The Relevance of RPA
Picking up from my previous blog “Introduction to Robotic Process Automation”, I went into what exactly RPA was as a technology, if you haven’t read that I suggest you give it a brief glimpse before diving into this next blog. RPA as we know is a software application robot used to automate tasks to make human’s job’s easier. With such a powerful piece of software, here’s why you should care about RPA and its future.
Why is RPA important
RPA is still a growing technology, since initially created around the 2000’s, more businesses are now realizing its value and slowly implementing RPA into their businesses. There’s a lot to love about RPA, such as how it provides efficiency and accuracy. If, for example, you’re a system administrator adding user accounts to a domain controller, rather than having to click on the “create new user” button and filling in the names and other information from an external document such as an excel sheet, you can have RPA automate the task for you to save precious time and, since it’s a robot, you don’t have to worry about any human error. Its cost efficient which can help save on money and it allows for your business to redirect human resources to more important work within your business without having to hire new staff.
How it shapes the future of how we work
It is predicted that in the next few years RPA will be implemented in almost double the businesses that use it today. With the evolution of other similar technologies that RPA works in tandem with such as artificial intelligence and machine learning, RPA will continue to evolve and will become more effective in what it does best, automating processes with application robots. Currently, RPA mainly involves machine learning and rule-based tasks, meaning it needs to be clearly defined what it does by a human, hence why it is better to use RPA as a tool to help make human’s lives easier by reducing the workload, rather than leave it to its own devices. Eventually though, it is believed that the next step in RPA is artificial intelligence, where it will be able to operate without a human supervisor due to its simulated human intelligence and decision-making processes.
Where to begin
In my previous blog, I mentioned that my personal top three RPA software’s were: UiPath, Blueprism and Automation Anywhere. The main reason they were selected was because of how easy they are to learn and implement. Personally, I would recommend using UiPath as you can quickly create an account and create your first process to be automated. The graphical user interface for the software is very user friendly and there hasn’t been an issue that has risen during my time using it. UiPath allows you to create any processes from simple to complex activities and is very simple and flexible to use as there are a wide variety of activities that you can implement, from opening a simple browser to specifying where exactly you want the process to click on. There are a variety of sign-in options and once you create your first account you get a two-year community license which is free of costs and allows you to test the product out. Of course, after the term expires or if you want to use the software commercially you can upgrade your license for a price.
Conclusion
RPA is a great software to use as it brings flexibility and ease of use to make boring repetitive work easier with automation. It will continue to grow in the future and eventually we may see almost every business implementing them in a way. Now is the time to start learning about RPA and how to use it to your needs.
