Introduction to Robotic Process Automation
Automation has always been a growing trend over the years and is playing an important role in how businesses operate. RPA (Robotic Process Automation) is without a doubt a growing technology and is continuing to evolve and so, learning to use and understand the importance of this technology may help to better increase work efficiency within your organization.
What is RPA and how does it work?
First, what exactly is RPA? Robotic Process Automation is a software application robot that can be programmed to work on mundane and repetitive tasks autonomously that humans would otherwise be reluctant to tackle. The technology isn’t meant to replace humans but is rather used as a tool to assist humans in their work. This technology consists of other technologies such as machine learning and artificial intelligence. The machine learning aspect of RPA is easier to implement as it imitates a human and how they work and is very rule-based and so, the process must be well-defined. The AI however is more difficult to implement as it is a simulation of human decision making and as a result, RPA should be used as a tool and should still be monitored and supervised by a human rather than be left to its own devices.
The emergence of RPA and its future
The mention of RPA first emerged around the 2000’s and has become more cost efficient to use as time went on with the evolution of other technologies and advancements of machine learning and AI. It is predicted that in the near future, RPA will outsource a large percentage of work. There has been controversy as to whether RPA and AI are causing a reduction in jobs and in some cases, in a way they are however they also create new job opportunities. As stated RPA is mainly used as a tool and as such it reduces human labor and allows for more important tasks to be worked on by humans. There are many RPA software companies that exists out there and as of 2020 the top 3 most notable companies that I found are Blue Prism, UiPath and Automation Anywhere.
Real life implementations
There are many ways RPA can be implemented, most notably within the IT and business fields. In the IT fields RPA can be used in service/help desks to perform a variety of tasks ranging from escalating requests, providing information/answers for the user, automatically updating records, etc. In business fields RPA can help with onboarding, providing relevant information for new employees to help them integrate into an organization more easily and smoothly and can also help with payrolls and other such tasks that can help to reduce human error and save time overall for employees, allowing for human resources to be redirected to more important tasks.
Flaws and risks
As an emerging technology, it of course comes with some risks. The biggest risk involved with RPA would be its security, as it works with data and other sensitive information hackers may attempt to attack and steal that information. Besides the risk it also comes with some flaws. RPA heavily focused on machine learning need very specific instructions for the process of how it will work, any changes made will also have to be carefully considered to ensure that they work as intended. RPA has been advancing well thus far and the benefits heavily outweigh the risks involved, it is a recommend technology that most businesses should implement if they can.
Conclusion
Robotic process automation is becoming an essential tool for businesses if they desire a competitive edge. It has the potential to revolutionize the way we work. With all other technologies becoming more advanced, RPA will see a growth in its near future.
