In traditional systems, a developer creates a list of actions to automate a task using programming interfaces (APIs) or a scripting language. RPA systems develop a list of actions by observing how the user completes this task in the application’s graphical user interface.
RPA examples:
- working with tables in Excel;
- copying and transforming data;
- checking information for correctness;
- formation of reports;
- transferring data from one system to another.
A key feature of RPA is the ability to robotize those processes that would otherwise be impossible or unreasonably difficult to automate (long, expensive): where there is no possibility to connect via API (Application Program Interface) and classical methods of script integration stop working.
RPA benefits:
- saves humanity from routine and boring tasks;
- allows the business to free up human resources by reducing operating costs with a direct positive impact on ROI;
- robot, as a rule, works faster and performs the assigned tasks with almost no errors.
A software robot replaces the business processes of individual employees or workplaces, where there are clear savings and a significant reduction in processing time. The software robot interacts with information systems as if it were a human, using the existing user interface, and not through the API of corporate systems. A study of PWC shows that 80% of the companies that implemented RPA did not fire any employee.
History is full of examples when the spread of technology did not lead to job losses. During the Industrial Revolution, the workforce shifted from agriculture to factories and then from factories to offices. Then the next question arises: will this not lead to the fact that, due to technology, new professions simply will not appear?
This is not possible for two main reasons:
- new technologies create new needs;
- new technologies are raising expectations when these needs are met.
So, because of the words “robot” and “intelligence,” RPA is so deeply ingrained in the mind that it causes much more concern than the technologies that appeared before. However, as before, RPA creates jobs. Implementation of these technologies must be done carefully to minimize all the risks associated with the transition and create as many opportunities for people as possible.