Everything you need to know about Robotic Process Automation (RPA)

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The shortage of qualified specialists presents companies with a double challenge: they need to secure their business activities and enable growth at the same time. However, limited human resources make scaling and efficiency difficult.

To free up valuable capacity, automation is becoming increasingly important. Robotic Process Automation (RPA) is proving to be a key technology. In this article, you will learn how RPA works and where it brings the greatest benefits.

What is Robotic Process Automation?

Robotic Process Automation (RPA) is a technology for automating business processes through the use of software robots (bots). These bots can take over manual, repetitive tasks that are traditionally performed by humans, such as entering data, filling out forms, moving files and performing complex calculations. 

Unlike conventional process automation, which requires in-depth system integration, RPA bots work on the user interface of existing applications. They imitate human interactions such as mouse clicks, keystrokes and reading screen content - without the need to adapt existing systems. 

RPA enables companies to increase efficiency, reduce errors and cut costs. This frees up employees to concentrate on more valuable and strategic tasks. This generally leads to greater employee satisfaction. 

How does robotic process automation work?

Young man with glasses smiling as he works on a laptop in a modern office.

RPA bots imitate human actions such as clicking, typing and reading screen content. They interact with user interfaces and work with various applications in exactly the same way as a human would. An IT bot is therefore a software application that performs automated tasks. These can range from simple commands to complex processes involving several steps. 

What are typical use cases for RPA?

For a process to be automated with robotic process automation (RPA), it must meet certain criteria. First of all, the process must be rule-based, i.e. it should be clearly defined and described in advance. Although variants and exceptions are possible, the basic structure of the process must follow a fixed logic. Repeatability is just as important: the process should always follow the same pattern, as automation is only worthwhile with a sufficiently high number of repetitions. In addition, the input must be available digitally - for example in the form of emails, Excel files or other structured data. Another decisive factor is the stability of the process: it should be standardized and not constantly changing in order to enable long-term automation. 

Typical use cases for RPA include:

  • Data management and system integration: RPA bots can transfer information between different systems, validate data and ensure consistent data sets across multiple platforms - without complex API development. 
  • Document processing: Automated capture, checking and further processing of standardized documents of all kinds - from initial viewing to final archiving. 
  • Transaction processing: Bots can monitor, execute and log regular business transactions - from financial transactions to ordering processes. 
  • Reporting and analysis: Automatic data collection, processing and distribution for decision-relevant information. 
  • Workflow automation: orchestration of cross-departmental processes and coordination between different systems. 

For which companies and industries is RPA particularly suitable?

RPA can be used flexibly and is particularly beneficial for companies that work with high volumes of recurring, rule-based tasks. Financial service providers use RPA to automate accounting processes, invoice processing and compliance reporting. In manufacturing and logistics, the technology optimizes inventory management, supply chain coordination and order processing.

In healthcare, RPA facilitates the management of patient data, supports billing and simplifies appointment coordination. Insurance companies benefit from faster application processing, more efficient claims reporting and optimized risk assessment. Retailers also rely on RPA to automate ordering processes, improve customer service and make returns management more efficient. 

What types of process automation are there?

There are various forms of process automation: 

  • Partial automation (attended automation): Humans and bots work together, with the bot automating certain parts of the process and the human taking control when human judgment is required. In this case, we speak of an "attended bot". 
  • Full automation (unattended automation): The RPA bot takes over the entire process without human intervention. The bot is triggered by an agreed starting point, e.g. an event such as the arrival of an email or by a fixed time rhythm. 

What are the advantages of using RPA?

RPA offers numerous advantages: 

Cost savings: Reduce operating costs by automating time-consuming manual tasks 

Error minimization: Elimination of human error in repetitive tasks 

Increasing efficiency: speeding up processes and shortening throughput times 

Scalability: Flexible adaptation to fluctuating workloads 

Compliance: Complete documentation of all actions for audit and compliance purposes 

Employee satisfaction: freeing employees from monotonous tasks in favor of value-adding activities 

In addition, the creation of RPA bots is based on low-code tools. This means that a functional bot can be created and adapted with little specialist knowledge. Furthermore, the affected systems in which the bot works are not themselves changed. The IT risks are therefore significantly lower than with programming in which the systems involved are changed.

Outlook: Our blog series on process automation?

RPA is just the beginning of an exciting journey. In the coming parts of our blog series, we will delve deeper into the world of intelligent automation: 

Part 2: Classic RPA solutions in practice - We show concrete implementation examples from various industries and provide practical tips for successful bot development. 

Part 3: Intelligent Automation - RPA meets AI - Learn how the combination of RPA and artificial intelligence opens up new possibilities - especially in the area of intelligent document understanding and the processing of unstructured data. 

Part 4: Agentic Automation - The next evolution - We take a look into the future, where autonomous, AI-controlled agents make complex decisions independently and orchestrate processes across system boundaries. 

The boundaries between these automation levels are becoming increasingly blurred. While classic RPA already enables significant efficiency gains, the integration of artificial intelligence is pushing the boundaries of automation. Processes that previously required human judgment can now be partially or fully delegated to intelligent systems. 

Are you ready to take your company to the next level with RPA? Then take a look at our SMARTsolution, the RPA starter package.

Contact us for a non-binding initial consultation and find out how abat can support you on your path to digital efficiency. 

Laptop with robot arm and cogwheel graphics on desk with cup and book in front of an window.

FAQs

1. What is Robotic Process Automation (RPA)?

RPA is a technology that automates repetitive, rule-based tasks with software bots. These bots imitate human interactions with IT systems in order to make processes more efficient. 

2. What advantages does RPA offer?

RPA reduces costs, minimizes errors, increases efficiency and relieves employees of monotonous tasks. It also improves scalability and ensures higher process quality. 

3. For which companies is RPA particularly suitable?

RPA is ideal for companies with many recurring, rule-based processes - e.g. in the financial services, logistics, healthcare, insurance and retail sectors. 

4. Which processes can be automated with RPA?

Typical use cases are data management, document processing, transaction processing, reporting and workflow automation - wherever processes are structured and repeatable. 

5. Is RPA difficult to implement?

No, many RPA solutions are based on low-code platforms so that they can be introduced with little programming effort. Existing IT systems usually do not need to be changed.