4 ways our automation platform can augment your RPA

One of the biggest breakthroughs to ever happen in business was the advent of robotic process automation (RPA) — a way for employers to hand over their most mundane, rules-based tasks to a “digital workforce.” More recently, artificial intelligence and other advancements have allowed the overall field of automation to expand with some previously unimaginable capabilities. However, with many organizations tethered to legacy RPA, these capabilities remain out of reach.

Why not just upgrade to something better? 

Due to its high upfront investment costs and need for frequent updates, a RPA system can take a long time to turn an ROI, and organizations are understandably cautious about switching to something new, starting from scratch, and encountering similar problems. In other instances, workers have been able to rig and patch their systems into something that gets the job done; it may become a monster, but it’s their monster. Sometimes, the reason to stay with a RPA is that regulations and compliances complicate the ability to make major changes.

Regardless of decisions to keep current softwares, it’s possible to still enjoy the benefits of the latest advancements in automation without overhauling an entire system. 

How intelligent process automation can supercharge RPA

Thanks to AI, automation has evolved beyond robots mimicking human inputs and into a field becoming known as intelligent process automation. Products in this new generation, like Automation Hero, are so versatile that they can integrate seamlessly with existing RPA — augmenting it with new abilities without changing its core functionality. 

This can be a great solution for organizations that need more advanced automation but don’t have the resources to make big changes. Platforms like Automation Hero are priced based on consumption, so there’s no daunting upfront costs to slow down approvals. Here’s how intelligent process automation can augment RPA:

1. Intelligent document processing

Document review, data entry, and contextualization are some of the most time- and energy-consuming tasks an employee can perform — especially for a high volume of documents. After RPAs became widely adopted, other technologists began developing intelligent document processing (IDP) software to handle tasks RPA couldn’t. 

Optical character recognition (OCR) is a technology that allows machines to read documents and extract data from them without human oversight. IDP takes the data captured by OCR and applies rules to contextualize and route it for additional processing, removing a huge pile of work from employees’ plates. Automation Hero utilizes advanced deep learning AI to do this more effectively than traditional IDPs, processing any type of document — even when it doesn’t fit specific templates. 

2. More capabilities with less IT support

Legacy RPA systems were notorious for their long and costly implementation timeframe, requiring months of research and testing by IT experts to make sure templates and workflows were programmed just right. With Automation Hero, users can easily design new workflows and patches wherever there’s a gap in the RPA performance. The platform is so intuitive that this can be done with absolutely no coding experience or need for IT support. 

3. Integrations with unlimited systems

Outdated RPA are often limited by the siloed nature of different systems. Many RPA systems can only work with specific types of inputs, requiring users to manually migrate data between third-party applications and the automation system. Automation Hero can connect with virtually any API and transfer data seamlessly without any need for manual formatting or oversight. This can provide one of the biggest boosts to productivity because it enables full end-to-end automation for nearly any process. The possibilities are limited only by users’ imaginations. 

4. Improved processes with AI insights

Automation Hero’s AI is considered a deep learning solution for a reason. It can monitor every process and system that it’s a part of, measure performance, and develop insight for ways to improve processes. Even tied to the limits of an old RPA system, Automation Hero can help users see the potential of full enterprise AI.

Leaving behind a longstanding and institutionalized RPA can be daunting, but thanks to the versatility of intelligent process automation platforms like Automation Hero, companies don’t have to delete their old software to reap the benefits of enterprise AI.