Robotic Process Automation

Robotic Process Automation is an emerging technology practice for automating basic business tasks. RPA software can construct ‘bots’ which are programmed to perform rules-based, repeatable tasks such as sending emails, manipulating data, and interacting with a file system. Some RPA software is also able to detect workflows and processes where these bots can be useful, observing human operators’ actions and determining whether they are repeatable and rules-based.

RPA reduces human error, staffing needs, and can speed up workflows. It can be applied across a broad swath of domains, from warehousing, healthcare, retail, and financial services. As more business tasks are integrated into a company’s RPA workflows, they can also be represented as Business Process Models (BPMs). These BPMs can be used to evaluate the performance of the current system by running them in simulations.

Simulation can help a business optimize its RPA workflows. They can allow you to assess the current state of your system under normal conditions by identifying bottlenecks or underutilized resources. Risk analysis also becomes easy, since a simulation can allow you to explore edge cases for your business that rarely occur, but are vital to be prepared for, such as unexpected surges in demand. RPA simulation also makes it easy to assess design alternatives, allowing you to experiment with a digital twin to discover the improvements possible with workflow changes.