What Exactly Is a Robotic Process Automation (RPA) Bot?
An RPA bot is a virtual assistant that understands and does activities on your behalf. RPA software robots may do time-consuming activities traditionally performed by human workers, such as:
- Scraping and extraction of data
- Distribution of reports
- Automation of web browser tasks
- An array of additional business procedures
Consider bots to be a part of your human workforce—albeit with a somewhat different anatomy. Some bots operate in response to triggers, while others are programmed and function around the clock.
Types of RPA bots
1. Attended Bots
When a process cannot be automated from beginning to end, attended bots often operate with humans to supply certain sections. They can be compared to a human ‘virtual assistant,’ and they exist to increase efficiency with front-office work through attended automation. A team member urges or triggers a bot to reply, and it begins to assist automatically while the employee engages with it as it does so. These attended bots can run on desktops, private servers, or in the cloud and help to reduce average call handling time, improve customer experience, and increase compliance.
Attended bots are divided into three types: Task Bots, Meta Bots, and IQ Bots.
a. Task Bots
Task bots are automated activities that perform rule-based tasks and handle structured data. They are suitable for repeated jobs that humans find time-consuming or monotonous, and they can do with exceptional accuracy and speed. Task bots serve as the foundation for all RPA solutions and are widely used in HR administration, and procure-to-pay, amongst other sectors.
b. Meta bots
Meta bots are supposed to be reusable blueprints for applications that can swiftly adapt to changes. They are capable of doing visual captures for front-end automation. They are ideally suited for complicated and scalable operations, as well as scripting environments. They are generally associated with Task bots and can operate as a script or a map for entered data. While the Task Bots handle the automated, rule-based tasks on the front end, when connected, the Meta Bots can grow and analyze the data even more effectively. Meta bots are frequently employed in enterprise-wide automation since they need less maintenance.
c. IQ Bots
IQ bots are sophisticated cognitive or intelligent automation bots which can learn in real-time, identify languages from data, and carry out tasks based on what they’ve learned. They handle and maintain fuzzy rules using a combination of computer vision, machine learning, and natural language processing while dealing with semi-structured and unstructured data. IQ bots require more human engagement than other types of bots since they must be programmed, set up, and taught how to behave. They collect data, solicit comments, and then automatically change based on the responses. They store and learn from information until they attain 100% Straight Through Processing (STP), at which point human eyes are no longer visible.
2. Unattended Bots
Unattended bots are end-to-end automation systems that may conduct activities autonomously, generally in response to a predefined timetable or logic. They follow a rules-based procedure to completion, making them perfect for companies that operate around the clock, such as hospitality, healthcare, and telecommunications. Unattended bots are often used in the back office for data collecting, sorting, and analysis and can run on workstations, private servers, or in the cloud. They may be utilized for long-term automation methods such as cost reduction, increased productivity, re-allocating staff skill sets, enhancing compliance, and eliminating mistakes.
Conclusion
The development of RPA for companies requires both attended and unsupervised bots. Attended bots save humans time by completing work faster, whereas unattended bots complete things on their own. Bringing these two solutions together boosts efficiency, accuracy, and production. Scalability, efficiency, and a better client experience are all benefits of both types. Their simplicity of deployment, improved methods, and operational efficiency help organizations remain competitive.
