08/28/2022
What is RPA Automation?
To talk about RPA automation, we must start by recognizing that recent global transformations demand a new approach from organizations, which must become increasingly agile and efficient to better meet growing customer and market demands.
In addition, heightened competitiveness between organizations drives the constant search for solutions that make companies more productive, adding value to their business while also reducing costs.
Digital technologies are evolving rapidly and exponentially. Today, we already experience the benefits of automating repetitive and routine activities in various work environments. Even if not always visible, process automation is present in our daily lives: from customer service (through chatbots, for example) to the collection, processing, and modeling of corporate data based on business rules. Automation tools are developed to solve problems that impact people.
In this context of constant evolution, it’s important to note that Digital Transformation and new ways of working have also accelerated the creation and development of more elaborate business processes, especially in the digital space.
By definition, RPA (Robotic Process Automation) is a disruptive technology that enables companies to add value to their processes and operations. Generally, after implementing RPA, it becomes possible to:
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“Copy and paste” information from one application to another;
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Extract content from documents and forms;
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Perform operations within large databases;
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Run calculations to determine the workflows to be implemented in an organization;
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Make decisions based on business rules.
By [implementing RPA solutions](https://meta.com.br/en/insights/articles/process-automation, an organization strengthens its workforce. This is possible because Robotic Process Automation offers both efficiency and versatility. In turn, organizations can dedicate themselves fully to developing their business strategies—always backed by the best corporate governance and compliance practices available in the market.
These “digital workers” can be managed like a team responsible for completing or executing business processes, much like a human employee would.
Thanks to RPA and the expertise of certified developers, automating tasks makes it possible to optimize workflows for companies of any size or industry.
RPA – Robotic Process Automation
According to corporate technology development specialists, RPA can be described as the application of specific methodologies and technologies (based on algorithms and software) designed to automate a set of repetitive tasks and activities.
In other words, it is a solution—delivered as an application—that helps organizations, their leaders, and employees carry out routine activities in a more accurate and efficient way.
RPA – Digital Work Teams
With Robotic Process Automation, it’s possible to execute complex tasks without direct human intervention. RPA also enables leaders and employees to focus on higher-value, complex activities that add even more value to business operations.
In general, RPA tools are built on business rules to accelerate and optimize the interaction and processing of corporate information. Once authenticated, data flows through enterprise information storage networks, making teams more collaborative and better connected.
Ultimately, implementing RPA solutions allows companies to reallocate human teams while RPA bots (equivalent to the old “software licenses”) take over the information processing needed to keep essential business areas running.
RPA – Benefits of Process Automation
With RPA solutions, companies can achieve a range of benefits that enhance their organizational capacity and generate new business opportunities. These include:
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Increased productivity among leaders and employees;
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Faster delivery of products and digital solutions;
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Improved service quality for clients and consumers;
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Optimized use of technology resources;
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Reduced enterprise technology costs;
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Higher employee satisfaction, with greater decision-making capacity and improved collaborative empathy and organizational interaction.
To deliver these benefits, RPA must be grounded in solid corporate governance policies. By adopting best governance practices, companies can rely on experts in agility and digitalization who significantly contribute to success in the digital environment.
In addition to developing future leaders and digitally driven workforces, RPA also improves business operations, talent development, and shared services between teams—fostering more transversal work that builds value chains across services.
Key Features of RPA Solutions
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Easy implementation when guided by a clear digital transformation strategy;
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Non-invasive technology that operates on top of existing systems without replacing them;
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Ability to access other systems as a human would—via a user interface, login, and password;
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Operates via the presentation layer without altering underlying system code;
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High security, scalability, and change management compliance;
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Centralized deployment, programming, and monitoring of bots by a connected IT infrastructure that ensures governance and data security compliance.
In the digital business landscape, process automation is a strategic investment in technological performance, driving ongoing business growth and delivering strong ROI.
RPA Applications
Technological advancements have brought RPA into a variety of industries and sectors. Automation processes generally fall into two categories:
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Hard Automation (Fixed Automation) – for highly specific and repetitive tasks, such as a robot performing assembly-line functions in an automotive plant.
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Soft Automation (Flexible Automation) – for programmable bots that can execute different tasks depending on project needs.
RPA is inherently a Soft Automation solution, capable of running multiple business or operational processes simultaneously. Examples include document verification for account openings or service requests at digital banks or fintechs.
RPA vs. BPM (Business Process Management)
The main difference is that BPM is considered “invasive” technology—it involves creating applications, accessing business process logic, and integrating with data layers in the IT architecture—while RPA is non-invasive and focuses on automating tasks within existing systems.
RPA for Leaders, Clients, and Employees
Technological advances have shaped new corporate leadership models. RPA’s practicality fosters innovation across organizations.
“Previously, automation was mistakenly seen as replacing people with technology. The RPA approach integrates new technologies into companies’ daily routines to optimize leadership and employee tasks,” says Rômulo Monteiro, RPA Coach at Insi.
Ultimately, RPA boosts productivity by enabling corporate talent to focus their time and energy on new strategies and business models that create value.
RPA and Hyperautomation
According to Gartner, Hyperautomation is the orchestrated use of multiple technologies, such as:
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Artificial Intelligence (AI)
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Machine Learning (ML)
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Robotic Process Automation (RPA)
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Business Process Management (BPM)
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Intelligent Business Process Management Suites (iBPMS)
Other consultancies refer to Hyperautomation as an Integrated Automation Platform or Cognitive Automation.
“Hyperautomation can be understood as a set of concentrated automation solutions that allow a large volume of business processes and operations to be automated,” says Monteiro.
The Future of RPA
Gartner predicted in 2019 that combining RPA and Hyperautomation would form the basis of “Intelligent Automation.” This innovation accelerates digital transformation for medium and large organizations, delivering fast ROI.
With advances in RPA, AI, and ML, the gap between data and its application is closing—enabling more agile decision-making for business and organizational needs.
Soon, automation applications are expected to evolve autonomously, establishing a new generation of intelligent automation technology.
Insi and RPA
Insi has specialists who design and implement RPA and data solutions across various industries. “From customer service applications to energy and finance solutions, Insi has skilled teams ready to deliver products that enhance digital business,” says Maksine Baldin, RPA Analyst at Insi.
As a specialist company, Insi offers teams focused on planning, developing, and implementing RPA solutions nationwide.
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