Robotic process automation (RPA) is gaining popularity in the automation field. As more organization kick off their RPA journey, let’s take a look at the basics of what RPA is and some common myths surrounding the buzz.
RPA what it is?
Robotic process automation (RPA) is the use of software that mimics the actions of a human being on top of a system/application.
RPA is a software
RPA exists in the form of software bots. When triggered, the bots will start processing transactions without people noticing. As of today, there are two types of RPA bots — attended and unattended.
- Attended bots -When triggered, the bot can interact with humans or act as a virtual assistant.
- Unattended bots — No human intervention needed. The bot can execute transactions on its own.
Most organizations implementing RPA lean towards the latter, unattended bots, as they expect bots to take over repetitive tasks fully.
RPA is a simulation of an employee
RPA simulates the actions of an employee when processing transactions. It can log in to different applications, interact with Excel, and send emails like an employee. Many of the RPA software provides credential vaults to save usernames and passwords for the bot to use.
RPA is integrated with existing IT infrastructure
RPA can communicate with almost all existing systems. It is important to note that RPA works on top of other applications. Hence no interface is needed for integration.
RPA — What is it not?
Next, let’s look at some common myths about RPA
Myth #1: RPA is not an IT solution
Typically, we consider RPA as a non-invasive tool as it does not require other applications to be set up for the bot to start running.
Although integration is not needed when implementing RPA, it is still an IT solution that needs maintenance. RPA bot relies heavily on application screens; any changes in the application may impact the bot run. Hence, RPA requires monitoring and maintenance like any other IT solution.
Myth #2: RPA is a replacement for software
RPA bot interacts with different applications by running on top of them. So, for example, when an RPA bot needs to start data entry in system A, it needs to first login into system A, just like any other employee.
One important thing to note is that the applications that the bot will run on have to be set up or installed ahead of time. For example, if the bot needs to do data entry in Excel, Excel should be installed first.
Myth #3: RPA bot can be used immediately after purchasing license
RPA is made up of three parts — the RPA bot, a studio, and a console.
- RPA bot executes tasks when triggered. It is usually directly downloaded onto a PC or virtual machine.
- RPA studio is where developers build the bot
- RPA console is where users trigger the bot and is usually web-based.
RPA license does not come with the bot knowing what to do immediately. Therefore, building and testing the bot is necessary before the bot can start processing any transactions.