Robotic Process Automation (RPA)

RPA is a technology that uses business logic and structured inputs, whose purpose is to automate business processes. In order to catch and analyse applications to process transactions, control data, activate responses, and interact with other automated networks, businesses may use RPA tools to customise software or “robots.”  More CIOs are turning to robotic process automation, eliminating tedious tasks, simplifying operations and reducing costs. It’s also a great way for your employees to focus on real value added work. Specifically, the Robotic Automation Process (RPA) allows companies to automate rule-based business processes. RPA scenarios range from simple generation of automated responses to emails to deploying thousands of robots, each programmed to automate tasks in an ERP system. Financial services business leaders were the first to adopt RPP. Now process automation works in the health, retail or human resources sector.

What are the benefits of RPA?

RPA helps organizations effectively reduce labor costs and human errors. Especially if the bot is cheap and easy to implement. Very little integration is required. Indeed, these features are important to keep costs down. Companies can also boost their automation efforts by injecting RPA into cognitive technologies such as ML, speech recognition and natural language processing. This includes automating high-level tasks that previously required human expertise.

This logic has an RPA implementation that can automate more than 15-20 steps. It then becomes part of a value chain called “intelligent automation” (AI).

In the field of IT governance, RPA is gradually entering IT Service Management (ITSM). For example, the Application Discovery and Dependency Mapping (ADDM) tool hardens the configuration management database (CMDB) to detect parts to be configured and updated, as well as to measure the impact of changes (software, hardware, finance, and people). .

What are the pitfalls of RPA?

RPA does not apply to all companies. Like all automation technologies, RPA has the potential to eliminate jobs and present talent management challenges to CIOs.

And, even if companies that have adopted RPA are tempted to place those who cut their jobs into new jobs, Forrester Research estimates that RPA software will threaten a total of 230 million workers. This is about 9% of the global workforce.

For IT pros, there is less code and less input, so you can focus on defining and optimizing processes and workflows. In particular, real-time monitoring is possible.

Automation and artificial intelligence will reduce employee demand in shared service centers by 65% ​​by 2020, according to Gartner. The RPA market would then hit 1 billion dollars. By then, 40% of large enterprises will be adopting RPA software tools. Currently it is less than 10%.

Which companies use RPA?

Walmart, Deutsche Bank, American Express, Ernst & Young, and Walgreens are just one of many companies looking to adopt RPA. At Walmart, approximately 500 robots are responsible for answering all questions, from employee questions to information retrieval to audit documentation. At American Express, RPA is working to automate the ticket cancellation and refund process. And a project is underway to automate some cost management tasks.