What is RPA?
Robotic Process Automation, or RPA, is a business process automation technology that uses software robots, commonly referred to as bots, to automate manual and routine business processes quickly and easily without coding.
The bots learn by watching a human user perform the task in the traditional manner using a mouse and keyboard to interact with a graphical user interface (GUI). The bots are then able to replicate the actions using a virtual mouse and keyboard to perform the exact same steps as a human user. This allows the bots to perform tasks that were traditionally difficult to automate, such as those that involve legacy software applications without modern APIs.
The latest generation of RPA bots are not limited to virtual mouse and keyboard operations however. They can also follow if/then logic trees and connect to modern software systems using APIs if desired. This allows RPA to combine the benefits of traditional RPA bots, modern API capabilities, and basic rule-based decision making in a single comprehensive package.
Who uses RPA?
Many companies including big names such Walmart, Deutsche Bank, AT&T, Vanguard, Ernst & Young, Walgreens, Anthem, & American Express have already adopted RPA to automate their business processes and increase productivity.
However, the truth of the matter is that companies in virtually all industries and of all sizes can benefit from integrating RPA into their technology stack.
Although RPA can be adapted to fit any process, common implementations include:
- Payroll Processing
- Employee Status Changes & New-Hire Recruitment
- Invoice Processing
- Inventory Management
- Report Creation
- Collecting Sales Leads
- Provisioning New IT Accounts
- New Account Creation
- Finance Process Automation
- Customer Care Automaton
- eCommerce Merchandising
- Data Extraction
What are the benefits of RPA?
RPA offers numerous benefits over performing business processes manually as well as other business automation techniques:
- Dramatic Cost Savings: RPA offers significant cost savings over both performing tasks manually and paying to automate processes with custom software & APIs
- Reduced Errors: Bots performs the exact steps needed to complete the task the same way every time
- Faster Processing: Bots work 24/7, allowing faster completion of processes
- Refocused Labor: Bots free up precious human labor, allowing them to focus on tasks that require the human touch
- Better Compliance: RPA tracking tools help ensure that all tasks are completed successfully and correctly
- Increased Scalability: Bots can be easily added and removed to match demand
When is RPA useful?
One of the great benefits of RPA is its adaptability and its usefulness in a variety of business processes throughout an organization. However, because of the nature of RPA, the types of business processes that tend to lend themselves to RPA have the following characteristics:
- Consistent & routine
- Medium to high volume
- Prone to human error
- Limited decision making required
Laserfiche RPA: Extending the Power of Laserfiche
Laserfiche, one of the leading enterprise content management (ECM) systems, now offers a powerful RPA suite as part of its all-in-one automation platform.
FreeDoc is a 2020 Winner’s Circle Laserfiche solutions provider with over 21-years of experience in document management. If you’re interested in how RPA could help streamline your organization’s business processes, please send us a message.
