In many organizations, the first step toward automation and AI/ML is the adoption of robotic process automation (RPA) technologies.
Many businesses are using RPA to improve cost and efficiency of IT processes. In many cases, reducing errors, time, cost, and redundant operations improves workflow for customers and other stakeholders.
At its core, RPA helps organizations automate defined, multi-step manual tasks that are largely done. RPA does this by creating software robots that replicate human behavior to interface with existing application programs.
RPA has the potential to reduce costs by 30% to 50%. It's a smart investment that can significantly improve an organization's bottom line. It is very flexible and can handle a wide range of tasks, including process replication and web scraping.
RPA can help predict errors and reduce or eliminate entire processes. It also helps you stay ahead of the competition by using intelligent automation. It can improve the digital customer experience by creating personalized services.
One way to get started with RPA is to use open source tools, which have no upfront costs. Here are five options to consider for your first RPA initiative, the pros and cons of each, and advice on how to choose the right tool for your company.
Why open source?
At Accenture, my team primarily implements RPA using commercial tools, but we also use open source tools and may use a combination for a given client. That said, the open source option is an easy way to get into the RPA space without making a huge investment in software.
Open source reduces your software licensing costs compared to commercial RPA tools. On the other hand, it may require additional implementation costs and lead time, and you need to rely on the open source community for support and updates. (See the discussion in "With AIOps, Think Twice Before Open Source" for more details on some of the potential downsides.)
Yes, there are tradeoffs between commercial and open source RPA tools -- I'll get to those in a minute. However, when used as operational components of an RPA implementation, open source tools can improve the overall ROI of enterprise projects. Here is our list of contenders.
1. Tasks
Taskt, formerly known as sharpRPA, is a free C# program built using the .NET framework with an easy-to-use drag-and-drop interface that lets you automate processes without any coding.
My team often works with clients who only have C# development skills, and Taskt is a great tool for C#-centric teams to use to get started with RPA.
You can explore Taskt through examples on GitHub, where you can also find a step-by-step guide to setting up a task automation process. Many of our developers have strong Microsoft/Azure backgrounds and find it much easier to create scripts with Taskt in C#. The tool has a Microsoft influence that will benefit teams that prefer the Visual Studio or Azure development environments.
Bottom line: Taskt is a great tool if your team is used to developing Microsoft C# solutions.
2. Robot Framework
Robot Framework's large community of open source developers makes it the most advanced and stable open source RPA solution on this list. There are several main benefits of using Robot Framework:
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The Vendor Alliance supports the open source community to update core products.
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Robot Framework runs on multiple platforms, making it easier for development teams to adopt and implement it.
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The core framework can be extended through an extensive library of plugins.
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The default bot for copy automation can be extended based on the needs of the business.
While my team uses Robot Framework a lot, the tool is complex and may not be the best choice if you are looking to prototype your first RPA solution or if you are new to RPA. That said, experienced RPA developers will appreciate how you can use Robot Framework to manage complex RPA tasks.
3. Tag UI (TagUI)
TagUI is a multi-layered and complex tool with a rich scripting language that allows you to complete complex RPA instructions. You use TagUI's scripting language to develop each set of instructions, called a "flow", and save them in a text file with a ".tag" extension. You can then execute each process using a terminal window/command prompt.
Each flow script recognizes the following:
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Instructions for accessing the website or opening the app
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where to tap the screen
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what to type
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IF and LOOP instructions
The richness of TagUI's scripting language makes it a favorite of our team. We can get the tool up and running quickly, scripts can be shared as .tag files to create libraries, and maintaining script libraries is easy. TagUI is suitable for intermediate or advanced teams implementing RPA.
4. UI.Vision (Cantu)
UI.Vision (formerly Kantu), runs either as a standalone client on the desktop or as a plug-in in a web browser. It doesn't require you to learn how to script, as it's driven by a point-and-click interface. This makes UI.Vision a great tool if you are new to RPA and have limited IT resources.
That said, my team rarely uses UI.Vision. We used it to demonstrate the capabilities of RPA in a live demo, but the tool lacked the functionality needed for more complex scenarios supported by other tools on this list - a tradeoff you get with a point-and-click interface. More complex controls require scripting and terminal window access which are not supported by UI.Vision.
5. Open RPA
While Open RPA offers many customization and automation capabilities, its main difference is its architecture. In short, Open RPA is a mature tool that can support and scale for companies of all sizes. It supports many of the features listed by the other tools listed above, including:
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remote management
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remoting status
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Integrate with leading cloud providers
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scheduling
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Analytics Dashboard
Open RPA is listed here due to the many active project contributors in the open source community; you can expect to see updates several times a week. My team has limited exposure to using Open RPA, so we can't vouch for it, but I'm listing it as an alternative solution you might want to try.
Open Source vs. Commercial RPA Tools
For many small and medium-sized companies, the upfront licensing costs are a barrier to starting an RPA initiative. In these cases, open source may be your best option. In larger companies, open source tools may help fill gaps that commercial products may not, such as automation Python.
RPA is an emerging technology that is still in the early stages of adoption in many organizations. This is one reason why open source and commercial tools can complement each other.
There is no one-size-fits-all solution here, so you should focus on the benefits and value that RPA provides, and what tools are available within your budget to unlock that value. As your plan matures, your toolbox will likely contain both commercial and open source elements. But open source is a great way to get started.
simple start
Open source RPA tools have a significant benefit: since there are no licensing fees, you can use the software without going through the process of requesting a budget. Note that licensing is usually only a small fraction of the total cost required to run an RPA tool.
In fact, open source tools are often more expensive to deploy and can increase risk.
Also, to scale RPA, you need people who are skilled at writing scripts and managing the environment in which the bots run. The need for skilled RPA engineers becomes more important as companies begin to understand how to automate other areas of the business and RPA needs to grow.
When developing an RPA strategy, start by choosing a simple open source tool to quickly illustrate the value of RPA. Then, when you move from prototyping to scale deployment, you'll need something more complex.
What's more, no single RPA tool fits all needs, so it's best to combine commercial and open source solutions with a team skilled in using these tools to meet all your organization's needs.
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