As business advances in the 21st century, there is a greater need than ever for quicker processes to a better workflow. One of the methods in which this is being accomplished is through robotic process automation. Robotic process automation (RPA) is the practice of using software bots and code to automate repetitive tasks that otherwise take up valuable human time. RPA achieves the unique feat of never making human mistakes and being available 24/7. This automated process is popping up in several industries, and it’s truly changing the game.
Utilities
The robotic automation process helps deliver efficiency at scale to help deliver better experiences to their end-users. The gas and electric industries use automation to study and address meter-reading exceptions, as well as handle the large volume of customer queries they receive. This process in the digital transformation has been able to deliver real-time insight, benefitting customer service reps within the middle of circumstances like a blackout or major weather event.
RPA can also automate billing and payments based on trends in consumption across geographies, seasons, and more. By affording customers a greater opportunity to pay their bills, there’s less of a wait on snail mail to get a check-in, and potentially sacrifice gas, water, or electric service. Robotic automation allows employees to focus on high-value tasks where the impact of their contribution is visible and increases employee engagement and retention rates.
Financial Services
Perhaps the most common form of automation in banking and financial services is the automated teller machine, better known as an ATM. You see them just about everywhere you go from your local bank to your corner store or gas station. This virtual machine makes it easy for customers to be able to withdraw money from that account everywhere at any time. The simplicity by which customers can grab their cash with these digital systems is the work of incredible innovation.
Robotic innovation provides reliability through customer service as well. In the event of fraudulent charges, banking systems are more vigilant of their data sources, able to identify charges that don’t align with past spending to alert customers quicker. By monitoring repetitive processes, financial systems are able to use automation to spot even a minor change to the way people are using their money and alert them to issues.
Health Care
The automation process has popped up in the health care industry, efficiently managing procedures by creating a streamlined way for doctors and patients to interact. RPA helps manage patient rescheduling, while also assessing vendor data better and providing a greater quality of patient care. This helps to reduce time in the waiting room, while also giving quick access to a patient’s profile at access terminals to avoid any stalls in finding information.
The algorithms within robotic automation are also helping health insurance companies to expedite claims for analysts to address faster than ever. This is done through a standard format that allows for easier outputs and quicker payouts on claims, making the customer experience that much easier for insurers and insured.
Supply Chain And Manufacturing
For companies that handle a large volume of purchase orders, transfer orders, and invoices every day, robotic process automation can streamline these business processes. Automation within a corporate or small business architecture can also help plan purchases based on the orders received while streamlining inventory movement in large warehouses. Robotic process automation can also be used in manufacturing and research applications where large volumes of data need processing. Service providers implement RPA in the software testing space to help speed up the testing and debugging process, making for quicker turnaround and greater collaborating among companies, customers, and vendors.