Introduction:
Robotic process Automation is nothing but an automated process to replace the manual tasks. It allows business users or employees in a company to configure their system with a trusted software or a robot to capture and interpret existing applications for processing a transaction, manipulating data, triggering responses and communicating with other digital systems.
Robotics Process Automation has changed the way companies offer their services by allowing users to ease, accelerate, and improve the accuracy of manual and repetitive tasks. Robotic process automation is better than other testing tools.
What is RPA?
Robotic Process Automation – RPA
R -> Robotic:
An entity which is capable of being programmed by a computer for doing complex tasks is known as robot.
P-> Process:
A Sequence of steps that lead to a meaningful activity or tasks is known as a process.
A-> Automation:
When task happens automatically without any human intervention.
It is also implemented with the help of coding with tools which supports RPA.
What is RPA and what’s Not?
| RPA | RPA is NOT |
| It is a computer coded software, an application | It can’t walk, talk like auto bots. |
| It works cross functional and cross application platforms | It is not like physical machine or processing paper |
| RPA- It’s a program/application that replaces repetitive human tasks or can automate functionality. | A system implementation of Artificial Intelligence or Voice recognition Software. |
Business processes for which RPA can be used:
- Repetitive tasks or processes.
- Periodic reporting, data entry and data analysis.
- Mass email generation, archiving & extracting.
- Conversion of data formats and graphics.
- ERP transactions.
- Process list and file storage.
Tools used to implement RPA:
- UI Path
- Blue Prism
- Automation Anywhere. Etc.,
Software processes in Robotic Automation:
The tool Automation Anywhere helps the users to automate the complete business processes. It explores the software as a combination of traditional RPA with cognitive elements such as natural language processing and reading unstructured data.
Additional properties of test cases supported by AA are,
- Test cases Status
- Test case priority
- You can set the test cases;how many times you want the tasks to be repeated
- Email notification once the test case is completed
- Task scheduling permits
Automation Anywhere creates the scripts based on record and playback:
Recorder (For Windows applications) -> It allows you to record, save, and run the testing actions. Once recording is complete, you can begin executing the desired actions against your application.
Web recorder-> Same as the Recorder behaviour; it allows us to record and playback our scripts but there’s a special cross-browser recorder for web applications.
Object recorder-> This recorder helps to identify the elements made with the caption, the index, and the attributes.
Other options in Automation Anywhere:
Task Editor, Keystrokes and mouse, Program files and windows, Logging to file, manage window controls, System, Conditions and loops, Pause and delays, Image recognition, Web data extraction (structured and unstructured), Find broken links, FTP actions, Integrating scripts and other tasks.
Benefits of RPA?
- Most Accurate results: As the tasks are performed by the bots.
- Flexible: Test process is not depending on the type of software under test, whether it is web based, desktop application or mobile application.
- Less coding: No need to memorize any syntax.
- Simple: Easy to create a process through simple drag and drop of scripts.
- Scalability: It can be achieved by assigning work to multiple workstations.
- Cost saving: Huge reduction in cost as very minimal workforce is required.
- Productivity: As it is robotic, productivity will be very high.
- Process Life Cycle: It will process without any human intervention; Trained once and used forever.
Conclusion:
To reduce human effort and save time is to automate the repeated human tasks. To run the business processes in a cost-effective way, RPA is the one of the solutions.
Reference link:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robotic_process_automation
http://www.askeygeek.com/robotic-process-automation-rpa-what-why-how-all-you-need-to-know/
