RPA is the technology that allows performing transactions in any information technology application or website, in the same way a human would, to automate complex, rule-based work. RPA offers a virtual workforce of software robots to perform daily actions within companies, freeing up their staff to add value to their business.
RPA uses software to reduce human intervention in IT applications. We tend to imagine robots as industrial machines or androids with artificial intelligence, but RPA uses software robots that emulate human tasks, trained to perform workflows in IT systems with much more:
- Precision and Speed (Allowing accuracy and consistency in repetitive tasks)
- Efficiency and Productivity (Eliminating human errors by working 24/7)
- Scalability and Security (Increasing robots safely according to the growth of your operations)
- Cost Reduction (Thus generating significant savings for your organization)
Robotic Process Automation
Robotic Process Automation (RPA) is any technology aimed at using software to reduce human intervention in the use of IT applications, especially in repetitive tasks that vary very little in each iteration. RPA is a relatively new term, but not the concept behind it, as ways to optimize resources through software that performs specific functions in record time have been sought for decades.
When we talk about robots, we tend to think of heavy machines that carry out industrial tasks, mainly on assembly lines. RPA extrapolates that concept of automation to purely IT models, so we are talking about software robots, and it is the trend that promotes adding new levels of quality and productivity in the Digital Transformation strategy of any company.
The processing capacity of modern equipment, as well as their high connectivity and internet capabilities, are allowing the rise of this type of automation technology. Not only because they allow processing information much faster than a human, but because they can connect different IT systems, generate documents, update databases, send emails, transfer data between applications, etc.
Comparison with BPM
Although BPM and RPA operate with a similar process logic based on events, actions, conditions, and loops, the context in which they are applied is vastly different.
- BPM (Business Process Management) aims to ensure that the operational and process infrastructure of the business is solid.
- RPA (Robotic Process Automation), on the other hand, is used to perform tasks just as a person would, but at a much higher speed; therefore, it operates at a more superficial level.
Both are relatively quick to implement and allow very versatile adjustments to possible changes in processes.
BPM can be seen as the foundation on which the company operates, applying over this technology the orderly workflow that integrates users, systems, and data in a coordinated and efficient manner, being able to provide native integrations with external systems.
RPA, on the other hand, will allow certain tasks within the company's workflow to be performed in record time, significantly improving the times in repetitive tasks that create bottlenecks.
In short, RPA and BPM are not in conflict with each other. Although both seek process optimization, their area of influence is different, and each case will require a greater presence of one or the other, although most of the time the best solution will be to implement both.
Although RPA may seem more attractive at first, many times what a company needs is to establish an adequate workflow between its departments and employees, rather than optimizing a repetitive task in question.
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