What is RPA
What is RPA and What Kind of Benefits Does It Provide?
Discover a fast and safe way to make today’s business world more efficient with RPA, aka Robotic Process Automation.
If we were one of the heroes of a science fiction-themed novel, we could wake up in the morning and find ourselves as robots. Real life might look very different from that dream, but it’s not.
Today, many white-collar people regularly repeat the same processes like robots. Such as compiling data and creating reports. Every day, the same computer screens, perhaps some changing numerical values, reports which are compiled and sent in the specified format…
All these tasks make you feel like a robot. They also reduce the benefit to your business by decreasing your productivity.
Today, many white-collar people regularly repeat the same processes like robots. Such as compiling data and creating reports. Every day, the same computer screens, perhaps some changing numerical values, reports which are compiled and sent in the specified format…
All these tasks make you feel like a robot. They also reduce the benefit to your business by decreasing your productivity.
RPA not only saves time by taking the burden off employees, but also increases the efficiency of businesses by accelerating business processes.
However, technology provides conveniences that will eliminate the above scenario. Robotic Process Automation saves time by taking the burden on white-collar employees and increases the efficiency of businesses by accelerating business processes. So what is this technology and is it suitable for your business?
What is RPA?
There are probably repetitive tasks among your daily tasks. The collection of data on a specific date or time, getting results by compiling the data, the reporting of results, and transferring them to the relevant people. All of them are among the monotonous but necessary routines of the white-collar business world.
However, the places where the data is stored and new ones are added, are definite. By places we mean the application, database and files.
It is possible to collect this data with a small automation step. Reports with proper format can be written by comparing and analyzing the same data. And then they are automatically transmitted to the relevant people via email or a different way.
All these processes have a standard in themselves. So, it can be managed by a software robot without the need for human intervention. At this point, RPA shows up and is built in accordance with your processes and performs repetitive processes for you.
How does RPA operate?
How do software robots powered by RPA work? The short answer is: “Like a human!” It accesses relevant systems, applications, and data at specified times. It generates various reports from this data, and directs them to the relevant person or systems. Just like your human employee!
Technically, the institution that provides RPA service develops a special robot for you at the beginning of the process. This robot undertakes tasks completely in harmony without any changes to existing workflows. It enables the completion of routine and repetitive processes. While doing this, RPA technology can also perform outside of working hours.
For instance, your legislation might require you to collect and evaluate the data of the previous day at midnight. At that exact moment, robots become activated. And they can start collecting the data and creating the specified outputs. The good part is they don’t have to take coffee or lunch breaks!
After completing all operations, robots wait ready for the next day’s task. When your staff and managers come to work in the morning and start their work, they can see that the relevant reports have already been on their screens.
For instance, your legislation might require you to collect and evaluate the data of the previous day at midnight. At that exact moment, robots become activated. And they can start collecting the data and creating the specified outputs. The good part is they don’t have to take coffee or lunch breaks!
After completing all operations, robots wait ready for the next day’s task. When your staff and managers come to work in the morning and start their work, they can see that the relevant reports have already been on their screens.
At the beginning of the process, the institution that provides RPA services develops a special robot for you. This robot undertakes tasks completely in harmony without any changes to existing workflows. It enables the completion of routine and repetitive processes.
Areas of RPA Use
Just as we have routines such as buying bread from the bakery and milk from the market in our daily life, there are similar steps in business life. This may be the notification of daily product sales quantities to the relevant regulatory authority due to legal obligation. Likewise, there may be steps such as the review of standard reports by managers for situation assessment.
Sector or task does not matter for the usability of RPA. RPA concerns if the business has regular and repetitive processes. Daily reconciliation for accounting, tracking staff entry and exit times for human resources or stock status for a grocery chain… RPA robots can be used in any industry-independent field.
Business units using RPA include numerous departments such as sales and marketing, customer service, law, finance and accounting, human resources, information technology, and the supply chain. Each unit can use RPA for dozens of different subtasks.
RPA robots are developed right on the nail. And thus they open the way for the company to reap maximum benefits.
5 Benefits of RPA
Speed & Time
Saves time in all processes where it is applied
Staff
Personnel spend time on these processes before the RPA can benefit the institution in different areas
Digital transformation
It will help the company improve existing applications or pave the way for future digital transformation applications
Data value
The organization starts to use its data more effectively
Standards
All processes that apply RPA start to progress over a standard. This helps to make comparisons and design more accurate projections forward.
RPA Processes
RPA processes consist of a kind of chain that progresses step by step. In order for the process to function healthy, the primary and first step is to collect data. Before commissioning the system, RPA determines the data source for collecting the data. It also determines which data to evaluate.
Robusta RPA robots can receive data from many modern and traditional applications. These include various websites, portals, databases, and files saved in formats such as PDF, MS Excel, XML.
RPA’s mission, of course, is not limited to transferring data from one place to another. With its robots, RPA can collect data from multiple sources, and format them to achieve optimum benefit. And it can also transfer them to relevant people, administrators, and systems.
In order for the process to work properly, the collected data must also be verified. RPA robots also get involved at this stage and undertake the necessary verification actions. This verification capability is not limited to data.
For instance, additional verification from different sources on a form with a photo can be performed. It returns as added value for human resources, especially in processes such as recruitment.
In the next stage of the process, RPA processes the data and prepares the relevant report. Afterwards, robots prepare the reports in accordance with the determined format and send them to the relevant authorities.
How RPA Makes It Easier to Achieve Your Goals?
The most significant advantage of using RPA is undoubtedly time saving. It can take a long time for human staff to collect, evaluate, control, report and send data. RPA robots significantly accelerate this whole process by automating it.
In addition, it prevents possible human-induced errors such as entering the wrong number. This way, the same human staff can focus on different tasks. Thus, a significant increase in both employee and operational efficiency of the company is achieved.
