The Ultimate List of 8 Free Courses Help You Learn Robotics Process Automation | Zero To Hero | TeKnology Article

 

Robotics Process Automation

Robotic process automation (RPA) is a software technology that makes it easy to build, deploy, and manage software robots that emulate human actions interacting with digital systems and software. Just like people, software robots can do things like understanding what’s on a screen, completing the right keystrokes, navigating systems, identifying and extracting data, and performing a wide range of defined actions. But software robots can do it faster and more consistently than people, without the need to get up and stretch or take a coffee break.

In Other Words, RPA is short for robotic process automation. It’s automation software that handles tedious, manual digital tasks and transfers the work of a human worker to a "digital worker". RPA solutions save companies time and money while enhancing productivity by allowing associates to focus on mission-critical work.

Table of Content:

ROBOTIC PROCESS AUTOMATION TUTORIAL

ROBOTIC PROCESS AUTOMATION BEST COURSES

ROBOTIC PROCESS AUTOMATION EXAMPLE

CONCLUSION

بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

Robotic Process Automation Tutorial

Our RPA Tutorial provides the basic and advanced concepts of RPA. This tutorial is designed for both beginners and professionals.

This tutorial introduces RPA and a wide range of RPA topics such as RPA Features, RPA Applications, RPA Tools, RPA Examples, RPA Interview Questions, etc.

LET'S GET STARTED.....

What is RPA?

RPA stands for Robotic Process Automation. It is the technology used for software tools that automate human tasks, which are manual, rule-based, or repetitive. Typically, it is like a bot that performs such tasks at a much higher rate than a human alone. These RPA software bots never sleep and make zero mistakes, and can interact with in-house applications, websites, user portals, etc. They can log into applications, enter data, open emails and attachments, calculate and complete tasks, and then log out.

The term Robotic Process Automation creates a picture of physical robots doing some labor-intensive human physical tasks such as uploading or unloading heavy goods from a vehicle or cleaning the house etc. However, in reality, the picture is completely different. The word 'Robot' in 'RPA' is not a physical robot but a virtual system that helps in automating repetitive manual computing or business process tasks.

RPA technologies can be divided into three categories:

1. PROBOTS - These are the bots that follow simple, repeatable rules to process data.

2. KNOWBOTS - These are the bots that search user-specified information from the internet and respond to the user.

3. CHATBOTS - These are the bots that act and respond as virtual agents. They reply to customer queries in real-time.

Why We Use RPA?

RPA is not part of an organization's IT infrastructure. Instead, it belongs to the top of the whole organization's IT infrastructure. In an IT environment, most of the business processes are not smart and intelligent. Many of them are dependent on multiple IT systems, which rarely interact with each other. Such types of tasks are repetitive, time-consuming, and labor-intensive for human beings. With Robotic Process Automation, it takes large IT transformation plans and implementation processes to automate those types of repetitive, time-consuming, and rule-based tasks more quickly, accurately, and tirelessly, compared to a human being.

RPA technology uses bots that interact with web applications, websites, excel worksheets, and emails to automate the tasks just like a human. RPA is currently the most efficient automation solution, and it helps human beings to focus on those tasks which require emotional intelligence, reasoning, judgment, and interactions with the customers, rather than just doing repetitive tasks.

Benefits Of RPA

Robotic Process Automation technology provides the following benefits:

COST SAVINGS

RPA helps organizations to save a huge amount of cost as it is typically cheaper than hiring an employee to perform the same set of tasks.

LESS ERROR

RPA works on standard logic and does not get bored, distracted, or tired. Hence, the probability of making errors reduces to a great extent, which means less re-work and an enhanced reputation for efficiency.

FASTER PROCESSING

RPA works faster than human employees as computer software does not need breaks, food, rest, etc., and can perform repetitive operations tirelessly. With RPA, processing time becomes predictable and consistent, which ensures high-quality customer service across the operations.

BETTER REGULATORY COMPLIANCE

RPA software works on the logic and data fed to it and does what is only needed as per the given instructions. Hence, there are minimal chances of not complying with the standard regulations.

BETTER CUSTOMER SERVICE

When RPA is implemented in a business, it frees many of its employees who can spend their time working on customer-related services. It is very beneficial for businesses that receive a lot of customer queries. It also leads to increased productivity for employees.

AUDITABLE AND SECURE

RPA bots will only access the data for which they are given permission and create a detailed audit trail of all activity.

LOW TECHNICAL BARRIER

RPA does not require any programming skills to configure the software robot. Since it is a code-free technology, any non-technical person can set up the bot using drag and drop features. It also includes the 'Recorder' to record the steps of automation.

With all these benefits, RPA ensures an overall higher level of quality for any organization.

PREREQUISITE

There is no specific prerequisite for this tutorial. All you need is continuous learning and practicing with the tools. However, if you want to extend functionalities to match your requirements, then a basic knowledge of software coding and programming logic will be beneficial and put you at an advantage. 

AUDIENCE

Our RPA Tutorial is designed to help beginners and professionals.

PROBLEM

We assure you that you will not find any difficulty while learning through our RPA Tutorial. But if you find any mistake in this tutorial, we request you to kindly post the problem in the contact form so that we can improve it.

Robotic Process Automation Best Courses

Here Are Some Of The Best Courses About Robotic Process Automation From Us.

Robotic Process Automation: RPA Fundamentals + Build a Robot (Udemy)

This Udemy course, recently on sale for just $11.99, includes a five-step process for doing an RPA pilot in your organization, as well as the chance to build an actual bot using the UiPath platform. Like many of the online learning opportunities for RPA, it doesn’t require much in the way of previous technical expertise.

RPA, AI, and Cognitive Tech for Leaders (LinkedIn)

This brief (less than one hour) video course is a beginner-level introduction for executives on the role of RPA, AI, and cognitive capabilities in the digital era. Topics include: “drafting a strong, top-down mandate, investing reasonably in digital transformation, and managing expectations for AI projects.”

UiPath Academy

UiPath is one of multiple RPA software vendors on the market. Pretty much all of them offer some kind of training or certification path, whether directly or through a third-party education site. (UiPath happens to do both.) UiPath is on the one hand just a representative example of vendor-sponsored opportunities, but its UiPath Academy is also noteworthy because it’s a) free, and b) offers role-based training. That means if you’re a business analyst or project manager, for example, there’s a tutorial for you. There are also RPA developer-focused tracks and other courses aimed at IT pros, such as an infrastructure path.

RPA Business Analyst Training (MindMajix)

Speaking of role-based training, this certification path is for business analysts looking to add RPA credentials to their resumes. The platform offers free demos of the coursework (actual pricing varies) and a variety of start dates.

Automation Academy

Created by the RPA software developer WorkFusion, Automation Academy offers both “Community Courses” – covering the basics, including for professionals outside of IT – and “Partner Courses” targeted more toward people with a degree of technical sophistication.

The RPA Academy

This option is somewhat similar to various coding schools and boot camps. It offers training in several of the currently popular RPA software tools. It can also get pricey depending on what you’re looking for; while it offers individual options, it also offers group training, so may be worth evaluating if your organization is paying the tab for professional development, especially for a team.

Robotic Process Automation and Beyond (AICPA)

This is one of the more fascinating training and certification opportunities simply from the standpoint of the wide potential for RPA use cases: It’s offered by the American Institute of CPAs (AICPA). In other words, this is for the CFO, not the CIO.

That should give you an indicator of RPA’s expanding role in the enterprise. The trade association says the certificate course is useful for anyone in a finance or accounting role: “This course will help guide your journey through the business case and what to consider when choosing and implementing an automation tool. It will also give you an understanding of how a digital workforce will impact accounting, auditing, and governance.”

RPA might fundamentally be about software, but it isn’t just an IT story. The folks who handle the money are paying attention, too.

The Enterprisers Project

If you can forgive the self-promotion, our ongoing series of articles on RPA topics will give you a quick (and free) Bootcamp on everything from explaining the technology in plain terms to identifying compelling use cases – plus useful metrics for evaluating your long-term success. 

Robotic Process Automation Examples

To demonstrate just how widespread RPA’s usefulness is (and why so many are investing in it), we’ve compiled a list of real-life examples of RPA helping companies reduce cost, save time, stay competitive, and do better work.

FINANCE AND ACCOUNTING (INVOICE PROCESSING)

Accounting and financial management are vital business operations—yet the tasks involved are tedious, error-prone, and don't directly generate revenue.

That makes RPA perfect for many of those tasks.

For instance, within Accounts Payable, Invoice Processing is one of the most time-consuming tasks. Invoices come through various channels, then matched to purchase orders, and often need to be approved by different people for payment.

With RPA, you can create rules to send invoices to the right person for approval automatically while your associates focus on the outliers. You can also automate the PO-matching process to mark any errors for further review before submitting the payment.

That’s just one example. Considering all the data entry and manual processing involved in accounting and finance—there are significant use cases for RPA which makes F&A a very typical starting point for many organizations getting started with automation.

HUMAN RESOURCE (HIRING AND ONBOARDING)

Hiring just one person can take weeks and can be costly. According to the Society For Human Resources Foundation, the average cost of hiring just one person is $4129 in 2020.

Fortunately, the process of hiring and onboarding contains numerous repetitive and rules-based tasks that RPA can assist with.

For instance, a bot can source applicants around the clock with more accuracy and no bias. After sourcing applicants, this bot could also screen resumes and candidates.

Another example: When the company hires an employee, a bot could handle much of the “paperwork” the company is responsible for filling out and applying to various applications.

RETAIL (INVENTORY MANAGEMENT)

Retail has plenty of labor-intensive activities that are perfect candidates for automation. This is especially true as companies adapt to e-commerce trends.

In particular, retailers would do well to seek RPA solutions for Inventory Management. These retailers often have to keep track of various products across multiple regions.

Not only do they need to ensure they have enough stock to fulfill demand, but they also need to gain insight from inventory management about their demand and other market trends.

RPA can solve these issues through a variety of automation:

• Automating notifications of low inventory (or even automated ordering).
• Optimizing inventory levels to maximize working capital without failing to meet demand.
• Reducing inventory errors—inventory records are inaccurate over 60% of the time.
• Assessing sales numbers internationally and internationally.

PAYROLL

Payroll processing each month is a repetitive and time-consuming task that every HR team deals with. Because of the volume involved, there are often errors and inaccuracy causing rework that can result in payment delays. Employees don’t tend to like payment delays!

An RPA bot can verify employee data across multiple systems and validate timesheets, earnings, and tax deductions. RPA can also administer taxable benefits and other reimbursements. Just within the payroll function, 

RPA can help with Payroll functions such as:

• Changes in Payroll Records
• Attendance Management
• Time Entry Validations
• Resignation Handling
• Payroll Deductions

CUSTOMER SUPPORT

These days, customers want and expect fast responses and for their inquiry to be in the right hands...right away.

Many of a customer’s problems and questions can be solved in a routine, standardized manner—making customer support ripe for RPA.

RPA can categorize queries and send them to the correct department, such as technical support, billing, sales, etc.

Chatbots are another great example, even if they’re at the intersection of RPA and AI.

For example, say a customer lands on a company’s support page. The chatbot could pop up, ask the customer what they need help with, then automatically provide self-help resources the customer can use.

In many cases, this could be enough to solve the customer’s problem. The bot helps the customer solve their issue faster while saving the company money on customer service.

Additionally, it cuts wait times for customers who do need human agents, as fewer people are waiting on hold.

As you can see, with RPA, you can drive faster responses and increase customer satisfaction.

CONCLUSION

It follows, then, that these companies will need people with the skills necessary to implement and iterate their RPA strategies. That’s the sound of opportunity knocking because apparently, those skills aren’t yet plentiful.

“78 percent of those who have already implemented RPA expect to significantly increase investment in RPA over the next three years,” Deloitte says. “Yet scaling RPA is clearly proving more difficult than anticipated: only 3 percent of organizations have scaled their digital workforce.”

When IT career opportunities come knocking, they’re usually hoping for bonafide IT pros to answer the door. That’s still true here, but another interesting aspect of RPA is that it’s not just an IT story. The potential for RPA use cases runs far and wide in many business environments, and will not necessarily be the sole purview of IT. People in finance or customer service might be just as likely as IT pros to become RPA stars.

So if you want to answer that door – or simply build your own ability as an IT leader to communicate and strategize effectively about RPA – where do you turn? As with other technologies, there’s a growing segment of online education and certification opportunities that could offer stepping stones onto the RPA path. We collected eight examples to illustrate the possibilities. Note that we’re not endorsing these, or ranking them, but highlighting the range of emerging options for learning and professional development on the RPA front.