What You Need to Know About RPA
In this article
What is robotic process automation (RPA)?
Early in the 21st century, RPA grew out of automated test platforms. If I can push buttons for a test, why not push them for real? Add activity recording and screen scraping to that and you have the basics for RPA.
At that most fundamental level, RPA performs the actions that are performed by a human user. If you can do it, but you're tired of doing it, get a robot to do it. This enables rapid, reliable execution of tasks that would otherwise consume human resources in your organization, freeing them for high-value work. The result is a savings in human resources (and money) while increasing productivity and compliance. Today's RPA can drop down to the API or even Database level to extend beyond the GUI interface.
Beyond automation, an often-overlooked value of RPA is connecting multiple systems without changing the existing IT landscape. This extends the life and expands the capability of legacy software without the time and expense of rework and retraining.
How is that different from business process modeling (BPM)?
RPA is often described as a relative of BPM, but they are not the same. RPA focuses on handling the interaction with multiple legacy systems, and this naturally infers a workflow. More mature RPA solutions provide a queuing mechanism to combine multiple activities and extend that workflow.
BPM is workflow first, providing structure to manage the process or people who contribute to the process. This may require interaction with legacy systems but doesn't necessarily automate it. A BPM solution may launch RPA to perform that interaction. And an RPA may create or update a BPM workitem.
Is RPA an artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML) tool?
RPA does not necessarily include AI. That said, there are multiple uses of AI/ML commonly incorporated into RPA solutions. The primary uses of AI in RPA are (1) natural language processing and (2) cognitive decision making. Different RPA vendors provide one or both in varying levels of support.
Natural language processing and image recognition are the first AI/ML application for many organizations. These capabilities provide robust document recognition and processing capabilities. For example, this can enable your RPA to consume multiple invoice formats and recognize language variants.
The power of AI/ML to drive decisions is available through a select few RPA solutions. AI/ML solutions can exponentially increase the value of RPA, making decisions faster and more consistently than humans.
Is RPA right for the government or private industry?
The answer is both! Gartner lists RPA and Hyperautomation in the top technology trends of 2022. And US government agencies focus on shifting the workforce to "high-value" work — a key goal of the President's Management Agenda — by taking advantage of robotic process automation. Compliance is an RPA reward for everyone. Robots don't just follow the rules, they leave an audit trail.
Check out the RPA Program Playbook, published by the Federal RPA Community of Practice.
The ROI of RPA
RPA offers a staggering return on investment (ROI). Whether you measure that in time savings for humans, improved accuracy and quality, around the clock service or reliable compliance, RPA offers the fastest payback on investment you can make today. RPA can also extend the life of your existing IT infrastructure by connecting stovepipe systems without replacing applications or retraining staff.
Plugging the brain drain: An unexpected value
ROI can come in surprising packages. In a recent engagement, we were automating a critical time and reporting task. The objective was to automate the transfer of information between two disparate systems on two separate networks. The surprise came just as we entered User Acceptance Testing: the head timekeeper and subject matter expert left the organization unexpectedly.
With that knowledge already codified in the RPA, new workers were able to quickly come up to speed for UAT and Transition to Production. How do you put a price on capturing the experience of a local expert?
Begin your RPA journey today
WWT partners with UiPath and Automation Anywhere, RPA market leaders in Gartner's RPA Magic Quadrant year after year. Both offer RPA enhanced with Artificial Intelligence, Orchestration platforms and advanced analytics and reporting. Whether you want to expand your organization's existing investment in RPA or you are just beginning, WWT has the tools, the people and the processes to guide your RPA journey from pilot to industrialization.
WWT has 30 years of success as system integrators with teams dedicated to RPA and AI/ML ready to help you. You can find out more about WWT RPA capabilities in the article The Importance of RPA for the Federal Government (don't miss the video) or ask your account team for a live demonstration.