What is robotic process automation (RPA)?

How does RPA work?

RPA bots are capable of learning from their errors and improving over time. It can also be configured to understand specific triggers and scenarios, allowing them to perform tasks without manual intervention. Here is a step-by-step breakdown of how RPA bots work:

• Step 1: Task identification. The first step is to identify the business processes that are suitable for automation. These could include data invoice extraction, filling forms using predetermined data or updating customer information in a CRM.
• Step 2: Bot development. Using specialized RPA software, a bot is configured to perform the identified tasks. Once the bot is set up, it is tested to ensure it can perform the task correctly and efficiently. Any issues detected during testing are corrected at this stage.
• Step 3: Integration. The bots are then integrated with the existing systems, applications or software.
• Step 4: User interface interaction. These RPA bots begin interacting with applications and systems just like a human being would. They navigate, click buttons, fill forms and extract data; however, the bots do it effortlessly.
• Step 5: Data manipulation. Once the data is captured, extracted, processed and converted — the manipulated data is placed into databases or documents to be stored or transferred across different systems.
• Step 6: Execution. Once the data is refined and ready for use, RPA bots carry out preprogrammed tasks. This could range from sending automated emails to populating forms or even executing complex transactions by acting on established rules and algorithms.
• Step 7: Monitoring and optimization. Post-implementation, RPA bots can be programmed to monitor specific parameters and trigger alerts based on predefined conditions. These same bots can learn from processes over time to drive more accuracy and productivity across their processes.

Identifying the right processes for RPA implementation

The success of your RPA implementation relies in which processes you choose to automate. Before your organization breaks ground with this automation, here are some questions that will help determine whether a process is optimizable with RPA:

1. Is the process rules-based?

RPA excels in performing tasks that follow a clear set of logical rules. Its capacity to make complex decisions may be limited, so processes that rely heavily on human judgment and contextual nuances might not be ideal candidates for automation.

2. Are these processes repeated at regular intervals with predefined prompts?

Processes that occur on a regular basis or are triggered by specific events are perfect for RPA. The bots can be scheduled or programmed to start upon receiving certain prompts, ensuring tasks are completed on time.

3. Do these processes have defined inputs and outputs?

RPA demands exact input to operate effectively; ambiguity or variability can lead to errors. For instance, a bot handling invoice processing needs to know the location of the invoice data (input) and where to store the processed data (output). If these are well-defined and predictable, the bot can function autonomously, reducing reliance on manual intervention.

4. Are the processes high in volume?

RPA bots can process large volumes of data quickly and accurately, reducing the resources expended on manual processing. In a healthcare context, these RPA bots could handle the high-volume task of patient data entry, freeing up staff for more critical tasks and enhancing overall productivity.

Learn more: How does business process management (BPM) support RPA initiatives?

Benefits of RPA for your organization

Organizations that leverage RPA drive incremental, but impactful, measures on all automated processes. These benefits could look like:

Greater information accuracy

RPA enables departments to automate repetitive and rule-based tasks resulting in accelerated business cycles. RPA technology eliminates the margin for human error and will consistently complete tasks on time, all the time.

Easier compliance management

All steps are recorded and automatically checked against regulations to ensure compliance using audit trails for easy tracking. Also, as the RPA bots will follow predefined rules and not do anything unexpected, they will always act in compliance with the relevant regulations.

Better insights into valuable data

As RPA is processing tasks, it is also monitoring them and gathering information. This information can then be fed back to decision makers, giving them better insights into the workings of their organization. This leads to more informed decisions and makes it easier to monitor impacts.

Improved employee satisfaction and productivity

With RPA processes completing manual tasks, employees can focus on higher-value activities resulting in increased engagement and optimized utilization. This leads to happier employees whose time is better optimized, increasing overall business productivity.

More cost-efficient operations

RPA can complete tasks much faster than manual approaches and in a shorter, more efficient cycle. Because RPA does so well with performing tasks with high precision and consistency, fewer errors mean less time and resources spent on error correction and costly delays.

Highly configurable application building

Using RPA processes to integrate your legacy systems with core systems will not be an issue. Plus, with low-code configuration, RPA software is easy to build and manage, and it requires minimal effort from your IT teams. This makes it easily scalable across business operations and allows you to change processes in the software with zero or minimal downtime.

How this local government agency uses RPA software to automate tax returns

The Horry County’s Auditor’s Office — a government agency in South Carolina — received more than 90,000 personal property tax returns each year. It took its lean staff of six people almost six months to complete processing them.

To handle the increasing volume of incoming documents, the agency turned to Hyland RPA, a platform-agnostic RPA software,  to modernize and automate several key processes.

In its first year, Hyland RPA helped Horry County autonomously process 33% of all tax returns, using advanced criteria to verify details and flag suspicious entries for human review.

For instance, when a taxpayer files a return claiming a certain property as their main residence, Hyland RPA checks this data against another business application, Aumentum. Based on the verification result, it then takes the necessary next steps.

Each bot action is then logged to facilitate easy troubleshooting later on. That’s just another benefit that speaks to the capabilities of Hyland’s RPA tool — which strengthens compliance measures by giving auditors access to user interactions to tax documents.

Enhance your content services with RPA

Now more than ever, it is imperative for organizations to leverage automation tools to address business challenges as part of digital transformation initiatives.

The addition of RPA technology is an integral component of Hyland’s intelligent automation strategy. Beyond merely automating processes, Hyland RPA offers intelligent components for improved efficiency, smart tracking of cognitive decisions and much more.

Hyland RPA extends the process automation capabilities of Hyland’s industry-leading content services platform, allowing organizations to easily enhance their solutions with more robust RPA processes.