RPA, or robotic process automation, means using software bots to automate highly repetitive & routine tasks. These tasks are normally performed by employees. Automating these tasks saves you time and money. Robotic automation completes the tasks faster and more efficiently, allowing your existing employees to put their energies into other high-value work.
The outstanding benefits of robotic process automation include:
- Accelerating time to value.
- Reducing human errors.
- Easy scaling.
- Improving analytics.
- Implementing organization-wide changes.
According to McKinsey and Co findings, 62% of organizations in America have up to 25% of the business processes automated but only 2% of organizations have automated all possible processes that can be automated.
What are the automation opportunities in 2021? Let’s explore 10 Best use cases where you can leverage RPA.
1. Sales & marketing
Businesses these days function in highly competitive landscapes. The dynamics of sales & marketing have completely transformed. Old channels no longer deliver. Digital devices and the consumption of digital media enable organizations to deliver highly individualistic sales and marketing messages based on the data collected by robotic bots.
2. Customer servicing
According to Juniper Research, chatbots saved businesses $165 million in 2019 just in the USA. The beauty of chatbots is that existing customers and clients can interact with your support bots using their mobile apps. NLP algorithms and artificial intelligence allow chatbots to automatically update their knowledge base by obtaining data from the questions asked by the customers.
3. Invoice processing
Invoice processing involves lots of repetitive data processing. These processes can be completely automated using RPA software. Invoices can be triggered based on the purchase, time, or any other action performed by the customer that warrants an invoice. Then the invoice can be automatically emailed to the customer with the payment link, and with the payment gateway integration, even the payment can be accepted automatically, and the receipt can be issued, again, automatically.
4. Fleet monitoring with GPS coordinates
One of the industries that have benefited the most from the growth of online retail and e-commerce is logistics. Even conventional transportation services can benefit from automatic GPS tracking and triggering data creation and data capturing based on the location of the vehicle. The movement of the fleet can also be tallied with the fuel consumption, helping you optimize costs and maintenance. Movement sensors can keep track of how many times your vehicles stop and move.
5. Document scanning and digitalization
Highly advanced, AI-powered OCR software solutions are available that can automate the scanning and digitalization of your existing paper documents. These OCR technologies can recognize complex patterns and within those patterns, they can extract values that can then be saved in appropriate data fields. Hundreds of papers can be stacked together and put into the scanner and the robotic process automation software can extract data on its own. RPA software can also extract data from email-based PDF files
6. Data migration from legacy systems
Most of the legacy systems are being upgraded. Data and processes are being transferred to the cloud. Modules are being added. Enterprise applications are being made mobile-friendly. Desktop software is being remade into browser-based apps. The data that existed in silos are being integrated with modern applications. This data can be extracted using API calls by the RPA software. Data formats like CSV can be easily read by automation software instead of your employees manually transferring them. Complex patterns can be recognized. Some artificial intelligence RPA software can even use the power of interpretation to find the hidden meaning of data.
7. Customer onboarding and CRM
It is very important to keep your customers using your products and mobile apps. This can be achieved through advanced CRM processes that are automatically triggered based on the action or inaction of your existing customers. The robotic process automation software can understand the customer’s intent based on his or her activities not just on your own website, but also on other platforms. Send thank-you notes when customers share your links. Use retargeting ads to build brand exposure. Send them birthday and anniversary greetings. Send them product insights and tips & tricks based on their queries with your chatbot. Offer them upgrades automatically.
8. Software updates according to user behavior
Uninterrupted connectivity allows your robotic processes to monitor the activities of your software users (with your consent) and then introduce models according to their needs instead of needlessly bloating your software application on their PCs and mobile apps.
9. Demand supply coordination
This is often a pain point. With streamlined data collection by your robotic process automation software, automatic orders can be placed if you’re running out of the product, or extra orders can be placed foreseeing a seasonal boost.
10. Payroll automation
These are also a bunch of repetitive processes based on well-laid regulations and compliances. Based on performance parameters and the number of hours put by your employees, many payroll processes can be automated to not just accurately reward the deserving candidates but also to optimize your human resources.
