CCS361 - ROBOTIC PROCESS AUTOMATION

UNIT-1

INTRODUCTION TO ROBOTIC PROCESS AUTOMATION

1. Robotic Process Automation

 RPA involves the use of software that mimics human actions while interacting with applications in a
computer and accomplishing rule-based tasks.
 This often requires reading from and typing, or clicking on existing applications that are used to perform the
given tasks.

2. Emergence of Robotic Process Automation (RPA)

 The concept of automation is far from new.
 The past 70 years that computers have been a major catalyst for this trend of automation.
 Along the way, there have been different periods of automation, based on the types of technologies
available. They would also provide a foundation for RPA platforms.
o Mainframe Era: These were huge machines developed by companies like IBM. They were expensive
and mostly available to large companies (although, innovators like Ross Perot would create outsourcing
services to provide affordable options). Yet they were incredibly useful in helping manage core
functions for companies, such as payroll and customer accounts.
o PC Revolution: Intel’s development of the microprocessor and Microsoft’s development of its
operating system revolutionized the technology industry. As a result, just about any business could
automate processes, say by using word processors and spreadsheets.
 But the automation technologies – while powerful – still had their drawbacks. They could easily result in
complex IT environments, which required expensive and time consuming integrations and custom coding.
 From this emerged the key elements for RPA, which came about in the early 2000s. A big part of this was
screen scraping, which is the automation of moving data among applications, which turned out to provide a
nice boost to efficiency and effectiveness.
 But around 2012 or so, the RPA market hit an inflection point. There was a convergence of trends that made
this happen, such as the following:
CCS361 - ROBOTIC PROCESS AUTOMATION
o In the aftermath of the financial crisis, companies were looking for ways to lower their costs. Simply
put, traditional technologies like ERP were reaching maturation. So companies needed to look for
new drivers.
o Companies also realized they had to find ways to not be disrupted from technology companies. RPA
was considered an easier and more cost-effective way to go digital. Some industries like banking
were becoming more subject to regulation. In other words, there was a compelling need to find ways to
lessen the paperwork and improve audit, security, and control.
o RPA technology was starting to get more sophisticated and easier to use, allowing for higher ROI
(return on investment).
o Large companies were starting to use RPA for mission-critical applications. Demographics were also
key. As the millennial started to enter the workforce, they wanted more engaging work. They wanted
careers, not jobs.

3. Evolution of RPA
 “The evolution of the RPA market is like any major technology trend,” said Mihir Shukla, who is the CEO and
cofounder of Automation Anywhere. “There was a gradual progress, which involved periodic
breakthroughs.
 Fast forward to today, RPA is the fastest growing part of the software industry. According to Gartner, the
spending on this technology jumped by 63% to $850 million in 2018 and is forecasted to reach $1.3 billion
by 2019.
 Or consider the findings from Transparency Market Research. The firm projects that the global market for
RPA will soar to $5 billion by 2020.
 By 2020, RPA along with AI will reduce the business shared-service centers by 65% (Gartner). There will
also be adoption by 40% of large enterprises, compared to 10% in 2019.
 Based on current projections, there will likely be saturation in the RPA market by 2023 (Deloitte).
 The financial impact from RPA could hit $6.7 trillion by 2025 (McKinsey & Company).
 In terms of the global market share for RPA software, North America represents 51% and Western Europe
is at 23%. But Asia is starting to get traction, especially Japan.
 By 2023, the forecast is that there will be $12 billion in spending on RPA services (Forrester).

4. Differentiating RPA from Automation

Robotic Process Automation Traditional Automation

It does not require any modification in the existing It requires certain customizations in the existing IT
systems or infrastructure. infrastructure.

It can automate the repetitive, rule-based tasks. It It does not include the ability to mimic human actions.
mimics human actions to complete the tasks. It only executes the pre-defined programmatic
instructions.

A user can start using RPA without knowing any Users are required to have the programming skills to
programming. RPA allows automation with easy to use use Traditional Automation for automating
CCS361 - ROBOTIC PROCESS AUTOMATION

flowchart diagram. Therefore, users do not require to functionalities. Programming language requirement
remember language syntax and scripting. They only depends upon the type of automation tool. Users need
need to focus on the functionalities given under to remember language syntax and scripting.
automation.

RPA provides the easy and quick implementation. It Traditional Automation can take several months for
requires less amount of time as RPA software is process- implementation. Test designing and feasibility studies
driven. take a longer time.

RPA allows users to assign work to hundreds or On the other hand, Traditional Automation uses
thousands of virtual machines that can perform the different programming techniques to achieve parallel
allotted tasks without the requirement of physical execution or scalability. Physical machines are required
machines. to perform parallel execution. Those physical machines
should have the capability of providing good
processing speed.

RPA can be configured to meet the requirements of a When it comes to customization, Traditional
particular user. It can be combined with several Automation is considered as a critical and complex
applications (e.g., calendar, e-mail, ERP, CRM, etc.) to technology compared to the RPA. The integration of
synchronize information and create automated replies. different systems with Traditional Automation is a
challenge due to the limitations of APIs.

RPA can be a little costly in the initial phase. But it saves Traditional Automation is cheaper in the initial phase.
a lot of time, money, and effort in the long run. However, it costs a lot more in the long run.

RPA is a more efficient option since it can make Traditional Automation requires more time, effort, and
improvements instantly. a considerable workforce.

With RPA, users can easily update any business flow due On the other hand, Traditional Automation may force
to its simplicity. users to change various scripts. Hence, maintenance
and updating of this technology can be tough.

5. Benefits of RPA
 Business process outsourcing (BPO): With RPA and its benefits of reduced costs, the BPO sector can now
depend less on outsourced labor.
 Insurance: The complexity and number of tasks that must be managed in the insurance sector, from
managing policies, to filing and processing claims across multiple platforms, provides an ideal environment
for the use of RPA technology.
 Financial sector: From day-to-day activities and handling an enormous amount of data, to performing
complex workflows, RPA has been helping to transform this sector into an efficient and reliable one.
CCS361 - ROBOTIC PROCESS AUTOMATION
 Utility companies: These companies (such as gas, electricity, and water) deal with a lot of monetary
transactions and can leverage RPA to automate tasks such as meter reading, billing, and processing
customer payments.
 Healthcare: Data entry, patient scheduling, and more importantly billing and claims processing, are
important areas where RPA can be used.
 Higher quality services, greater accuracy: With reduced human error and greater compliance, the quality
of work is much better. This is because every step in the automation process is recorded, making it faster to
pinpoint errors with ease.
 Improved analytics: Using analytics on the collected data such as transaction received time, transaction
complete time, and predictions can be made for the incoming volume and ability to complete the tasks on
time.
 Reduced costs: This is based on the simple fact that one human full-time executives (FTE) works for eight
hours a day, while a Robot can work for 24 hours without a break. Increased availability and productivity
means the cost of operations is reduced tremendously. The speed of the work being performed coupled with
multitasking results in further reductions in cost.
 Increased speed: Robots are very fast and sometimes the speed of execution has to be reduced to match
the speed and latency of the application on which these Robots work.
 Agility: Reducing and increasing the number of Robot resources requires managing the volume of the
business process. This is just a click away.
 Versatility: RPA is applicable across industries performing a wide range of Tasks from small to large
businesses, simple to complex processes.
 Simplicity: RPA does not need prior programming knowledge. Most platforms provide designs in the form
of flowcharts.
 Scalability: RPA is highly scalable, up as well as down. Whether one requires an increase or reduction in the
virtual workforce, Robots can be quickly deployed at zero or minimum costs while maintaining consistency
in the quality of work.
 Time savings: Not only does the virtual workforce complete large volumes of work in a shorter span of
time with precision, but they help save time in another way too.
 Non- invasive: This helps in reducing risks and complexities that would arise in the case of traditional IT
deployments.
 Better management: RPA allows for managing, deploying, and monitoring Robots through a centralized
platform. This also lessens the need for governance.
 Better customer service: Since Robots can work around the clock, capacity increases. This leaves humans
to focus on customer service and satisfaction. Also, better quality of services delivered to customers at faster
speeds greatly boosts customer satisfaction.
 Increased employee satisfaction: With repetitive, dreary tasks now being taken over by the virtual
workforce, employees are not just relieved of their workload, but can also engage in better quality work that
requires the use of human capabilities and strengths such as emotional intelligence, reasoning, or tending to
customers.

6. Application areas of RPA

 Data Entry and Migration: RPA is often used for automating data entry tasks, such as copying and pasting
data between systems. It's also applied in data migration projects to transfer data efficiently from one
system to another.
CCS361 - ROBOTIC PROCESS AUTOMATION
 Invoice Processing: RPA can streamline the entire invoice processing cycle, including data extraction,
validation, and updating records in financial systems.
 Customer Service and Support: RPA can assist in automating routine customer service tasks, such as
handling queries, processing requests, and updating customer records.
 HR and Employee Onboarding: RPA is used in human resources for automating tasks related to employee
onboarding, off boarding, and data updates. This includes tasks like document verification, payroll
processing, and benefits administration.
 Financial Processing: RPA is applied in finance departments for automating tasks like account
reconciliation, financial reporting, and compliance checks. Bots can perform calculations, validate data, and
generate financial reports.
 Supply Chain and Logistics: RPA can optimize supply chain and logistics processes by automating order
processing, inventory management, and shipment tracking. This helps improve efficiency and reduces
errors in the supply chain.
 Healthcare Claims Processing: RPA is used in healthcare for automating claims processing tasks. Bots can
validate patient information, process insurance claims, and update records in electronic health record (EHR)
systems.
 IT Support and Maintenance: RPA is applied in IT departments for automating routine IT support tasks,
such as password resets, system monitoring, and software updates. This allows IT professionals to focus on
more complex issues.
 Compliance and Audit: RPA is utilized to ensure compliance with regulations and standards by automating
audit trails, data validation, and reporting. Bots can perform regular checks to ensure adherence to
compliance requirements.
 Marketing and Sales: RPA can be applied in marketing and sales for automating tasks like lead generation,
data cleansing, and report generation. Bots can extract data from various sources and update customer
relationship management (CRM) systems.
 Insurance Claims Processing: RPA is used in the insurance industry for automating claims processing
tasks, including data extraction from claim forms, validation of information, and updating claims databases.
 Quality Assurance and Testing: RPA is applied in software development for automating testing processes.
Bots can simulate user interactions and test software applications for functionality, performance, and
regression testing.
 Legal Document Processing: RPA is used in legal departments for automating document review, contract
management, and compliance checks. Bots can assist in extracting and organizing information from legal
documents.
 Government Processes: RPA is applied in various government agencies for automating administrative
tasks, permit processing, and data entry. This helps improve the efficiency of government services.
 Education Administration: RPA can automate administrative tasks in educational institutions, such as
student enrollment, grade processing, and updating student records.

7. Components of RPA
a) Recorder
b) Development Studio
c) Plugin/Extension
d) Bot Runner
e) Control Center

Mr.C.Siva| Assistant Professor / Department of Artificial Intelligence and Data Science

CCS361 - ROBOTIC PROCESS AUTOMATION

a) Recorder
Recorder in robotic automation uses an object recording approach as a primary mode. By default, RPA bots capture
object properties, including their values of active elements throughout the recording. After the recording is
complete, RPA bots find the same elements and repeat the process as they recorded. RPA robots perform actions
such as click, hover, drag, or scroll, on the same elements during script execution. RPA Recorder also includes an
option to modify the workflow and add the system actions manually. These actions may consist of opening
applications, switching to a specific window, working with a clipboard, manipulating Excel files, etc.
[ The recorder is the part of the development studio that developers use to configure the Robots.
 It is like the macro recorder in Excel, the bot recorder in any platform, records steps.
 It records mouse and keyboard movements on the UI and this recording can be replayed to do the same
steps again and again. This enables rapid automation. This component has played a very big role in the
popularity of RPA. ]
b) Development studio
 The development studio is used by developers to create Robot configuration or train the Robots. Using the
development studio, a set of instructions and decision-making logic is coded for Robots to execute.
 Some platforms provide flow-charting capabilities such as Visio, so it becomes very easy to plot steps in a
process, whereas some other platforms require coding.
 In most studios, in order to do commercial development, developers need to have a fair amount of
knowledge of programming, for example, loops, if else, variable assignment, and so on.
c) Extensions and plugins
 Most platforms offer many plugins and extensions to ease the development and running of bots.
 In many applications, such as Java SAP, it is not easy to individually identify controls of the UI through
traditional techniques.
 RPA vendors have developed plugins and extensions to help with these issues.
d) Bot runner
 This is also referred to as the Robot, other components make it run.
e) Control center
 The objective of the control room is to provide Robot management capabilities.
 It monitors and controls a Robot's operation in a network.
 It can be used to start/stop Robots, make schedules for them, maintain and publish code, redeploy Robots to
different tasks, and manage licenses and credentials.
8. RPA Platforms
a) Automation Anywhere
 Automation Anywhere helps to automate business processes for companies. They focus on RPA, cognitive
data (machine learning and natural language processing), and business analytics. Their bots are capable of
handling both structured as well as unstructured data.
 The system has three basic components:
o A development client for the creation of a bot
o A runtime environment for the deployment of a bot
o A centralized command system for handling multiple bots, analyzing their performance
 HQ: San Jose, California, USA
 Est: 2003
 CEO: Mihir Shukla
 Some key clients: Deloitte, Accenture, AT&T, GM, J P Morgan Chase
 Source of revenue by region: Its highest source of revenue is the USA, which accounts for more than half
its revenue, followed by APAC, then UK and continental Europe
 Source of revenue by industry: The Banking, Financial services, and Insurance (BFSI) accounts for more
than half of its revenue, followed by healthcare, telecom, media, and others
b) UiPath
 UiPath is an RPA technology vendor who designs and delivers software that helps automate businesses. The
RPA platform consists of three parts:
o UiPath Studio to design the processes
o UiPath Robot to automate tasks designed in UiPath Studio
o UiPath Orchestrator to run and manage the processes
 HQ: Bucharest, Romania
 CEO: Daniel Dines
 Key Clients: Atos, AXA, BBC, Capgemini, CenturyLink, Cognizant, Middlesea, OpusCapita, and SAP
 Source of revenue by region: North America, Continental Europe, the UK, and APAC
 Source of revenue by industry: BFSI, healthcare, telecom and media, and retail
c) Blue Prism
 Blue Prism aims to provide automation that enterprises can use according to their needs.
 Blue Prism aims to do this by providing automation that is scalable, configurable, and centrally managed.
 It sells its software through its partners, some of which are Accenture, Capgemini, Deloitte, Digital
Workforce Nordic, HPE, HCL, IBM, TCS, Tech Mahindra, Thoughtonomy, and Wipro
 HQ: United Kingdom
 Est: 2001
 CEO: Alastair Bathgate
 Key Clients: BNY Mellon, RWE npower, and Telefonica O2
 Source of revenue by region: More than half of its revenue source comes from the UK, followed by North
America, Continental Europe, and APAC
 Source of revenue by industry: BFSI, health, and pharmaceuticals, retail and consumer, telecom and
media, manufacturing, public sector, travel, and transportation.
d) WorkFusion
 WorkFusion offers automation that is based on RPA and machine learning.
 It delivers software as a solution for automating high volume data.
 WorkFusion enables man and machine to work in tandem while managing, optimizing, or automating tasks.
 HQ: New York, USA
 Est: 2011
CCS361 - ROBOTIC PROCESS AUTOMATION
 CEO: Max Yangkelivich, Andrew Volkov
 Key Clients: Thomson Reuters, Infogroup, Citi, and Standard Bank
 Source of revenue by region: North America provides more than 80% of WorkFusion's revenue, followed
by Europe, APAC, and MEA
 Source of revenue by industry: Around 90% of its revenue comes from the BFSI sector, followed by the
retail and consumer sectors
e) Thoughtonomy
 Thoughtonomy delivers software that helps automate business and IT processes.
 It uses Blue Prism and other automation software and customizes it
 HQ: London, UK
 Est: 2013
 CEO: Terry Walby
 Key Clients: Atos, Fujitsu, CGI, Unite BT, and Business Systems
 Sources of Revenue by region: Around 70% of revenue comes solely from the UK. The rest comes from
Continental Europe, North America, APAC, and the Middle East and Africa (MEA)
 Sources of Revenue by industry: A major part of its revenue comes from third party clients, followed by
BFSI, public sector, telecom, healthcare, retail, and consumer sectors
f) KOFAX
 Kofax's Kapow RPA platform is capable of automating and delivering processes that are repetitive and rule-
based.
 It uses Robots for extracting and consolidating information.
 The software platform consists of a management console to deploy and manage bots, Robot performance,
and a monitoring system.
 This software can also group together high priority tasks that should be completed first by the Robot during
times of high workload. Kofax's software, however, doesn't have machine learning
 HQ: Irvine, California
 CEO: Paul Rooke
 Key Clients: Arrow Electronics, Delta Dental of Colorado, Pitt Ohio, Audi
 Sources of revenue by region: North America accounts for almost half of its revenue, followed by
Continental Europe, APAC, and LATAM (Latin America)
 Sources of revenue by industry: BFSI, retail, consumer, travel, transportation, public sector,
manufacturing, and healthcare

9. Robotic Process Automation Tools

a) Templates
 A template is a preconfigured project that helps speed up automation design when used as a starting point
for new automation projects.
 You can use one of the built-in templates or use custom templates from other sources, such as the
organization-wide template feed.
 In addition, you can create and publish your own custom templates.
 The following built-in project templates are available on the Start tab in Studio Backstage View:
o Background Process
o Mobile Testing Project
o Orchestration Process
CCS361 - ROBOTIC PROCESS AUTOMATION
o Robotic Enterprise Framework
o Trigger Based Attended Automation
o Transactional Process

Custom Templates

 User-defined processes, or test automation projects can be saved as templates to be used in other
automation projects.
 Such templates may contain a particular set of dependencies and built-in workflows with already defined
variables and arguments that can later be used in various projects.
 Studio offers two ways to create your own custom templates, either by using the Template project type in
the Home tab or by exporting a process, or test automation project as a template.
 Creating a Template
1. In the Studio Backstage view, under New Project, click Template.
2. In the new template window, configure the following:
 Choose between a Process and a Test Automation type of template.
 Enter a name for the new project (up to 128 characters) and a description that summaries what you
are aiming to do with this automation project (up to 500 characters).
 Select the location where to create the project. The default location where projects are created is
%USERPROFILE%\Documents\UiPath.
 Select the compatibility and language.
3. Click Create and your template opens in Studio.
4. A pop-up is displayed with information about customizable fields. Click Continue and optionally, select
Don't show again.

b) User Interface
CCS361 - ROBOTIC PROCESS AUTOMATION

1. The Ribbon
2. Quick Access Toolbar
3. Designer panel
4. Properties panel
5. Outline panel
6. Arguments panel
7. Variable panel
8. Import panel
9. Activity panel
10. Library panel
11. Project panel
12. Output panel

The Ribbon

This panel located at the top of the user interface and consists of four tabs:

 START: This is used to start new projects or to open projects previously made.
 DESIGN: This is to create new sequences, Flowcharts, or state machines, or to manage variables.
 EXECUTE: This is used to run projects or to stop them, and also to debug projects.
 SETUP: This panel is for deployment and configuration options; it has three tools
 available:
o Publish: This is used to publish a project or create a shortcut for it and schedule tasks
CCS361 - ROBOTIC PROCESS AUTOMATION
o Setup Extensions: This is used to install extensions for Chrome, Firefox, Java, and Silverlight
o Reset Settings: This is used to reset all settings to defaults:

The Quick Access Toolbar

 This panel gives the user a shortcut to the most used commands. One can also add new commands to this
panel. This is located above the Ribbon on the user interface.
 The Quick Access Toolbar has been circled in the following screenshot and is indicated by the arrow.

Designer panel

 This is the panel where one defines the steps and activities of the projects.
 It is where a developer does most of the things to record activities or manually drop activities on the canvas.
In UiPath, this is equivalent to the code windows of Microsoft Visual Studio.
 When we develop a Robot, this is the window where we will be organizing various activities in a flow or
chain to accomplish a task.

Properties panel

 The panel located on the right-hand side of the user interface is for viewing the properties of the activities
and for making any changes, if required.
 You need to select an activity first and then go to the Properties panel to view or change any of its properties.

Activities panel

 Located on the left-hand side of the user interface, this panel contains all the activities that can be used in
building the project.
 The activities can easily be used in making a project by simply dragging and dropping the required activity
into the required location in the Designer panel.

Project panel

 With the Project panel, you can view the details of your current project and open it in a Windows Explorer
window. It is located on the extreme left-hand side of the design panel, below the Library panel.

Output panel

 This panel displays the output of the log message or write line activities. It also displays the output during
the debugging process. This panel also shows errors, warnings, information, and traces of the executed
project. It is very helpful during debugging. The desired level of detail can be changed in Execute | Options |
Log activities.

c) Domains in Activities
 Finance and Accounting: RPA is used for automating financial processes such as invoice processing,
accounts payable and receivable, reconciliation, financial reporting, and compliance checks.
 Human Resources (HR): In HR, RPA can automate tasks related to employee onboarding and off boarding,
payroll processing, resume screening, leave requests, and benefits administration.
 Supply Chain and Logistics: RPA is applied to automate tasks in supply chain management, including order
processing, inventory management, shipment tracking, and demand forecasting.
CCS361 - ROBOTIC PROCESS AUTOMATION
 Customer Service and Support: RPA is used to automate routine customer service tasks, such as
responding to customer queries, processing orders, updating customer information, and handling support
tickets.
 Healthcare: In the healthcare domain, RPA is applied to automate processes related to claims processing,
appointment scheduling, patient record management, and compliance reporting.
 Insurance: RPA is utilized for automating insurance-related processes such as claims processing, policy
administration, underwriting, and fraud detection.
 Telecommunications: RPA is applied in the telecommunications sector for automating processes like
billing, customer service requests, order fulfillment, and network monitoring.
 Energy and Utilities: RPA is utilized in energy and utility companies for automating tasks related to billing,
meter reading, customer service, and regulatory compliance reporting.
 Education: RPA can be applied in the education sector for automating tasks like student enrollment,
grading, attendance tracking, and course scheduling.

d) Workflow Files.

In UiPath, a workflow file is a file with a ".xaml" extension that contains the instructions and logic for an
automation process. It is written in Extensible Application Markup Language (XAML) and serves as the blueprint for
defining and executing the sequence of actions that a software robot (UiPath Robot) should perform. Here are key
aspects of a workflow file in UiPath:

 File Extension: Workflow files in UiPath have a ".xaml" extension. The file name often reflects the purpose
of the workflow or a specific activity within the automation project.
 Graphical Representation: The content of a UiPath workflow file is represented graphically within UiPath
Studio. The file contains a visual representation of the automation process, including a canvas where
activities are arranged and connected.
 Activities: Activities are the fundamental building blocks of a UiPath workflow. Each activity represents a
specific action or task that the robot should perform, such as clicking a button, typing into a text box, or
reading data from a file.
 Variables and Arguments: Workflow files can include the definition and usage of variables and arguments.
Variables store data that can be manipulated during the execution of the workflow, while arguments allow
data to be passed between different workflows or invoked processes.
 Sequences and Flowcharts: UiPath workflows can be organized into sequences and flowcharts. Sequences
represent a linear set of activities executed in order, while flowcharts allow for more complex branching
and decision-making based on conditions.
 Imports and Dependencies: Workflow files may include imports and dependencies that specify the
libraries or packages required for the execution of the automation process. These dependencies can include
UiPath activities, custom libraries, or third-party components.
 Annotations and Comments: Developers can add annotations and comments within the workflow to
provide additional information about specific activities or sections. This helps document the logic and
purpose of the automation.
 Arguments Panel: UiPath Studio provides an "Arguments" panel where users can define input and output
arguments for the workflow. Arguments enable communication between different workflows or
components.
CCS361 - ROBOTIC PROCESS AUTOMATION
 Activities Panel: The "Activities" panel in UiPath Studio contains a wide range of pre-built activities that
users can drag and drop onto the canvas to build their automation processes. Activities cover a variety of
tasks, from UI interactions to data manipulation.
 Project Structure: A UiPath project typically consists of multiple workflow files organized in a project
structure. The main workflow, often named "Main.xaml," serves as the entry point for the automation.
 State Machines (Optional): UiPath allows the use of state machines for more advanced workflow control.
State machines are used when the automation needs to transition between different states based on
conditions.