What is RPA? And what its applications are
Do you know what RPA (Robotic Process Automation) is? It's a tool for cognitive process automation, in which human labor is replaced by an artificial intelligence module capable of performing operational tasks.
This innovation promises to completely transform information systems organizations in various segments, whether in industry, commerce or the service sector. This is because the applications of this technology are numerous and have the potential to optimize almost all types of work processes.
In this post, we'll take an in-depth look at what RPA is, its main purposes and how to implement it. Be sure to check it out!
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Learn about RPA and the concept of cognitive automation
As we've been saying, RPA is an extremely functional artificial intelligence module. And to better understand how it works, we need to mobilize the concept of cognitive automation, which refers to the ability to master tacit knowledge.
And what would tacit knowledge be? In this regard, we should clarify that, over the course of history, computers have become capable of absorbing explicit knowledge, which is that which can be expressed in written or oral form and is therefore programmable.
More recently, digital systems have started to operate from the perspective of tacit knowledge, which is what cannot be transmitted through data and algorithms, i.e. it cannot be programmed.
The evolution of this type of language has enabled the development of what is known as Robotic Process Automation, or RPA. In practice, this means that android modules have been able to reproduce almost human behavior when carrying out operational tasks.
Bear in mind that this tool can be programmed to look for patterns in data packets and thus fulfill certain types of tasks. Take, for example, the famous financial market robots, which identify trends over a given period in the buying and selling of assets.
This considerably eliminates the time spent on graphical analysis, an activity that serves the purpose of knowing the real profitability of some stocks. According to financial and traders that use this technology, the hit rate of the robots is formidable.
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Learn about some of the applications of this technology
Earlier, we talked about how the financial market has appropriated RPA for buying and selling on the stock exchange. This is just one of the many ways in which RPA can be used.
Small and medium-sized businesses in all segments also have an extensive range of possibilities that can be explored. Activities backoffice, mainly, are a great option for those who want to optimize processes and reallocate part of the workforce to more strategic activities.
Here are some of the main possibilities for applying RPA.
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Chat bot
Surely you've come across chat bots on various institutional websites or company social networks. In case you don't know what this is, we're talking about those dialog windows that open whenever you're browsing a page, where you can see the icon of a virtual attendant offering you some help.
This virtual "can I help you?" service is nothing more than an android module developed using RPA. But how does this system work?
As many can imagine, certain standard questions related to the product or service offered by the company are linked to a group of answers. What the bot will do is link the questions and answers by reading and interpreting a packet of data.
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Updating customer profiles
Can you imagine keeping your customer profile register up to date at all times without assigning any employees to this task? This is another of RPA's features.
When it receives information from customers via online forms on your website, the RPA tool will automatically enter the data into a database.
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Generation of compliance reports
Many companies require information compliance. Imagine, for example, the process of settling an electronic invoice. With the invoice in hand, finance staff check all the information (product/service specifications, supplier data, etc.).
In the midst of this process, many information systems are structured with data validation modules. Let's suppose that in the first stage the invoice has to be entered into the system, which includes assigning the supplier's registration data to it.
In another stage, there is the verification of financial availability for the execution of the note and the process of transmitting the payment to the bank. All of this, as already explained, is structured in a protocol made up of several stages.
By applying an RPA tool to this process, all the compliance steps mentioned above will not require a human interface. Bear in mind that by analyzing the protocol, the RPA software will be able to report any inconsistencies or validate the process if the information is correct.
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Learn how to implement the system
Now that you know what RPA is and what its practical applications are, we can deal with what is needed to implement this type of system. We can summarize the whole process in four steps:
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Survey of company demands
The first stage is fairly intuitive and consists of a survey of your company's demands. To do this, when you meet with your team, start by demonstrating what RPA is and how this technology can deal with operational activities.
After a few discussions, make a diagnosis by sector and try to assess the possibilities for introducing the tool. At this point, it's interesting to establish quantitative parameters on the impact on work processes of applying the RPA tool, something like a before and after.
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Choosing a supplier
The choice of RPA provider should be based on the demands identified in the first stage. You can then rank the companies according to whether they meet the needs of the solutions you need to implement in your business.
Other aspects such as the company's market credibility and the experience of other clients should also be taken into account. After all, there is a gap between promising a package of services and actually putting an action program into practice in a satisfactory manner.
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Pilot implementation
Every RPA project should be preceded by a pilot in order to identify and subsequently repair any inconsistencies in the tool developed. At this point, the supplier should be very open to understanding the team's perception of the system, in order to deliver the best possible result when the project is completed.
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System management
The time has come to put your RPA tool to work. Your challenges at this stage include:
- establish a governance model;
- create an operational model with your company's organizational structure in mind;
- manage changes to your RPA solution.
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Conclusion
In your relationship with the system developer, it is always important to stress the need for proactive maintenance of the tool. Remember that the first few months will be a time of adaptation and, naturally, doubts and problems will arise along the way.
After finding out what RPA is, we'd like to know what you think of applying this tool. Share your impressions in the comments!
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