Intelligent Process Automation is an emerging set of new technologies that combines fundamental process redesign with robotic process automation and machine learning. It is a suite of business process improvements and next-generation tools that assists the knowledge worker by removing repetitive, replicable, and routine tasks. And it can radically improve customer journeys by simplifying interactions and speeding up processes. Intelligent Process Automation mimics activities carried out by humans and, over time, learns to do them even better. Traditional levels of rule-based automation are augmented with decision-making capabilities thanks to advances in deep learning and cognitive technologies. The promise is radically enhanced efficiency, increased worker performance, reduced operational risks, and improved response times and customer experiences.
Let’s take a look at the five core technologies that encompass intelligent process automation.
- RPA – a software automation tool that automates routine tasks such as data extraction and cleaning through existing user interfaces. The robot has a user ID just like a person and can perform rules-based tasks such as accessing email and systems, performing calculations, creating documents and reports, and checking files.
- Smart Workflows – a process management software tool that integrates tasks performed by groups of humans and machines.
- Machine Learning and Advanced Analytics – algorithms that identify patterns in structured data such as daily performance data through supervised and unsupervised learning. Supervised algorithms learn from structured data sets of inputs and outputs before making predictions based on new inputs on their own. Unsupervised algorithms observe structured data and begin to provide insights on recognized patterns.
- Natural Language Generation – software engines that create seamless interactions between humans and technology by following rules to translate observations from data into prose.
- Cognitive Agents – technologies that combine machine learning and natural language generation to build a completely virtual workforce or agent capable of executing tasks, communicating, learning from data sets, and even making decisions based on emotion detection. Cognitive agents can be used to support employees and customers over the phone or via chat, such as employee service centers.
Using these five technologies combined as Intelligent Process Automation, robots can do the following:
- replace manual clicks using robotic process automation;
- interpret text-heavy communications using natural language generation;
- make rule-based decisions using machine learning;
- offer customer solutions and suggestions using cognitive agents;
- provide real-time tracking of handoffs between systems and people using smart workflows.
