What is Robotic Process Automation (RPA)? What repetitive tasks can it handle? Here you will find an introduction for IT and business leaders – and anyone who needs to understand the concept.
RPA is basically a term behind which software automation is hidden. Simple and monotonous tasks are done automatically by software programs. Here one often speaks of robots. This is a bit confusing as we often think of robots as physical devices. The term bots, on the other hand, is often associated with software.
RPA can therefore be imagined as a process of automating administrative tasks or batch processing. Often several RPA components are switched one after the other. An RPA program can thus use the output of another program to continue working with it.
Popular RPA applications can be found in sales, customer service, and administration. Many of these applications have previously been performed by employees. You can find 4 important learnings for getting started with RPA here.
4 Learnings for RPA
- Manage expectations – When dealing with what RPA software can and cannot do, you should always be transparent and open so that no false expectations arise.
- Involve IT early on – RPA often affects a company’s digital infrastructure. In order to get the onboarding of the new components done quickly, IT should be involved in the process as early as possible.
- Thinking through RPA communication – Often several RPA components are interconnected in order to exchange results and information. This communication can become a problem if it is not thought through to the end.
- Change Management – The human colleagues of the new RPA components have to adapt. Change management is necessary for this. Don’t forget – people first.