RPA allows businesses to automate processes and operations that would take human intervention to be completed; hence, the entire process would be running smooth and efficient. The best aspect of this is that RPA can be used across different industries, making it flexible, integrating with different apps and systems.
What’s more, RPA perfectly cooperates with existing IT infrastructure without any cost-intensive, new-setting requirements. In this blog, we will discuss various use cases on how organizations can apply RPA towards automating their work activities in order to save a lot of time and resources.
RPA sounds like an overly complex term; actually, it’s just about making your life easier and your business more efficient.
Imagine having a helpful robot at your side that stays energized, makes mistakes, or complains. That’s essentially what RPA is – a digital assistant that handles repetitive, rule-based tasks.
Here’s how it works: When you hire RPA developers, they design software to mimic human actions on a computer. It can click buttons, copy and paste data, fill in forms, and even send emails like you do.
Robotic process automation continues on the fast lane of transformation that affects how a business operates, innovates, and transforms further. Hyperautomation, AI-powered capabilities, low-code platforms have now made it beyond just using RPA tools as a form of cost saving; it now has become more of a strategy in digital transformation. Secondly, effective lifecycle management of RPA is necessary for maximizing the ROI and sustaining successful automation.
Common Features of RPA Tools
RPA tools are usually an organization’s first step toward introducing automation. This is because RPA has high returns that are basically immediate. Moreover, RPA bots are very easy to deploy because once you choose a vendor, the system is ready to integrate and run within your organization without having to utilize a team of IT experts.
Even though there are so many choices for RPA tools available in the market, most of them, especially the best robotic process automation tools will have the same feature list that will include the following:
1.No code automation
2.Attended or unattended bots
3.Automated data extraction
4.Pre-built templates
5.Scalability
6.Browser automation
7.Drag-and-drop interface to build bots
8.Work queues
9.Analytics
10.Benefits of RPA Solutions
Increased Efficiency: RPA solutions imply the use of a software bot to automate rule-based tasks in application flows. The kind of technology can then be applied in sectors such as banking to healthcare, leading to increased speed as well as accuracy for business processes with a resultant decline in human intervention.
Cost Savings: Automated routine processes will eliminate labor costs since more resources are left to be used on strategic projects. Businesses will reduce the need for intervention and can allocate and invest funds in innovation and growth initiatives toward business.
Enhanced Accuracy: Bots carry out operations based on rules and hence lower the possibility of human error to a great extent, thus permitting higher integrity of data. This way, proper information is applied in taking decisions and thus results in overall enhancement in operational efficiency.
Scalability: RPA solutions can easily scale up changes in businesses as the changes need no significant investment in capital in a business that has to undertake such changes; hence, organizations can always make efforts to up their automation during a change of demand, optimal consumption of resources will be achieved.
Improved Employee Satisfaction: RPA free time from performing repetitive and routine works allows staff to do meaningful work that raises the level of employee satisfaction. It increases the morale and even leads to creativity and innovation within the workforce.
Power Automate is a very popular cloud-based software built by Microsoft for business process automation. Formerly known as Microsoft Flow, Power Automate allows enterprises to understand and automate repetitive, time-consuming tasks and streamline business processes without requiring advanced coding knowledge. You can easily create and integrate simple workflows with Power Automate’s pre-built connectors. However, if you want to automate complex workflows, it will be beneficial for you to seek the help of Power Automate consulting services. The automation tools integrate quickly and seamlessly with other Microsoft tools and properties.
Here is our list of the top 20 most common RPA use cases across different industries, which you can browse below.
1. Customer service
Customers in today’s digital world expect fast responses and practical solutions. With the help of automation, it is viable to give the desired outcomes. Customer service systems that are automated can categorize inquiries and provide fast responses to clients.
Sorting of queries coming at the automated system can be done in service support, tech support, etc. Sorting assures that this query is routed to the relevant customer service employee, and the respective inquiry can get response within a specified time frame.
No need to transfer the call of the customer from one executive to another. Several rule-based tasks of customer service can be automated and optimized.
2. Invoice processing
The high invoice processing volume requires repetitive manual procedures, which causes delays and errors in payments. Quality goods/services from vendors can be ensured if payments are made in time. There are many hurdles in the process of invoice processing, like invoices in different formats, the need to aggregate data from various sources into a single financial database system, etc.
RPA automatically processes received invoices. Paper-based or text-based invoice formats can be automated through OCR.
RPA can automatically enter data, correct reconciliation errors, and even make specific decision-making procedures needed to process an invoice without necessarily involving human input. From receipt to payment, RPA can automate the whole process.
3. Sales orders
Maintaining data integrity across enterprise systems is time-consuming. Sales reps have to spend precious time entering data into the CRM and ERP systems.
Finance analysts have to duplicate the information and enter it into a different approach or module. This may lead to errors, duplication, and a reduction in production.
RPA can potentially perform all the sales-related activities from order entry to invoice to sales. In this, database maintenance would take place in which duplicate data is deleted; thereby, enhancing the customer experience. It increases satisfaction among salespeople by taking off all the tasks of data entry as they could just focus on the job of prospecting and generating more revenues.
4. Payroll processing
It is one of the most time-consuming and repetitive operations for HR teams in any organization, requiring a high degree of data entry, which may lead to data inaccuracy, delayed payments, and employee dissatisfaction.
Payroll Processing is one of the best RPA use cases. RPA can validate timesheets, load earning and deductions and verify employee data consistency across several systems.
It can also automate the making of paychecks and the running of benefits and reimbursements. RPA may automate payroll processes from start to finish in order to avoid inconsistencies and delays.
5. Price comparison
Businesses often have to buy in huge quantities to manufacture goods and provide services. The price of these goods can affect a firm’s bottom line; corporations always research online before making a decision.
Many businesses have started to use RPA since the research process is quite complex and time-consuming. The system can evaluate product features, quality, and the prices of various sellers. Businesses and customers may acquire the best resources at the least expensive cost.
6. Storing customer information
One of the most important use cases for RPA tools is data management. Using RPA can help you sort, store, and organize different kinds of client information in such a way that it is easily accessible for you.
Contact information, purchases made, preferences, and personal information like birthdays and anniversaries will all be classified automatically by the system.
Customer service representatives, salespeople, and more staff can view all the data in the system. No need to input this information or worry about accuracy manually.
RPA is more accurate and has less room for error than humans. One of the most mundane timeconsuming tasks, information storage, also tends to be stressful. On average, repetitive work can be reduced by approximately 80% with RPA usage.
7. HR information processing
It is a difficult task to store and process HR data. It is time-consuming and can be an annoying procedure.
A successful company generates many relevant data, which can be tough to filter through and arrange. All of the data that your HR department requires may be collected and organized using the RPA system.
RPA can maintain employment history, payroll, reimbursement, and training level. All the mundane jobs of the day-to-day chores are managed by this RPA; this way, the HR people get time for more human side issues. They will be engaged in increasing the productivity of employees and the working environment that cannot be automated.
8. Quick refunds processing
It would only take seconds before a firm processing refund reflects badly on them or not at their discretion, due to their promptness.
While customers require efficient and glitch free experience which goes without saying.
Complaint and return orders usually generate ample quantity of data with which is to sift out. This, the RPA system, then deals efficiently as well as punctually executes refund processes. Consequently enhances the customers overall experiences and repute of the your brand too
9. Recruitments
Recruitment also benefits through robotic process automation. It would be able to make the whole process much faster and more streamlined. The system could pull the resumes from any sources, rate their worth, eliminate spam and unwanted applications, and other factors.
This could expedite the hiring process significantly. The recruiters would be less hassled, and they would get a better understanding of each candidate. RPA can automate 90 to 95 percent of crucial recruitment operations like screening, assessment, measurement, onboarding, and administration.
10. Extraction of data in various formats
Data can be in different forms, ranging from editable text to handwritten notes. Data entry pros have trouble reading the data and inputting it into the system. Optical character recognition technology can quickly scan data from various formats and enter it into the system.
The whole process can be automated with no loss of data accuracy. RPA is a great investment if your company needs to collect and store data from multiple sources.
Employees spend around 10% to 20% of their person-hours on recitative computer tasks like this one. You can put that time to better use by putting it towards something more useful.
11. CRM updations
Updating interactions and interconnections in CRM is time consuming and inefficient, but it needs to be done. Salesforce is required to be the one source of truth for all customer interactions.
A new class of technologies is now arising that allows business to link in their email, call, and other communications data into the CRM. You may develop a simple bot that could update your CRM records with the customer info in case you fail to find an available solution for the CRM system.
12. Automated Testing
The testing tools, which replicate user interactions, transformed into RPA technologies. Whereas the software can contain testing, it needs to be tested from user’s point of view.
RPA tools are used for automation of standard test scenarios. These tests are run after every version to ensure that no new defects are introduced into the code. More innovative manual tests are required based on the unique feature developed in each new edition.
Automated testing with RPA tools, on the other hand, can make testing more accessible and enhance software quality. Because these tests are typically basic, no-code RPA technologies are excellent in these situations. If you’re interested in gaining industry knowledge, check out our robotic process automation certification course.
13. Financial planning and bank statement reconciliation
Financial planning involves the process of processing and aggregating financial statements from several departments in a Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A) system which can be automated.
Using complex spreadsheets, data was extracted from bank statements to reconcile records and compare them to the company’s records. However, it is a process that can be mechanized very easily due to integration with an FP&A system.
It’s worth noting that rules-based automation may break in case the bank is changed. After your firm changes financial service providers, test the bots’ initial outputs.
14. Expense management
Most businesses still continue to use sophisticated specialized expense management solutions despite the presence of antiquated systems that require employees to give information about their spending in detail.
Most of these facts, like the amount of the expenditure, the date, and the location, are already on employee receipts. With an OCR-capable RPA technology, required fields from tickets may be extracted automatically, allowing employees to spend less time on expenses.
This will also save them from carrying around passes since merely photographing them will enable them to extract relevant data and fill in essential fields on the expense form.
15. Insurance claims handling
Every insurance company’s core business is claims handling. Customer experience and speed are crucial in claims processing since clients file claims during times of hardship.
Multiple reasons cause problems with claims processing and lead to human biases, which can result in losses, customer unhappiness, and a lack of visibility in a critical process.
All of these concerns can be handled with RPA bots. Bots take unstructured data from forms, extract structured data, and process claims according to pre-defined procedures.
This approach solves all the major issues that the process of processing claims manually raises. Rules can be changed in the wake of changes in regulations without calling for training; thus, its compliance is fast.
16. Inventory control
RPA bots will help with inventory control by letting you know that supply levels are low to that demand. The bot can read demand planners emails and notifications.
In order to ensure that the bot correctly pulls up data from emails, emails must adhere to particular style rules.
It can also collect data from emails and automatically update the safety stock details in the ERP. After updating stock levels, they also alert stakeholders involved in the process.
17. Lead generation
Lead generation is one of the important parts of the marketing campaigns nowadays. In an outside source of a CRM system, marketing teams create new records for leads. Some CRM platforms have their own upload data feature.
Most of the older platforms require users to input information manually for every new lead. This means that more time is taken away from other tasks, and the chances of making mistakes increase.
Users can code programs to have software import data from spreadsheets through RPA, faster and with greater accuracy as if done manually. The employees can again focus on engaging with the lead prospects instead of data entry.
18. Credit cards and mortgages processing
RPA automates background checks and validation based on predefined rules and procedures, thereby hastening the process of dispatching credit cards. Banks, as mortgage lenders, have to do many background checks, which involve employment and credit history.
The whole process gets accelerated because RPA is based on well-defined algorithms. Such frauds can be identified beforehand with the help of RPA. Due to automation, banks can now identify and warn accounts that are likely to pose a concern.
19. Medical billing
Use RPA to automate and enhance the effectiveness of critical processes in healthcare. Work with internal and external partners, gathering information from each. All these subprocesses should be integrated into one unified, central process. Medical billing service companies can then forward significant savings to their healthcare provider clients due to the auto-billing process.
20. Telecommunications automation
The telecom business employs a significant amount of manual, repetitive, rules-based operations, which are all essential for better service delivery. At the same time, telecom organizations need to be prepared for the increasing demand for services.
RPA minimizes error rates to near zero in the telecom industry, improves data quality, customer service, and operational efficiency, and also saves money.
Employees of a telecom company can use RPA technology to collect business process tasks. A well-structured workflow is created based on employees’ actions, which serves as the foundation for automated procedures.
You can comfortably master Robotic Process Automation(RPA) with GUVI’s Course & get a strong grip on Basics, UiPath, Variables and Arguments, Selectors, Control Flow, Data Manipulation & more.
Key Factors to Consider When Choosing an RPA Vendor
When we compare vendors for Robotic Process Automation, the RPA tool should be easy to use and not less than all the features you need. Here are some important key factors to look into before making a choice:
Ease of Use: A tool that’s easy to navigate makes a huge difference. If the interface is straightforward, your team will be more likely to adopt it without frustration, speeding up the learning process and boosting productivity right from the start.
Customization: Each business is different, and hence, your RPA solution has to be custom-fit for your unique workflows. With customization comes the guarantee that the tool meets just what you need and grows with your business.
Capabilities: The tool should be able to handle the complexity of your processes. It would be important to evaluate how well it does in performing specific tasks to be sure it can indeed meet your business requirements for automation efficiently.
Scalability: Your RPA solution needs to be scalable for your business. Test whether the tool will allow you to manage multiple bots at the same time. This is particularly relevant given the growth of your organization and the need for more automation.
Cloud Integration: Cloud-based solutions can make a huge difference in scalability and offer more flexibility than an on-premise solution. Ensure that your provider offers cloud integration so you can scale easily as your needs may change in the future.
Integration Capabilities: The RPA tool should seamlessly integrate with the existing systems of yours. It should harmonize well with the CRM and ERP systems so that workflows are quite smooth.
Legacy Systems: It is an old system, therefore, check if the RPA tool will communicate with them or not. It is a crucial factor in transitioning smoothly into automation without much cost.
Support and Training: Good support and training ensure the rollout is successful. A good vendor means you can receive good customer service quickly when you ever need it to resolve the issue that happens.
Training material and programs: Ensure that your chosen vendor gives you enough materials and programs as part of his training. It is this type of support that would help your team to be well-capable of using the RPA tool for them to explore all its full capabilities.
Cost: You have to understand the total cost of ownership when choosing a solution for RPA. It is worthwhile exploring not just what the licensing costs are upfront, but what ongoing costs you are going to incur to fully understand your investment.
Licensing Fee: Again, be aware of all costs, especially because some vendors have very complex pricing models. It helps if you get your vendor in front of these details upfront to pre-budget you and avoid being surprised down the line.
Implementation Cost: It refers to the cost for setting up and configuration of the RPA tool. Professional service or consultancy fees may be included.
Maintenance Costs: Be aware of any costs that repeat themselves that would creep into expenses concerning the maintenance, supporting, or updating of the tool. Remember these well because they can add up fast over time.
They’re based on continuous observation of the ways humans interconnect with a digital system by then imitating that. Put another way, it is really just a high-speed, laser-sharp form of digital assistance originally developed to automatically execute repetitive procedures, RPA has now blossomed into work partners for both AI and machine learning- what’s popularly dubbed digital workers.
These digital workers learn from their experiences, getting better at their tasks over time. They can also understand human language and even read handwritten text.
When combined with AI, RPA simplifies complicated workflows, makes business processes smoother, and helps everything work together seamlessly. In short, RPA with AI changes the game for automation, making things easier and more efficient across different parts of a business.
