Robotic Process Automation (RPA) can bring transformative improvements to your business by automating routine, rule-based tasks. RPA tools can mimic human interactions with software systems, allowing for rapid, error-free task completion 24/7. This can significantly reduce the time spent on repetitive tasks, freeing up employees to focus on higher-value work that requires creativity, critical thinking, or customer interaction.
Furthermore, RPA can greatly improve data accuracy as it eliminates human errors. This ensures the reliability of your business data and reduces the need for data clean-up or correction efforts. By integrating with existing IT systems, RPA allows for process automation without the need for major system overhauls, hence lowering IT costs.
In addition, RPA’s scalability allows your business to respond to changes in workload promptly. As your business grows or fluctuates, RPA can quickly adjust to new demands without a significant increase in costs. All these factors make RPA a valuable asset in enhancing operational efficiency, improving accuracy, and promoting business growth.
There are many uses for RPA tools. In this article, we list a few of the best RPA tools to incorporate into your business:
- TextExpander
- UiPath
- Automation Anywhere
- Blue Prism
- NICE Systems
- Microsoft Power Automate
TextExpander, while not traditionally classified as RPA software, does share some fundamental principles with RPA tools, notably the automation of repetitive tasks.
TextExpander is an application that allows users to create custom keyboard shortcuts for frequently used text strings or ‘snippets’. By enabling swift text input, it can greatly enhance productivity and accuracy in a business context.
One of TextExpander’s key features is the creation of customized abbreviations for longer pieces of text. For example, if your business frequently sends out a standard response to customer inquiries, you could create a snippet for that response, reducing a paragraph or more of typing to just a few keystrokes. This not only saves time but also ensures consistency across communication.
TextExpander also supports the use of fill-in-the-blank or dropdown menus within snippets, allowing for customization within standardized responses. For instance, customer service reps can personalize their responses to each customer while still maintaining the efficiency of using a pre-written template.
TextExpander also enables team members to share among a team to ensure everyone in the business is using the same language and responses. If a snippet is updated, the change applies to everyone who uses that snippet, ensuring alignment and accuracy.
TextExpander doesn’t replace comprehensive RPA tools for automating complex business processes, but it can serve as a powerful and incredibly useful tool in the automation of textual input.
UiPath is a leading RPA platform that includes various features specifically designed to benefit businesses in multiple ways.
The UiPath Studio feature allows for the design of automation workflows using a visual, drag-and-drop interface, making the process accessible even to non-technical users. The activities used in the design interface are intuitive and resemble human actions, such as clicking, typing, and reading, which allows easy mimicking of human interaction with applications.
UiPath Robots, another key feature, can execute the designed processes. They can work unattended and complete tasks 24/7. Additionally, they can work alongside humans and take tasks from them as necessary. This flexible approach enhances productivity and efficiency while also garnering a measure of specificity and individuality.
UiPath Orchestrator helps in managing and controlling the software robots, providing a centralized system for deploying, securing, and managing your robotic workforce.
One of the most transformative benefits of UiPath lies in its AI capabilities. UiPath combines RPA with machine learning and cognitive technologies to process unstructured data and make complex decisions.
UiPath provides businesses with an end-to-end, scalable solution for automation.
Automation Anywhere’s intelligent bots are capable of learning on the job and can execute complex operations across various systems without human intervention. They can run 24/7, significantly enhancing productivity and reducing the time taken for routine tasks.
The platform includes features such as IQ Bot, an advanced AI tool, that enables the automation of business processes that involve unstructured data. IQ Bot can learn to identify patterns and make decisions, making it useful for tasks such as document processing or email handling.
Automation Anywhere’s Bot Insight feature provides real-time analytics, allowing businesses to track the performance of their bots and measure the impact of automation on their operations. This helps companies to continually optimize their processes.
The platform also includes a Control Room for centralized bot management, providing oversight of all the bots and their operations.
Automation Anywhere allows businesses to automate tasks, free up human resources, improve accuracy, and ultimately drive growth and innovation.
Blue Prism’s Digital Workforce is designed to operate as a human would, interacting with systems and applications to execute tasks. These digital workers can also run 24/7, resulting in round-the-clock productivity.
Blue Prism’s robust Process Studio allows businesses to map out processes using a visual designer. It enables users to automate workflows using a drag-and-drop interface, requiring minimal programming knowledge.
Blue Prism also has a Control Room, which offers centralized management of the digital workforce. It allows for real-time monitoring and control of software bots, ensuring smooth operations and providing insights into performance.
One of the distinguishing features of Blue Prism is its focus on security and compliance. Every action taken by a bot is logged and auditable, which is crucial for regulated industries.
In addition, Blue Prism’s AI integrations can handle unstructured data, allowing the tool to automate a broader range of tasks. By leveraging these features, businesses can save time, reduce errors, and focus human resources on strategic, high-value tasks, leading to enhanced efficiency and growth.
One of the key features of NICE’s RPA tool is its ability to provide a unique version of both unattended and attended automation.
The unattended automation handles background tasks without human intervention, freeing up employees for higher-value tasks. The attended automation, or “Robotic Desktop Automation” (RDA), works directly on an employee’s desktop, guiding their actions and providing real-time assistance during complex processes. This unique focus on human-robot interaction sets NICE apart from many other RPA providers.
NICE’s RPA solution also includes NEVA (NICE Employee Virtual Attendant), the first virtual attendant designed with the employee in mind. NEVA can perform tasks on behalf of the employee, assist in real-time during live customer interactions, and even provide proactive process guidance.
Moreover, NICE’s RPA tool has robust analytical capabilities, enabling businesses to monitor and analyze bot performance and generate actionable insights for ongoing optimization.
NICE Systems’ blend of automation, real-time guidance, and performance analytics delivers a comprehensive RPA solution that can not only improve operational efficiency and accuracy but also enhance the user experience and overall employee productivity.
One of the key features of Microsoft Power Automate, previously known as Microsoft Flow, is its wide range of pre-built connectors, which allow seamless integration with various Microsoft and non-Microsoft services. These connectors enable automated workflows to span across different applications, making the tool versatile in handling complex tasks.
Additionally, Power Automate’s UI flows feature enables RPA capabilities like automation of repetitive manual tasks on both web and desktop applications.
Another distinguishing feature is the incorporation of AI Builder, which allows businesses to build and leverage AI models directly in their workflows, thereby enhancing decision-making capabilities in automation.
What sets Power Automate apart is its deep integration with the Microsoft ecosystem, including Office 365, Dynamics 365, and Azure. This makes it particularly powerful for businesses already utilizing these platforms. Moreover, its user-friendly interface and easy-to-use templates lower the barrier of entry, making it accessible for non-technical users to create and manage workflows.
