Are you looking for ways to increase team productivity and increase business results through automation technologies? Then you need to know RPA. Oops, wait a minute, what is Robotic Process Automation – RPA?
In this content you will understand what Robotic Process Automation is, how this innovative tool works, how to implement it in your organization and why you should use it in your business. Continue reading the post to learn more about the subject!
What is Robotic Process Automation?
It is a process automation technology through software robotics. In other words, it consists of a method of automating tasks using robots, that is, highly advanced and intelligent technologies.
The premise of Robotic Process Automation is to use a system that reproduces the actions of a human, replicating them on the computer, without the need for any type of intervention. The main objective is to increase business productivity by automating the most operational processes, such as customer billing, payments, order processing, etc.
This way, the team has more time and energy to dedicate to more important activities, such as customer service, without operational responsibilities being neglected. After all, these tasks are also crucial for the company to continue functioning.
Robots are capable of performing a series of functions in detail, “imitation” human actions, which ensures that a task can be repeated perfectly countless times. For example, they move files and folders, log into applications, extract data, fill out forms, copy and paste data, and more. All this without needing supervision.
What are the differences between RPA and other types of automation?
Unlike traditional IT solutions, Robotic Process Automation allows companies to enjoy the benefits of automation with much more efficiency and agility at a fraction of the cost of common technologies.
Furthermore, by nature, Robotic Process Automation is non-intrusive, as the system takes advantage of the company’s existing technological infrastructure to perform its function, without causing abrupt interruptions in the underlying programs, something that would be complex and costly to replace.
Another important point is the fact that, as it is a low code technology, it requires little or even no lines of code to automate a process, which allows for quick implementation compared to other technologies.
What does Robotic Process Automation do?
With robotic process automation, it is possible to automate various business processes, from HR to processes that directly impact the company’s results, such as purchasing, sales, support and customer relations.
It is possible, through automation, to create flows that execute processes through kittens that can be triggered by a customer action, such as a chat message or email.
RPA Examples
A clear example of process automation with Power Automate is its use in processes that require downloading notes from city hall websites.
A common process in many companies is the need to download notes from city hall websites and later enter this information into an internal company system.
It is possible to automate this process so that all steps are carried out without human intervention.
Automation for downloading notes
Automation for downloading notes can be done in two ways, the first using API, which speeds up development and improves the speed of task execution. But it can also be carried out using RPA automation where the robot itself will enter city hall websites and download the notes.
Reading the notes
It is possible to extract information from these invoices by reading the PDF or even using artificial intelligence resources through the IA Builder.
Registering data in an ERP
At the end of the data extraction process, the robot will automatically launch into a machine where the extracted data will be inserted, this system could be SAP, Totvs, MEGA or some other similar system.
Is robotic process automation an AI?
Although artificial intelligence resources can be implemented in robotic process automation, in reality RPA automation is a program that performs actions pre-defined by users.
For this reason, it is essential to have a well-established process to start an automation process, since after implementing automation, any change in the process will require action to change the process already implemented.
How to implement Robotic Process Automation in the company?
As you have understood so far, Robotic Process Automation is a very comprehensive technology and can be applied in a wide variety of ways in the company. Below are some good practices on how to implement RPA.
Map the company’s needs
The first step in implementing RPA consists of mapping all the company’s processes and activities that can be automated with the tool. Identify human functions with low added value or in processes with a high rate of occurrence whose human execution is not as efficient.
In some cases, due to the complexity of the tasks or even because this information is not clear, process mining is applied, in which through artificial intelligence and Machine Learning these processes are analyzed and a map is generated with the possibilities for automation and optimizations.
Evaluate suppliers
This is a very important part of the implementation, as a good supplier can make all the difference in the final results. Therefore, when choosing an RPA technology supplier, determine the requirements and criteria that best suit your company.
Consider specific technical issues, pricing and features that meet the demands of your business. Furthermore, request presentations of the system so that you can then make the decision to choose the best-rated product.
Implement the pilot
After choosing the best RPA provider, it’s time to put the software into practice. At this stage, you need to make sure that your organization’s team of professionals are properly qualified to use RPA.
Sendo assim, é muito importante que a equipe de TI receba todo o treinamento necessário para lidar com a nova tecnologia. Também é fundamental que um piloto seja elaborado, isto é, um documento que registre todas as atividades que serão automatizadas com o RPA, a fim de gerar dados para serem analisados posteriormente.
Por meio dessas afirmações, será possível detectar necessidades de melhorias, problemas eventuais ou requisitos adicionais. Em outras palavras, esse é o momento de testar, cometer erros e resolvê-los.
Manage the RPA lifecycle – Robotic Process Automation
All strategies established in the previous phases are put into practice now that RPA technology has been successfully implemented. It is necessary to manage the technology lifecycle and constantly analyze performance. The idea is to ensure that all this planning generates the expected results with the implementation of the software.
Why use robotic process automation?
Now that you know what Robotic Process Automation is, check out some of the main reasons why it is worth investing in implementing this innovative tool in your company’s operational processes.
Automates mundane tasks
The use of team professionals’ time is optimized with an RPA tool, as they will no longer waste energy on repetitive or less important functions. This way, employees can focus on what really matters, such as tasks that require more personal skills and intellect.
Increases team productivity and motivation
Repetitive tasks generate monotony which, consequently, impacts the well-being and productivity of employees. With RPA, the tendency is for even the organizational climate to be improved, as employees will be much more engaged with their tasks.
Reduces costs
Human user errors are common and frequent, especially when compared to the performance of new technologies. With the exponential reduction in the number of human errors, the company benefits from improvements in its revenue, as there will be much less rework and waste.
Well-structured and simplified analyzes
One of the premises of Robotic Process Automation is to act as if it were a person when it comes to carrying out analyses. RPA is capable of compiling and interpreting all types of stored data in real time, as information is generated. This way, managers can count on a much more robust and solid database for the company’s processes to be analyzed.
Where is Robotic Process Automation used?
Process automation can be used in different types of industries, including healthcare, education, finance, mining, human resources, etc.
In all these sectors repetitive and tedious tasks can be automated using robotic process automation, optimizing the company’s resources.
Conclusion
As you can see in this content about what Robotic Process Automation is, this innovative technology consists of automating complex level tasks, simulating human interactions. RPA can be considered a new level of Artificial Intelligence and corporate automation.
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