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Robotic process automation is a new technology for business process automation. RPA technology is based on either artificial intelligence (AI) employees or program robots.

RPA allows computer software configuration or robotic emulation and integration of human actions through the usage of computer systems to perform a business function or process.

Just like humans, RPA robots interact with the user interface to capture data and manipulate programs and applications. The robots interpret data, facilitate response provision and communicate with different digital systems to conduct various repetitive tasks in large numbers.

Unlike human workers, RPA software robots don’t make mistakes, can work 24/7 without rest or sleep and incurs fewer costs.

Software developers use conventional workflow automation tools to create various actions aimed at automating tasks and user interfaces. Therefore, the automated functions are tied to a back-end system designed to use a dedicated scripting language or internal application programming interfaces (APIs).

On the contrary, RPA systems observe how a user performs a task on the graphical user interface (GUI) of an application. It then uses what it observes to create the action list and repeat the tasks on the GUI to automate them. The use of RPA eliminates the barrier to using automation in products without APIs for achieving the same goal.

Just like testing tools used on graphical user interfaces, RPA automation tools repeat specific demonstrated actions a user performs to automate all interactions with the GUI.

However, best RPA tools differ in terms of features that support data handling within various applications. Example of such robotic process automation use cases scenarios includes data extraction from an invoice received in email for typing into a bookkeeping system.

RPA programming is the future as it is low code or no code programming easy-to-use for everyone. 

Learn more about Robotic Process Automation solutions.

How RPA tools work

RPA tools automate labor-intensive back-office processes, infrastructure, and workflow. The bots interact with websites, in-house applications, user portals, etc. The RPA program can run on a mobile device, laptop or personal computer. The bots execute command sequences under specific enterprise rules.

The goal of RPA robotics is to use a virtual workforce to replace clerical, repetitive tasks that humans find boring. However, the technology neither requires programming nor direct access to applications database or code.

RPA robots have the capability to replicate almost all actions of human users. The robots can perform various actions as follows:

• Logging into applications and connecting to system APIs;
• Copying and pasting data, and moving files and folders;
• Extracting structured and partially structured data from PDFs, documents, forms, and emails for processing;
• Reading and writing to databases;
• Opening emails, including attachments;
• Scraping data from the internet in platforms such as websites and social media;
• Making calculations and merging data obtained from different sources.

In conclusion, as robots are multifunctional and platform capabilities are unlimited, RPA industry got widespread in various segments all over the world.

Functions of RPA tools

RPA platform used in the following ways:

• Simulate data rekeying from system to system to perform repetitive tasks such as copying data, data entry and pasting in large volumes.
• Replicates the repetitive process of certain human actions in using different RPA systems and applications.
• Transfers data between different legacy systems, creating a connection at the user interface without the need to create a new data infrastructure. It supports system integration.
• Performs many complex tasks using cognitive RPA to support multiple tasks such as data manipulation, processing of transactions and sending of reports.
• Resolves data and cross-checks it between different systems for information validation in output auditing and compliance verifications.
• Auto extracts data for effective, accurate and timely report generation.
• RPA software tools bridge the gap between platforms for product management and IT systems through automatic updates.
• Reduces the gap between systems to prevent custom deployments from being introduced for reduced technical debt.
• Supports automated migration of RPA data systems that are impossible with conventional platforms such as spreadsheets, documents, and other data source files.
• Supports automated customer robotic process automation use cases scenarios and regression testing for quality assurance.
• RPA process automation in finance supports predictive revenue forecasting through automated financial statements updates.
• Fill process deficiency gaps in system resets, password resets, etc. through automated gap solutions.

You can use RPA services including all above functionalities at ByteScout.

This article explains more about RPA implementation.