Deemed as the technology that is the future of digital work, robotic process automation is creating outstanding innovations in various fields. When we think of robots, we associate them with images of physical robots moving and performing dull human tasks. But robotic process automation does not stick to that image. RPA is more of a software tool that performs repetitive and mundane human tasks with an aim to increase the accuracy and efficiency of those operations and to save human labour.

As an answer to the question of what is robotic process automation, we can say it is the application of technologies to use a computer to manipulate applications and perform transactions and processes just like humans. While robotic process automation first started over ten years ago, it has undergone commendable evolution over the course of time. Today, it is getting smarter and smarter.

The evolution of RPA

The robotic process automation systems have been getting smarter with the integration of technologies like artificial intelligence. With artificial intelligence in tow, robotic process automation can detect changes or anomalies and react to them on their own. This would considerably reduce the amount of workload of human employees. As the RPA software becomes better at streamlining business processes on the run, we would be looking at a future where software like ERP and CRM would be operating autonomously.

When RPA started out, it used to mimic actions like mouse clicks and keystrokes. But today, it has grown beyond mimicking and is capable of automating tasks just like human-computer users. This includes functions like transferring data from multiple sources (like emails, spreadsheets, etc.) to an ERP system, managing invoices, performing login and logout operations, etc.

RPA has also evolved to recognize data from audio files and in scans. It archives this by performing optical character recognition and speech to text technologies. Compared to the human effort required in performing the same, robotic process automation speeds up the processes tenfold and reduces the effort to a minimum.

A wonderful application of robotic process automation is in invoice processing. In several organizations, RPA systems are being used to extract required data from invoices. And the bonus point is, RPA is capable of not just extracting data from the invoices but also in translating them to the required languages. This brings incredible efficiency to the whole process and increases productivity by saving human efforts from where it is not required.

One significant advantage of RPA is that it is independent of data and applications. This means it can work equally better, whether it be with human operators or with machine tools like artificial intelligence or machine learning. In the future, intelligent RPA systems like autonomous ERP will be able to make their own decisions with the aid of advancing technologies. The limited human intervention that robotic process automation systems require makes it truly an innovation to watch out for.

Thus, the next-generation RPA will not only find problems but also find solutions. With its immense capabilities to learn from their surroundings and improve as they work, there is no limit to the heights that RPA can scale.

A notable thing to mention when talking about the evolution of RPA is, how over the years, it has truly changed the set-up operations to make it accessible for even non-technical developers. The setting up was a challenge initially as a human had to capture all the rules and build the rules for the RPA system to operate. However, with the arrival of low code and no code technologies, it has become easier for anyone to create their own RPA system.

Application of RPA in Various Industries

In every industry, be it retail, financial services and banking, manufacturing, hospitality, healthcare, telecommunications or consumer goods, RPA is finding applications.

Healthcare: RPA is being used in medical bill processing, patient record storage, claim processing, patient data migration, insurance data automation, etc.

Manufacturing: Digital transformation in the manufacturing industry has paved the way for the use of RPA in ERP automation, automation of logistics data, product pricing comparison, data monitoring, etc.

Consumer goods: Here, RPA finds application in order processing, claim processing, FTP automation, data entry, resolution consulting, etc.

Retail: The impact of RPA on the retail sector is tremendous. It is used in automatically updating online inventory and product information, extracting product data from the manufacturer's website, importing website and email sales, etc.

Telecommunication: Here, RPA is used in performing processes like collecting and consolidating data from client phone systems, backing up information from client systems, uploading and extracting data about competitors, etc.

There is no doubt about the fact that RPA is a viable option for businesses to enhance their operation by leveraging digital technologies. Its flexible nature and independent architecture make it a technology that can be easily adapted and that too by businesses of all scales. The benefits of RPA will surely power businesses to achieve more.

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