What is Robotic Process Automation? An Overview

Robotic Process Automation (also known as RPA) is a software technology that uses Artificial Intelligence (AI), and Machine learning technology to create robots (bots). These robots can perform simple tasks without human intervention. It is a technology that reduces time and produces no errors for mundane, repetitive tasks. It performs the assigned work autonomously, which was previously impossible because humans had to do it manually. These tasks include performing calculations, maintaining daily records and answering queries.
Let’s look at an example to help us understand better:
Let’s suppose Mr. A works as an accountant in XYZ. He manages invoices, cheques, financial transactions, etc., daily. He must collect all of the important details from these tasks, such as the name of the company, date processing and Invoice ID, into a structured Excel sheet and mail it to his superior along with other financial records, by the end of each day. This means that he must do this task repeatedly every day. This proves to Mr.A that it is too time-consuming and takes a lot of effort. Robotic Process Automation is what he uses to overcome this problem. The software bot extracts all data from the invoice and adds it to an excel sheet with the link provided. He then mails the sheet back to his superior within the timeframe.
Robotic Process Automation (RPA) is used for automation.
How does RPA work? RPA generally goes through four phases. These are outlined below.
Phase of Planning – This is where we plan the automation and implementation of those processes.
Phase of Development – This phase involves automating the workflow that we had planned in the Planning Phase.
The Testing Phase – This is the most critical phase. We need to test the automation and fix any errors before it can be run.
Maintenance Phase – This is where we need to keep checking that the automation is up-to-date and running smoothly at regular intervals.
Robotic Process Automation (RPA), Benefits
Software migration made easy
Training cost reduction
Business availability 24 hours a day
Employee productivity and speed increase
A flawless outcome that eliminates all errors and ensures customer satisfaction
Time savings that leads to a better customer experience
Misconceptions:
There are many misconceptions about RPA. These are clarified below.
RPA is not a humanoid robot. It exists only on the software. It has no physical form.
RPA cannot replace or overtake humans. Its capabilities can only be used in the way you want them to.
It is unable to process critical or large amounts of information like humans.
RPA doesn’t have a brain. It replicates only what it has been programmed.