RPA can streamline work flow for large and small enterprises

New automation software incorporating artificial intelligence tools is poised to bring productivity enhancements to workflow management, especially handling heavy data tasks including communications such as email, data entry and regulatory compliance. Called robotics process automation, the new software provides the capacity to organize voluminous data generated by complex business processes and the deployment of large teams. These new-age tools for workflow automation can be implemented in any facet of an enterprise where manual processes are in place, with the most common adaptability into sales, supply chain departments, finance and operations.

RPA brings to the field of workflow management, a philosophy that encourages simplicity in organizing massive amounts of data using templates to create logical mind maps and state of the art dashboards.

In recent times, RPA has incorporated cognitive technologies including AI, Blockchain, Machine Learning, IoT, and Speech Recognition to automate higher order tasks that previously required human intervention.

Such cutting edge software solutions will be central to the next phase of digital transformation in which enterprises can offer new levels of customer value such as faster delivery, higher quality and dependability, deeper personalization, and greater convenience.

RPA software can be implemented in any facet of an enterprise where manual processes are in place, with most common adaptability into sales, supply chain departments, finance and operations.

To be sure, small and medium businesses face different challenges than large enterprises. These are typically headed by a founder/owner and in which a few people perform multiple roles. Their needs are different. For example: the curriculum vitae of a rejected candidate does not hold any value for such a business. For smaller enterprises, the paper trail is useful from a regulatory perspective and not so useful from a process perspective.

In large enterprises, processes are an outcome of acquired knowledge garnered over the evolution of the business and are held to be supreme; any exceptions to the workflow need to pass through various channels. Such legacy systems are inherently resistant to changes that could involve updated records, multiple languages, plus training to use RPA enhanced workflows.

An ideal system is one which can consume any process, automate any workflow and integrate itself with existing systems while it gradually assimilates all processes of an organisation. It allows for other tools to be integrated, provides flexibility for growth and in fact, helps organisations speedily embrace new technology. It is secure. And the processes can be created, edited and implemented, all as fast as you can type.

RPA allows workflow managers, who want to change the on-boarding process for new clients, to do simply edit the process in one place. This is immediately reflected in all of the branches across the country. No technology changes, no cumbersome integrations or implementations and as it is part of the main application, the usage is instantaneous and requires no training. That's the dream and it's already here!

By Varun Bhutani, Managing Director, WorkKey