Robotic Process Automation Tutorial
Robotic Process Automation (RPA) is a software technology developed for automating repetitive, rule-based tasks, without any human intervention. The primary objective of RPA is to reduce manual tasks in a business organization and improve the speed, accuracy, efficiency, and consistency. RPA uses software robots to perform a wide range of tasks and operations.
Some common examples of robotic process automation use-cases include automated data entry, open attachments, perform calculations, log in/out from systems, reply to emails, and many more.
This tutorial on Robotic Process Automation is meant for explaining the basics to advanced concepts of RPA, and it is designed for beginners as well as professionals.
What is Robotic Process Automation?
Robotic Process Automation (RPA) is an automation technology used in businesses to automate repetitive, rule-based operations and tasks. The objective behind the development of RPA is to free up the resources to engage them in higher-value tasks.
RPA uses software robots, also called bots, to mimic and perform human tasks like data entry, interaction with software, replying to emails, login or logout from systems, and many other. RPA makes these tasks and operations faster, accurate, efficient, and consistent.
Characteristics of Robotic Process Automation
The key features and characteristics of robotic process automation (RPA) are given below −
Automation of Repetitive Tasks
RPA is a very effective in automating rule-based, repetitive business operations and processes like data entry, transactions processing, interaction with software systems, report generation, resolving customer queries, and more.
Compatible with Existing IT Infrastructure
Robotic process automation can be integrated with existing IT infrastructure without making major changes in it. It uses front-end user interfaces to interact with applications, similar to a human user.
Scalability
Another important feature of RPA is scalability. Once a business process is automated using RPA, it can be easily scaled or implemented across the organization in various processes or workflows. For scaling, a single robot can be used to perform multiple tasks or multiple robots to perform different tasks simultaneously.
Enhanced Performance
RPA robots operate according to predefined rules and instructions. These bots are free from distractions, fatigue, or making mistakes. Hence, RPA provides consistent and accurate results and improves the quality and reliability of work by reducing human errors.
Code Free Automation
Today, a lot of RPA platforms are available in the market that provide GUI-based workflow designers. In these RPA platforms, drag-and-drop tools are present to build process automation, without any need for programming or coding.
Importance of Robotic Process Automation
In business operations, factors like operational efficiency, accuracy, consistency in results, business costs, etc. are of great importance and are expected to meet the business demands. RPA can help businesses to integrate new automation software with their legacy systems to automate repetitive tasks and processes. This practice helps them rectify the issues and inefficiencies in the organization.
Here is a list of some of the major reasons justifying the importance of robotic process automation in business environments −
- Increased productivity level
- Improved compliance with industry standards
- Enhanced employee satisfaction
- Increased return on investment
- Digital transformation of the business
- Enhanced customer services and satisfaction, etc.
Industries using RPA
In modern days, robotic process automation (RPA) is an integral part of various industries. Some of the common industries are listed below, which are using RPA for automating processes across various departments −
- Financial Institutions − Financial institutions like banks, insurance companies, brokerage firms, etc. implement RPA in their organizations to automate processes and tasks like invoicing, generation of financial reports, expense management, fund management, accounts payable, KYC, customer onboarding, and more.
- Customer Services − Businesses are also using RPA to automate various back-office tasks and customer services such as answer customer inquiries, reply emails, and resolve other issues.
- Healthcare − Companies operating in the healthcare domain use PRA to automate their administrative tasks like patient data management, appointment scheduling, insurance claim processing, billing, medical inventory management, etc.
- Manufacturing − Manufacturing industries are using robotic process automation to automate their labor-intensive, data-driven tasks like supply chain management, inventory management, order processing, procurement management, etc.
- Human Resources (HR) − Business organizations are also using robotic process automation in their HR departments for speeding up recruitment process, employee onboarding and offboarding, employee data management, payroll processing, attendance management, and more.
- Energy and Utility − Robotic process automation is also being used in energy and utility companies to automate their repetitive tasks like meter reading, billing and payment processing, resolving customers queries, and many other.
Types of RPA Technologies
Robotic Process Automation (RPA) technologies are classified into the following three main categories −
- Probots − These are RPA bots that designed to automate routine tasks by following simple and repeatable rules. These bots are capable only in processing structured data and are not suitable for complex decision-making.
- Knowbots − These are RPA bots designed for gathering and storing specific information, and use that information to perform a particular task.
- Chatbots − These are also RPA bots designed to simulate human conversions in real-time. These bots are generally powered by conversational artificial intelligence.
Benefits of Robotic Process Automation
Some of the key benefits of using robotic process automation are listed below −
- RPA reduces operational costs in business organizations by automating high-volume, repetitive, and labor-intensive tasks.
- RPA makes the business processes faster and more accurate.
- RPA minimizes human errors to a significant extent and hence improves the overall efficiency in processes.
- RPA helps automating and eliminating tedious, repetitive tasks from their daily activities. This improves employee satisfaction and makes them more focused on their work.
Popular RPA Tools and Platforms
Today, there are several tools and platforms available in the market for implementing robotic process automation. Some of the most popular RPA tools are listed below −
- UiPath − It is one of the leading RPA tools that provides a drag-and-drop interface for designing workflows and making them autonomous.
- Blue Prism − This RPA tool is designed for large-scale automation solutions and it provides a user-friendly interface. It also integrates RPA with cognitive technologies like AI and other.
- Power Automate − It is a cloud-based RPA tool having AI capabilities to automate workflows.
- Automate Anywhere − It is also a very popular RPA platform that helps business organizations repetitive, rule-based tasks.
Robotic Process Automation Terminology
In this section, we have listed and defined some of the very important terms related to robotic process automation (RPA), these definitions will be very helpful for readers in grasping this tutorial.
Software Bot
Software bot is a computer program designed to perform a specific function like automating repetitive tasks, perform human actions, etc.
Business Process Automation (BPA)
It is also referred to as technology-based automation of business processes. BPA is a technology designed to automate complex business processes without human intervention.
Unattended Automation
Unattended automation is an automation technology designed to perform complex and highly repetitive tasks by involving software bots only, without any human intervention.
Attended Automation
Attended automation is a technology that uses RPA bots to help human workers and enhance productivity. In this type of automation, the software bots are used to handle complex parts of processes which are difficult for human workers.
Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a technology that simulates human intelligence in machines and computers. It allows machines to learn, think, evolve, and make decisions.
Machine Learning (ML)
Machine Learning (ML) is a subset of Artificial Intelligence that allows machines to learn and evolve from actions, without being programmed explicitly.
Cognitive Automation
Cognitive automation is the technology that combines RPA with AI to improve the process automation and business outcomes.
Exception Handling
Exception handling in robotic process automation is a way of managing runtime or unexpected errors during automation. This is implemented so the regular flow of the automation can be preserved.
Topics Covered in Robotic Process Automation
In this comprehensive tutorial on Robotic Process Automation (RPA), you will learn the following key concepts of RPA −
- Introduction to Robotic Process Automation − This part of the tutorial will explain the fundamental concepts of RPA and its importance in business organizations.
- Popular RPA Tools − This chapter will explain some of the most widely used tools for RPA implementation along with their key features.
- Implementation of RPA − In this section, you will learn about the step-by-step process of implementing robotic process automation in business organizations.
- Benefits of RPA − This section will highlight all the key benefits of robotic process automation.
- Applications of RPA − This part of RPA will describe the use cases of robotic process automation in real-world applications.
- Best Practices for RPA − In this section, we will discuss some best practice for designing, implementing, and managing RPA in business processes.
Who Should Learn Robotic Process Automation?
This tutorial has been designed for students, professionals, or anyone who is interested in learning business automation.
This tutorial can be a useful resource for the following readers −
- Who wants to start a career as an RPA professional
- Who wants to know a basic process for implementing RPA in a business organization
- Who wants to sharpen his/her RPA knowledge
Prerequisites to Learn Robotic Process Automation
This tutorial on Robotic Process Automation (RPA) has been designed for absolute beginners. However, a basic understanding of concepts like MS Excel spreadsheets, MS Word, websites, and software applications fill in daily business life, business processes, basic programming, and flowcharts will be helpful to effectively grasp this tutorial.
FAQs on Robotic Process Automation
This section answers some of the most Frequently Asked Questions on Robotic Process Automation (RPA).
Robotic Process Automation (RPA) can be used to automate rule-based, repetitive, and low-value tasks such as data entry, invoicing, receipt generating, report generation, inventory management, payment processing, reply customers emails, etc.
No, one doesn't necessarily need to have a prior experience in coding or programming in order to learn Robotic Process Automation. There are several RPA tools and platforms available in the market that provide a drag-and-drop interface to design RPA automation of workflows.
An Attended Bot is an RPA bot that just helps human workers to handle complex processes. On the other hand, an Unattended Bot is a software bot that can autonomously handle processes without any human intervention.
Robotic Process Automation (RPA) can be a useful tool for a wide range of industries including finance, insurance, healthcare, manufacturing, IT, government, customer service, and retail.
The time required to implement an RPA system depends on the complexity of the project. It is found that −
- Low complexity automation projects require around 3 to 4 weeks,
- Medium complexity projects require 6 to 7 weeks, and
- High complexity projects need 10 to 12 weeks, or even longer.
Some of the major benefits of using RPA in a business organization are listed below −
- Enhanced speed and productivity
- Improved accuracy and efficiency
- Reduced errors in results
- Employee satisfaction
- Reduced operational costs, etc.
Some of the common risks of using RPA are as follows −
- Compatibility and integration issues with existing infrastructure
- Employee resistance due to fear of unemployability
- Risks of sensitive data access and leakage by the software bots
- Operational risks due to improper modeling
- Unavailability of staff for proper maintenance of RPA bots, etc.
Listed below are some of the key differences between RPA and AI −
- RPA is designed to automate repetitive, rule-based tasks, while AI is designed to automate tasks based on cognitive intelligence.
- RPA can automate only those tasks for which it is programmed, while AI can perform automation through in-time learning.
- RPA can handle only structured inputs and data, while AI can handle both structured and unstructured inputs.
Yes, Robotic Process Automation (RPA) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) can be integrated together to perform more complex tasks and provide cognitive decision-making capabilities. With AI, RPA can also handle unstructured data and processes.