INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
The fear that robots will one day take our jobs is a common one despite the fact that robots are already working alongside humans in a
However, not in the way that you might think
Robotic process automation (RPA) employs robots or rather AI workers to help businesses automate a wide variety of tasks and workloads.To
evangelist Guy Kirkwood.How does UiPath help businesses be more productive?Through its Robotic Process Automation (RPA) platform, UiPath
provides organizations with software robots that can be used to automate repetitive, mundane tasks; the sort of stuff that workers dislike
as greater opportunity for innovation
implementing RPA.(Image credit: UiPath)The company was founded in Romania and later moved its headquarters to New York
What prompted this move and has it paid off?UiPath moved its headquarters to New York City in 2017
New York is a known hub of enterprise software companies, and the firm was eager to become part of its vibrant business and tech community
Not only that, but several of its early customers are based in New York, including financial institutions, banks and insurance
with existing and prospective customers and partners
This intimacy is not restricted to NYC, UiPath now has operations in 34 countries as it realized that local knowledge and relationships are
invaluable to effective growth
even spread is extremely unusual in the business that is essentially only four years old.Lastly, New York attracts top-tier tech
(specifically developer) talent due to its large population and nearby schools
Since its move, UiPath has been continually amazed by the tech talent NYC has to offer
So much so that since moving into a new building on Park Avenue in the summer of 2018, headcount has doubled, and the company had to make
additional space in Brooklyn.How are businesses using RPA to automate mundane tasks and can you give us some examples of the kinds of
processes that are being automated?Businesses are deploying RPA to efficiently manage large-scale processing in ways that are customizable
throughout each individual business
RPA is currently being used across almost all industries and functions, including IT, finance and accounting, human resources and customer
For example, State Auto, a super-regional insurance holding company headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, uses RPA for back-office tasks
Auditors at State Auto go through thousands of policies to determine recommendations for changing rates
unconnected systems, selecting codes and making drop-down selections
With robots in place, this activity happens rapidly and error-free, releasing individuals from time-consuming, and mind-numbing, tasks
job satisfaction, driving productivity and enhancing customer service
helping with the implementation of RPA, as CIOs own the necessary infrastructure for the deployment of robots
that had traditionally been the preserve of the IT teams
By operating through the user interface (UI), RPA could provide the same or better benefits much more quickly and much cheaper
password resets, ITSM and BPM/ERP integrations, as it is for their colleagues in business operations.Image credit: Shutterstock(Image
credit: Image credit: Shutterstock)How can organizations strike the right balance between IT and business?As with any business operating or
department working with any other, the answer is partnership
IT has to be comfortable that the business has the sufficient (and robust) compliance and governance processes and tools in place to protect
In turn, the business itself must be comfortable knowing that IT supports the move to a more automated future where robots and humans work
differing systems that link into their platform: it is cheaper, faster and more robust given the continually changing application landscape
Think about it, if both systems have a UI, RPA can act as the bridge.How does UiPath plan to move into more front-office and customer facing
areas?With the proven success of RPA in the back office, due in large part to the fantastic work that Blue Prism, the inventors of RPA and
erstwhile competitors of UiPath, has demonstrated since 2002, there is increasing demand to leverage RPA more in the front office
Already, RPA is used in the front office to shorten transaction times in call centers and help employees tackle large volumes of incoming
requests.RPA can also help enhance customer communication by controlling a contact schedule, triggering reminders when it is time for
employees to follow up with customers or manage a complaint
Beyond that, RPA can also send automated messages to customers to allow for faster replies.This is why UiPath has seen the balance between
work that they want to do) is changing
the fantastic resource created by analyst firm Everest Group! The Smart RPA Playbook is the step-by-step guide that helps organizations of
all sizes, and in all industries, to scale RPA from initial pilot to what they term as Pinnacle; where automation is in every part of the
