Robotic process automation, also known as RPA, is one of the many developing technologies that companies can use to optimize their business practices. RPA enables organizations to automate repetitive and rule-based tasks using robots or “bots”. This technology mimics human actions to interact with computer systems and performs tasks including data entry, data manipulation, and transaction processing.
Various industries and departments use RPA for a variety of tasks, as this technology can swiftly navigate through different screens, input or extract data and perform required operations. Finance, human resources, and customer service are just a few examples of industries tapping into this technology.
Why is RPA Important?
RPA’s main purpose is to add efficiency and cut down on redundancy for those companies looking to optimize their operations. With many systems running 24/7, RPA can help companies streamline their workflows and add value-driven automation. Whether it’s cloud systems, comprehensive networks, or critical servers, RPA can simplify or even transform critical processes for the better.
Since RPA takes the responsibility of completing the repetitive and otherwise unchanging tasks, this frees up employees to focus on more specialized activities that can move the company forward on a larger scale. Human creativity and problem-solving is important to growth, so allowing employees to stray from the repetition of RPA tasks can provide more opportunities for advancement while ensuring companies better leverage the unique skillsets of their employees for management, technical development and mission-critical projects that move the company forward.
Real World RPA Uses
Coordinate & Monitor Transactions – In large-scale businesses there is a high volume of incoming and outgoing transactions that require constant monitoring, and RPA can help manage the workload. Through different programs, RPA can go through each purchase in real-time and sift through financial backgrounds to pinpoint any discrepancies that might sneak through. It can also cut down on time and labor costs, as this technology can create a single, detailed report based on predetermined business rules. These rules can determine if there is a constant stream of revenue, as well as keeping up with any changes within the market.
Billing Programs – When a company invoices hundreds or even thousands of employees, turning to RPA can help streamline the process. A specific bot program can scan invoices and employee pay stubs to correctly determine working hours and bill rates. If a company were to use timecards, using a human employee to count time in shifts would be too time consuming and labor intensive.
If there are discrepancies found, the technology can mark it as an inconsistency and ask employees to correct the mistakes themselves. After making the correct changes, RPA can scan the invoices and employee pay stubs to accurately add on taxes or any other additional information before sending to the billing department within a company. This use of technology helps ensure employees are paid on time and can reduce the risk of payment mistakes.
Onboarding Employees – Every company needs to hire employees to grow, but it can quickly become a confusing and time-consuming process. As companies expand, they turn to RPA to make the onboarding process across multiple areas of the hiring process:
Hiring Portals -- When an employer adds more personnel, they can use RPA to create a “hiring portal”. This database requires new hires to enter information and upload necessary forms in order to become a fully registered employee. This technology can also generate and manage each of the different documents during the onboarding process by pulling required data from existing templates. This creates a self-serving database where all employee information is funneled to human resources and payroll divisions of the company.
Training and Assignments -- In order to ensure proper training and onboarding, using RPA can help deliver the proper materials to new hires. Bots can send welcome emails, orientation materials, schedule training sessions, and much more to streamline the onboarding process. For new and existing hires, RPA can be used to designate various tasks to different departments, as well as send follow-up notifications to make sure all necessary steps are completed on time.
Feedback and Surveys -- Once new hires have become an integrated part of the company, RPA can coordinate the distribution and collection of employee feedback surveys and suggestions. This information can generate specific reports and sort through data needed for departmental evaluations and improvement within the onboarding process. Bots can also generate metrics that track the onboarding process and identify any areas for improvement.
Customer Order Processing – Once a customer clicks the order button on a website, there is a large-scale process that takes place behind-the-scenes. While human employees have the ability to do this work, using RPA can shorten the time spent on each order and make sure there is no processing backups. RPA simultaneously confirms addresses, payment methods, and order confirmations by pulling from other connected databases within the company. This allows customers 24/7 access to purchasing orders, which can bring in more sales by offering increased opportunities for people to buy products. Using RPA also provides businesses with the opportunity to purchase products after normal work hours. By using RPA, instead of employees in order processing, companies can reduce the money spent per order by 30x.
Automate Your Workflows with Resolvit
Interested in how you can leverage RPA for your company? Our team can help develop comprehensive RPA implementation solutions and provide dedicated support to drive your business to new heights – from quality assurance to workflow testing. We offer a fully customized approach to RPA, as well as detailed consultations to help you improve your systems. Contact us today to automate your critical workflows and add unparalleled efficiency to your business.
