What can RPA do? In short, a lot. With robotic process automation (RPA), the possibilities are almost endless. In a broad sense, RPA’s mission is to make business processes as efficient and accurate as possible. We’ve all been stuck spending hours on a painfully boring manual task. Think data entry, report generation, or updating records. It’s not fun, but what’s worse is that cumbersome manual tasks hinder our individual productivity and the efficiency of an entire business.
When the workforce is bogged down with time-consuming data entry and other repetitive tasks, less time is leftover for tackling high-level and strategic objectives. In fact, a 2021 study revealed that 81% of workers spend less than 3 hours a day on creative objectives, and 76% of those same workers spend less than 3 hours a week on work that contributes to strategic goals. RPA is working to change this.
Here’s how RPA can be used to automate various generic tasks:
- Perform multiple tasks, in separate platforms, simultaneously.
- Complete a wide range of data entry and management tasks.
- Manage pre-sale and after-sale customer service support.
- Trigger automated responses.
- Organize and process invoices.
Of course, these are just a few examples of RPA use cases. One of the many benefits of this technology is that RPA applications are extremely scalable and versatile, making them applicable to almost any industry that has a need to automate traditionally manual processes.
To offer a more comprehensive view of RPA’s capabilities, we’re going to take a deep dive into some RPA examples in real life and explain how RPA projects can benefit businesses and consumers alike.
What Are Some Examples of RPA?
In a worldwide 2021 survey, Gartner predicted that 90% of large organizations will have adopted RPA in some form in 2022. This prediction has proven to be absolutely accurate. Since RPA technology is so effective, many variations of RPA bots are being implemented across multiple industries. Here are some examples of the basic types of RPA bots:
Macros
Simple but mighty, these bots can handle various uncomplicated calculations and data organization tasks. Macros are most commonly used in Excel spreadsheets.
IT Process RPA Bots
More complex than macros, IT process bots handle detailed tasks like prioritizing action plans and creating alerts from multiple sources.
Cognitive RPA Bots
Cognitive or intelligent bots have AI capabilities that allow them to have conversations with people. Cognitive bots are most often used in customer service, which we will discuss in more detail later on in this article.
How Is RPA Used in Business?
Firstly, let’s take a look at how RPA can be used to increase the efficiency of daily business operations. Although the specifics of each use case change from industry to industry, there are generic applications for RPA that apply to all businesses, such as:
- Organizing, compiling, and classifying data collected from multiple systems.
- Delivering analytics that support decision-making, pattern detection, and other future-focused business tasks.
- Automating data entry.
- Automating data cleansing.
- Conducting proactive audits of all digital-business processes and predicting risks in advance.
- Providing faster issue resolution for customers.
- Creating a tailor-made experience for the individual customer.
How is RPA Used in Everyday Life for Consumers?
Now that we’ve discussed how RPAs benefit businesses, let’s take a look at the other side of things and see how RPA impacts the lives of consumers. Although it’s not completely obvious to most, RPA bots manage a lot of our digital interactions with companies. This is especially true when it comes to online customer service (CS). In a CS setting, RPA bots are designed to improve both customer and employee experiences. On the customer side, RPA bots offer benefits such as:
- Faster service ticket processing.
- Immediate customer service.
- Improved privacy and compliance to protect customer data.
But what does this look like in action? Let’s look at eCommerce as an example. Here are a few different ways RPA bots improve the overall eCommerce CS experience:
- Reducing redundancies in the purchasing process.
- Automating purchase confirmation emails including tracking information.
- Immediately updating customer information, reducing shipping errors.
- Sending regular updates regarding shipping progress.
In an age where speed and competency are of the utmost importance for consumers, RPA bots offer companies significant advantages when it comes to improving their customer service processes.
Experience Endless RPA Opportunities With Foulk Consulting
In summation, RPA bots are catalysts for developing increasingly efficient processes that benefit businesses and consumers. What do you think? Are you ready to experience what RPA has to offer? If so, Foulk is here to help. There’s no need for you, or your team, to get your hands dirty with integrating RPA software into your systems—we’ll take care of everything for you. Call us today and take the first step towards a more productive future.
