Every business has its own list of mundane tasks. Forms that need to be filled out, data that needs to be cataloged, calculations that need to be made, and so on.
These tasks are not just time-consuming, but they also cost organizations money that could be better spent elsewhere. Which is why more and more businesses are adopting robotic process automation (RPA).
What is RPA?
One way to think of RPA is as the leaner cousin of traditional automation. The technology allows enterprises to automate tasks at a relatively low cost by leveraging existing infrastructure rather than requiring an overhaul of systems. This not only reduces the amount of initial investment, it accelerates ROI.
In addition, RPA can be led by an enterprise’s business wing with support from IT rather than the other way around. That means the front lines of an enterprise are able to create their own efficiencies without bogging down those in charge of complex infrastructure.
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With RPA, organizations are able to automate a host of repetitive actions like:
- Automatically logging into applications
- Moving files and folders around
- Filling in forms
- Pulling data from structured and unstructured data, as well as the web
- Populating databases
By automating these and other routine operations, organizations can allow teams to be much more efficient. They are also able to free up more time for talent to think creatively.
Additional benefits of RPA
According to Forrester, the RPA market will likely reach $2.9 billion by 2021. While this is a drop in the bucket, compared to the overall artificial intelligence (AI)/automation market estimated to reach $48.5 billion, it shows that RPA adoption is on an upward trajectory.
And for good reason. Beyond the efficiency gains already mentioned, RPAs can deliver some very real benefits to organizations by eliminating human errors, improving compliance, and performing tasks simultaneously across business units.
For example, in manufacturing, RPAs can automatically generate bills of materials (BOMs). In finance, the tech can be used for things like card activations and managing accounts. And in insurance, RPA can accelerate claims processing.
Popular RPA tools
Though a relatively young market, RPAs already have a number of quality providers. Among the most popular ones:
- Microsoft Flow automates tasks regardless of whether an application is on premises or in the cloud
- Blue Prism delivers all RPA core capabilities and also supports multi-environment deployment
- UiPath offers a free version of its RPA tools for smaller teams
Getting started with RPAs
Despite their relative simplicity compared to traditional automation, most enterprises still need help adopting RPAs. This help can come from in-house IT, but depending on the size of your organization—and your IT department—working with an outside expert can be the way to go.
At Redapt, we can guide you through every step of the RPA adoption process, from helping you identify tasks suitable for RPA management to integrating the technology into your existing systems.
To learn more about RPAs or to get started integrating them into your organization, contact one of our experts today.
Or, find the information you need to successfully modernize how your organization operates, along with how you can avoid common pitfalls along the way. Click here to read our in-depth guide to boosting your competitiveness through workplace modernization.
