When you hear the term, “Robotic Process Automation” or “RPA”, you might imagine robots zooming around without human intervention, taking over everyday jobs. While RPA does involve software “robots,” these bots do not exist physically and cannot entirely replicate human cognitive functions. RPA is designed to capture and interpret data by deploying scripts that emulate humans’ actions. It can help simplify tasks and increase efficiency by automating mundane tasks, enabling employees to focus on other more important and often, more profitable duties.
According to the 2021 Office Worker Survey by UiPath, office workers are wasting an average of four-and-a-half hours a week completing tasks that could easily be delegated to a software robot. The most common office-related RPA tasks include employee onboarding, payroll processing, monitoring competition, scheduling, and security. RPA tends to focus on automating repetitive, often rules-based processes, and is commonly confused with traditional automation. While traditional automation makes use of APIs and other ways to integrate various systems, RPA is non-intrusive, easier to implement, and can operate on existing technology infrastructures.
Industries that have adopted RPA solutions include logistics and transportation for shipment planning and tracking, retail for high-quality customer service, and finance for data entries, among others. The events of recent years, caused by the pandemic, have forced more companies to look for ways to implement these technology-based strategies. In particular, the health care industry has accelerated its adoption of RPA, as they have been challenged to provide ever-increasing prompt medical support.
Health care automation
Over the last couple of years especially, RPA has proven to be the solution health care organizations need to deliver a better patient experience. Instead of hiring temporary workers, who often resign when relegated to carrying out low-paying, repetitive tasks, hospitals have begun using RPA to manage records and claims, address queries, and speed up response times.
The adoption of RPA in hospitals has also supported the transition from paper records to electronic. As the number of patients has increased, so have documentation, invoices, and claims. Transitioning to electronic medical records has improved data accuracy and increased processing efficiency.
Demand for telehealth, telemedicine, and telework options has also become vital since the onset of COVID-19. When hospitals were experiencing a lack of medical professionals, RPA-based chatbots were able to serve as intermediary support – collecting data, educating patients on symptoms, as well as scheduling appointments.
RPA is a “low-code” technology, which allows for a wide array of job opportunities, both technical and non-technical. Common automation positions include automation architects, analysts, developers, project managers, and more. According to Grand View Research, investment in RPA is expected to reach $30.85 billion by 2030. As RPA software continues to mature and integrate with other technologies, the demand for skilled tech talent increases.
Automation has transformed work and how it is being completed today. In 2022, it no longer makes sense for highly skilled employees to spend their valuable time on tedious tasks that could easily be automated. RPA has become and will continue to be, an inseparable part of business operations, providing a better client experience and lifting companies to new heights.
