Robotic Process Automation (RPA)

Short answer: Robotic process automation, or RPA, uses software robots, often called bots, to do tasks that a person would otherwise do at a computer. A bot can log into an application, read values from a screen and copy them into another system. It can also download reports and fill in forms. The robots are software only. Companies mainly use RPA where there is no easy way to connect systems directly, so the bot works through the same screens a person uses.

RPA is a broad label for tools that work through the screens of other software the way a person would. The underlying systems stay unchanged, so RPA can automate work across older applications that have no other way in. RPA suits tasks that are high in volume, follow clear rules, use data in fixed fields and run on screens that rarely change. Rule-based bots are a weaker fit where the work needs judgment or the inputs vary a lot. Any screen-based approach is also a weaker fit where a direct software connection exists. A direct connection is usually faster and breaks less often.

A developer or trained business user records or designs the steps a person follows. For example, the person opens an application, searches for a customer, copies a value and pastes it elsewhere. The bot then repeats those steps for each item in a queue. Some bots run on their own on a server, on a schedule. Others run on an employee's computer when that person starts them. Bots that run on their own usually need their own logins and permissions. Bots on an employee's computer normally use that employee's account. A good setup logs every action, so the team can trace errors. The bot can fail when a screen layout, field name or login process changes. So the team needs to monitor and maintain every bot.

A wholesaler receives 1,200 orders a month through a large customer's online portal. Staff copy each order into the company's own order system, at about 3 minutes each, or 60 hours a month. The team sets up a bot that logs into the portal, reads each new order and enters it in the order system. The bot handles 1,080 orders, or 90%. It puts the other 120 in a queue for a person, who spends 6 hours on them. Monitoring and fixing the bot takes another 4 hours. Monthly effort falls from 60 hours to 10.

RPA can deliver quick results where a company relies on systems that are hard or expensive to connect. Examples include an older application or a portal that another company runs. Compare it with a direct connection or a change to the process, since either may solve the same problem for longer. The business case should include the cost of maintaining bots, not only building them.

Bots break when the applications they use change, sometimes without warning. That can stop a process until someone fixes the bot. A large number of bots can become hard to manage. They can also hide a poor process that the team should have redesigned. Bot logins need the same security controls as employee accounts. Some outside websites restrict automated access in their terms of use, so check those terms before building.