When we say Robotic process automation (RPA) is one of the fastest growing technologies in the enterprise software market and one of the most widely adopted technologies among organizations, we’re NOT overstating! Let’s go over a few statistics:
RPA is undoubtedly one of the most promising emerging technologies with several high value business benefits including automation of repetitive and manual tasks, integration with backend systems, reducing business costs and so on. RPA is helping organizations not only accelerate their digital transformation initiatives but also improve ROI from their past technology investments.
And just in the case of any other technology, success with RPA depends on the software you implement. The RPA software market is rapidly evolving – new vendors are entering the market and mature vendors are adding new capabilities and enhancements. In addition, RPA, as a technology is fast evolving – thereby diversifying the use cases.
As an RPA services provider, we have worked with and evaluated different RPA tools. We’d like to share our experiences and insights through this article.
If you’re planning to start your RPA journey and want to make an informed decision for choosing the right RPA tool, please read on!
Top 9 Best RPA Tools
RPA Tool #1 UiPath
UiPath RPA is considered one of the industry leaders in robotic process automation. Their RPA tool is designed such that they can be installed on Windows desktops, Microsoft Azure and servers where routine tasks, normally done by humans, are automated. The automation robots are implemented without making any changes to the legacy system, and can be trained to interact with the interface just like a human. UiPath robots are controlled by another entity known as the Orchestrator, which monitor events and triggers the robot to respond to them effectively.
Are you a Microsoft customer?
If you are using Microsoft products for your organization, you might be interested in knowing that Both UiPath and Acuvate’s BotCore (enterprise chatbot builder platform) are Microsoft Global Co-Sell Ready solutions. They can be used by customers in their Azure subscription.
UiPath has recently been named a Leader in Gartner’s 2019 Magic Quadrant for Robotic Process Automation Software and is currently expanding rapidly into AI. Technology that makes visual information extraction is also underway and UiPath is working on improving their machine vision tools. This technology is designed to focus on optical character recognition and converts letters and numbers into machine-understandable formats.
Some of the features of UiPath that make it a preferred RPA solution, include:
- Support for both web and desktop applications
- Legacy application integrations
- Automated data entry
- Virtual terminal or cloud environment hosting
- Auto-login to the interface to deploy the bots
- Scraping solution compatible with a variety of frameworks such as .Net, Java, Flash, PDF, Legacy, and SAP
RPA Tool #2 Blueprism
Blue Prism has been named a Leader in Gartner’s 2019 Magic Quadrant for Robotic Process Automation Software. Blue Prism RPA automates repetitive, manual, rule-based back office processes and believes in a “code-free canvas” for training your bots to emulate humans. It uses AI and machine learning to constantly train RPA bots to become more and more adept at handling instructions and understanding end-user expectations.
The tool is designed with a convenient drag-and-drop feature. BluePrism also maintains digital exchange of services and technology with other third-party providers wherein plugins and add-ons can be purchased to make the RPA tool more effective.
Some of the features of BluePrism that make it a preferred RPA solution, include:
- Easy implementation – The duration for end-to-end implementation and integration with your existing IT framework takes anywhere between 4 to 6 weeks.
- Security – The tool has a secure and centrally managed virtual network of software robots that is encrypted.
- It has an efficient work distribution method in which tasks are queued in the order of priority and tackled one after the other.
- It has a host of robust features such as process auditing and load balancing.
- Control Room – Real-time feedback is offered and used to improve existing processes.
RPA Tool #3 Automation Anywhere
Automation Anywhere has a bot store that offers tools to automate standard tasks including data extraction from spreadsheets, files or web pages. Their bots are also capable of taking care of customer feedback and issue tracking by storing information in databases. They can also be deployed for invoice processing and other routine tasks. Automation Anywhere also offers a free “community edition” for small businesses with a limited workflow.
RPA Tool #4 Nintex RPA
After their acquisition of EnableSoft (maker of Foxtrot RPA), Nintex has been making great strides in the RPA revolution. With Nintex RPA, you can leverage trained RPA bots using a simple drag and drop interface and without having to code. A key advantage of the solution is that you don’t have to pay for the number of bots or new processes you deploy. You will be charged only for the processes you automate. The solution provides 300+ actions with which you can connect with a variety of legacy apps, spreadsheets, websites etc., and get tasks automated.
RPA Tool #5 Microsoft Power Automate
Another super exciting tool to watch for is UI Flows in Microsoft Power Automate (Currently in preview). With the introduction of UI Flows, Microsoft is set to take Power Automate to the next level by enabling automation at scale across legacy and modern applications. It offers the same cloud-based low/no-code experience that Power Automate currently does. It extends Power Automate’s capabilities by helping build RPA atop the UI of applications which don’t provide APIs. Since this is a part of Office 365, it will be a go-to RPA solution choice for Microsoft Office 365 and Azure customers.
And the innovation doesn’t end there! Imagine the possibility of connecting this new RPA-enabled Power Automate with Microsoft’s Power Virtual Agents (Chatbot builder without having to code!). This integration of front office chatbots with back office RPA bots can create a true end-to-end intelligent automation.
RPA Tool #6 Another Monday
Another Monday offers a complete suite of end-to-end automation tools including AM Muse that is used for automatic documentation of process logic.
Some of the features of Another Monday that make it a preferred RPA solution, include:
- A drag and drop implementation interface.
- A split and pull architecture for maximum efficiency and scalability.
- Straightforward and centralized administration through AM Monitor.
- Full capacity operation with little to no idle time.
RPA Tool #7 NICE
NICE provides supervised and unsupervised back-office assistants for employees to reduce repetitive tasks. These robots first learn by assisting humans and then can then work autonomously in the back office. It provides connectors which can be integrated with common back-office systems like SAP, .Net and Siebel servers. NICE provides both cloud and on-premise solutions.
RPA Tool #8 Pegasystems
Pega provides a wide range of tools including chatbots, pure RPA, DevOps support tools and so on. It can deployed on desktop servers, however the company offers only cloud based solutions. The software is ideal for medium and large sized businesses. Pega can be used for many popular enterprise use cases like onboarding customers or automating financial transactions.
RPA Tool #9 KOFAX
Kofax robots can capture data from any standard data sources including CSV, JSON, email etc. The tool’s Robotic Synthetic API enables a traditional approach to programming. Instructions to the bots can be given through any common programming languages like Java and Python. It also helps you deploy and manage robots with a centralized server. Any glitches can be tracked with the tool’s analytics dashboard. The tool can be integrated with any of your content management systems which is another major plus.
While these are some of the major RPA tools in use today, you can also explore other tools like:
- NTT-AT
- Automai
- EdgeVerve Systems
- OpenConnect
- HelpSystems
If you’re planning to implement RPA in your organization or need help in evaluating RPA tools, please feel free to get in touch with us for a personalized consultation.
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