Different Automation Approaches

Before RPA, enterprises were using automation tools. As employees were automating simple processes with excel automation, macros and simple hacks. The thing is these solutions used to increase the productivity of individual employees but not scalable or sustainable.

Mainly the automation types can be split into two options:

• Programming .
• Cognitive Capabilities.

Programming

1. Coding

Considered the most powerful interfaces for programming bots. Needs to code the tool to perform the necessary actions to replicate a process or functionality. It requires technical skills and patience. Automation tools can be programmed in extremely flexible ways and automate most of companies activities (about 40% - 50%).

Limitations

• Non-Windows environments: Most RPA vendors do not offer solutions for non-Windows operating systems such as Mac OS or Linux.
• Reliance on programmers: While bots are relatively easy to program, they still need to be programmed by techie. Enterprises solve this problem with several measures: Founding centers of excellence (CoE) where they gather RPA talent who help departments with their automation efforts and guide them in their RPA journey and Outsourcing.

2. Low Code Solutions

It's RPA as we know today, most vendors offer tools and products to program simple bots with drag&drop interfaces and it doesn't need a highly skilled techie but a highly skilled one is required indeed for advanced bots. Technically proficient personnel (those that can code excel macros) should be capable of setting up simple bots through the same tool but using a code based programming interface.

Limitations

• Requires technology understanding and mostly coding.

3. Recording

One of the most important advantage of RPA which enables rapid development as recording a complex actions and having them automatically translated into a bot program facilitates programming. Most vendors offer macro recorders to record complex actions and having them automatically translated into a bot program.

Recorded actions can involve numerous enterprise software such as taking data from excel sheet, filling it in an online form then submitting.

Limitations

• Difficulty: Recording a complex set of functionalities can be difficult and error prone,
• Time: Re-recording actions after each small change in the process can also be time consuming
• Maintenance: Maintaining recorded bots is difficult as their code is machine produced and may not be easy to read.

4. No Code Solutions

Some vendors are also developing no code RPA solutions that provide a powerful GUI and recorder function to enable programming even relatively complex bots without coding.

Cognitive Bots

Cognitive automation is the future of RPA as it allows it to handle unstructured information and make decisions based on complex, unstructured input. Cognitive automation is an emerging field that augments RPA tools with artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities such as:

• Natural Language Processing (NLP)
• Optical Character Recognition (OCR)
• Image Recognition.
• Machine learning (ML).

There are different types of RPA tools in terms of the cognitive capabilities they provide:

1. No Cognitive Capabilities

RPA tools without cognitive capabilities should be used for simple, repetitive business processes.

Even if the RPA tool does not have built-in cognitive automation capabilities, most tools are flexible enough to allow cognitive software vendors to build extensions. Therefore, required cognitive functionality can be added on these tools.

2. Built-in Cognitive Capabilities

Most RPA companies have been investing in various ways to build cognitive capabilities but cognitive capabilities of different tools vary of course for example: Automation Anywhere IQ Bots.

3. Marketplace Supported Cognitive Capabilities

Top RPA companies are investing in encouraging developers to contribute to their marketplace where a variety of cognitive solutions from different vendors can be purchased.