people. Improving employees skills is key to a successful transformation. Can anybody build and use automation? Can anybody build and use automation? The short answer is, yes.
Digital transformation is directly influenced by those that adopt it, not by technology. New skills, new roles, a culture open to change and continued external exploration make digital transformation more than just a strategic, tech project.
Digital transformation can be anything, from modernising IT infrastructure, to new or optimised digital business models. As part of this transformation, RPA focuses on digital optimisation. More specifically, on the optimisation of the digital workspace For instance, RPA can move data from scanned documents or digital applications, freeing up the human in charge of this task to carry out higher value activities.
RPA itself can be a hugely useful tool. But there are many technologies that can help people to optimise their workload, so how can we choose the best one? The good news is we don’t need to choose just one technology. RPA can work alongside other technologies to become a truly powerful asset. One example is the combination of RPA and Artificial Intelligence, which has enormous potential. In the previous example involving invoices, RPA is used alongside AI and ML models to be able to process information from scanned invoices, which are unstructured documents, and convert them into digital format.
