One of the most frequently asked questions regarding RPA is, “How is it any different from regular workflows?
And that’s a good question.
Workflow automation and RPA might seem very similar in function at first glance since they both function to streamline processes, but they are actually very different.
Depending on your business needs, you might find that you only need one of them, or maybe using both simultaneously would fit your needs better. But to make that call, you need to understand the differences between the two.
Let’s answer the question once and for all by examining what it is these two technologies do individually, and then demystifying the differences between them. By the end, you’ll know if you’d benefit more from one tool over the other. Or, maybe for your situation, they’re better together.
What’s the Difference Between RPA and Workflow Automation
What is Robotic Process Automation?
RPA technology uses software bots that can perform individual tasks across your various applications. It’s often used to automate tedious, multi-step, repetitive tasks that are usually performed (and dreaded) by humans.
In practice, these bots can interact with your application user interfaces and make decisions based on rules that you establish, completing each task with incredible accuracy.
It’s also known to be relatively easy to implement, as it doesn’t require coding or deep system integration. This is because it interacts with a wide variety of systems – likely, your existing tech stack included– at a surface level. Plus, it’s highly flexible, making it easy to adjust your use as your needs fluctuate and evolve over time. These features also make it cost-effective to adopt and scale.
Here are some common RPA use cases that can apply to almost any industry:
- HR: Employee onboarding and offboarding, recruitment-focused tasks, time and attendance, and payroll activities.
- IT: System migration and integration, batch processing, data backup and restoration, credential creation, resetting passwords for approved users, master data creation, and server and application monitoring and alerts.
- Accounts Payable: Account closures, downloading invoices, purchase to pay, order to cash, and customer onboarding.
What is Workflow Automation?
While RPA automates individual tasks, workflow automation automates entire business processes, with a special focus on improving the efficiency of a series of related tasks. Think: Just like a line of dominoes, one task in the workflow triggers the next one, and then that task triggers the next one, and so on.
Workflow automation can make complex tasks with many steps run seamlessly, in order, on time, and with high levels of accuracy.
However, it takes longer to set up than RPA, as it requires a deeper understanding of your process’ inner workings. Often, setting up a workflow will also require you to alter the process itself. And that’s certainly not a bad thing, but this side of the investment is still worth considering.
Here are some common workflow automation use cases that can apply to almost any industry:
- HR: Time off request approval, expense reimbursement, and employee role status change.
- IT: Ticket management, asset management, and compliance-related activities.
- Accounts Payable: invoice entry and categorization, invoice data capture and validation, invoice routing dispatch and approval, and invoice accurate matching and verification procedure.
What’s the Difference Between RPA and Workflow?
As we’ve explored so far, we know that both technologies automate. But they vary in how they do it and what they do best. To compare:
- RPA is best at automating tasks that are rule-based and repetitive. It’s also ideal if the tasks in question are consistently the same from one instance to the next. Given this straightforward approach, it’s also designed to mimic human actions with minimal human intervention. And while it’s easier and more inexpensive to implement, manage, and adjust as your needs change compared with workflow, it can come with scalability limitations in comparison.
- Workflow automation is most effective at automating complex, multi-step processes involving many approvals, decisions, and steps. It’s also your best bet if your process requires cross-departmental teamwork. With that, it may sometimes require human decision-making for exceptions. Investment-wise, workflow is often more expensive and time-consuming to implement and maintain versus RPA, but it does offer significant scaling potential.
So, the answer to which tool is best for you will largely depend on which of the above buckets your process’ traits fall into and what your budget and resources are.
How RPA and Workflow Can Make a Perfect Pair
But there is a third option: Using the two tools together.
These two technologies work as a team extremely effectively, which comes as no surprise given the fact that they’re both experts in starkly different areas.
Imagine: You could use a workflow automation tool to keep a process’ tasks running from one to the next with perfect smoothness. You’ve just eliminated the communication breakdowns that cause errors and slow-downs. And since these processes are running through this workflow, your staff is able to manage their work efficiently, collaborating as needed and stepping in to check on exceptions as they arise.
But at the same time, you could implement RPA bots that take your workflow tool’s automation to the next level by automating the individual tasks within the workflow, whether it’s a step involving data entry or document processing. With the two tools working together, you’re now saving even more time and money that your employees can redirect toward other, often more fulfilling strategic work that requires their human brains.
Now that’s the best of both worlds.
Even Stronger with AI
Finally, it’s worth noting that you can maximize the benefits we’ve discussed even further by adding AI into the mix.
While workflow and RPA have been in common use for many years by now, organizations in recent years have started integrating workflow and RPA with AI, which leads to what’s called Intelligent Process Automation (IPA).
With the power of AI, your processes gain access to increased efficiency, become highly responsive to real-time data, and is better able to adapt as it goes.
Take Your Pick
Now that you know your options, it’s time to choose. If you’d like to discuss your unique situation further to make that decision, feel free to drop a question or comment in the chat below – We’ll get back to you as soon as we can.