How to choose the right tool to implement RPA

Robotic Process Automation, AKA RPA is creating quite a buzz in the automation world. It is on the list of every chart that ranks the top most modern trending technologies in the world. It made those lists because it is transforming Business Process Automation with its ‘software robots’. An easy definition of RPA would be- ‘The use of software robots to perform various business tasks accurately with no human intervention’. But, in order to implement RPA to automate your business processes, you need a tool that is specifically designed for the implementation of RPA.

There are many tools available in the market to implement RPA. Understanding the key functionalities of an RPA tool is vital in order to choose a suitable tool for your organization. As you already know, RPA uses software robots or bots to execute various business processes. These software robots must be able to:

• Gather inputs from other systems and decide its course of actions based on them.
• Program other bots or software robots through an interface.
• Interact with other systems via API integrations and screen scraping.

Now that we understand the core functionalities of RPA tools, it is important to select the most suitable tool for your business. Weigh your requirements against the following parameters before finalizing your selection:

• Security- The tool should be able to provide ironclad security to your organization’s data.
• Cost- Ensure that the tool you’ve chosen meets all your expectations and is within your budget.
• Scalability- Avoid complications by choosing a tool that can adapt to any kind of change based on the requirement.
• Technology- Keep in mind that the tool must not be dependent on any platform but is able to gel well with other platforms and applications with ease.
• Support & Maintenance- Have a good support model so that the tool obliges to your Service Agreements.
• Usage & Control- Whichever tool you choose, ensure that it does not need much training and is completely user-friendly.

Choose a tool that meets all your requirements and the above-mentioned parameters. Now, let’s take a look at the list of all the tools of RPA available in the market.

1. Blue Prism
2. UiPath
3. Automation Anywhere
4. Softomotive
5. Pega
6. KOFAX
7. GIANT
8. WorkFusion
9. Contextor
10. Jacada

If you examine the market trends of these tools, three tools often compete for the top spot. The top 3 trending tools of RPA are:

1. Ui Path– Ui Path is easily the most popular tool amongst all three tools. This is because it provides an environment that is completely user-friendly as it has a simple visual designer. Employees need not have high programming skills to learn this tool. Also, this tool provides a trial version as well as a community version for your personal use.
2. Blue Prism– While Blue Prism does not offer a trial version, it is very easy to learn. This is because, Blue Prism also has a visual designer that is extremely user-friendly i.e., very little programming skills are required to learn this tool.
3. Automation Anywhere- Probably not as popular the other two, but, Automation Anywhere offers a trial version of the tool. This tool is developer-friendly and requires very high programming skills to learn.

As there are so many RPA tools available in the market, it is highly advised to understand your requirements prior to the selection of the tool. For the selecting part, make a list of tools that satisfies your requirement. Choose the tool that best suits your business and begin the implementation process.