What is RPA (Robotic Process Automation)?

What is RPA?

RPA (Robotic Process Automation) uses software bots to perform repetitive steps that people normally do on a computer screen. A bot can log into an application, fill a form, download a file, process spreadsheet rows, and copy the result into another system.

RPA is often used when existing applications do not provide APIs or when an operations team needs a quick improvement without changing core systems. That strength also makes it fragile: if the screen layout changes, the bot’s steps may fail.

Types of RPA

• Attended RPA: An employee starts the bot on their own machine, such as a support agent launching a customer check.
• Unattended RPA: The bot runs on a server by schedule or event and does not wait for human input.
• Rule-based bot: Follows clear if-else decisions.
• Document and OCR-assisted bot: Extracts data from invoices, forms, or PDFs.

Business Use

RPA is common in invoice entry, reconciliation, shipment tracking checks, customer record transfer, and recurring report preparation. The automation goal is specific: take over repeated steps, not replace human judgment.

If the process can be redesigned from the ground up, BPM, API integration, or custom software may be more durable. RPA works best for narrow tasks where the current systems must stay in place and the time saving can be measured quickly.