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Background In the ever-changing evolving dynamic world, need for skilled base man power is growing and is influencing innovation around reducing rather eliminating all historic time and effort activities, been carried out by human. Just for remembrance from late 90’s, the biggest challenge of BPO sector was to avoid human negligence in copy pasting details from PDF to Excel form and data that use to run in million lines. Often, we will hear now Generation Z expressing their dissatisfaction around repetitive and monotones job profiles. Generation Alpha getting ready to search for job profiles would get surprised to see how accounts were prepared in 90’s. The art of developing human like machines who can do exactly the same activity faster, accurately, all the time and with determined ownership towards end result. Robotic Process Automation is a software technology, easy to build, deploy and manage work eliminating defined repetitive human actions. Using a software do human task allows later to concentrate on complex decision making or processing stuff which as on date is yet not covered by a automation software and at the same time is faster, cheaper, maintain standard flow and is extremely manageable. Example, a software can screen 100+ profiles to categorize most relevant to Finance Profile and recruitment team will save 10 days of TAT and appropriate screening man hours. Robot can reach out to all eligible relevant profiles and schedule a meeting, providing all the essentials in attachment or voice message. Now the precious time of recruitment team is to interact and decide basis one on one interaction and only because the human aspect on emotions recommends this discussion should ideally not be automated. The choice of deploying, to what extent and where allows organization to be more flexible, relevant, profitable and be available. In fact, it’s best suitable for automating workflows that involve old legacy systems that lack APIs, database access and virtual desktop infrastructures (VDIs). Intelligent Process Automation also serves the same purpose as RPA but its advanced model and technology that combines artificial intelligence, cognitive automation and machine learning. IPA will take RPA capability to the next level on deployment, is cheaper and covers a larger landscape. IPA is a cheaper, smarter and efficient technique that serves a lot more around productivity and comfort on usage. Instead of just mimicking like human being, IBA will allow thinking, learning and adapting to the situation and data work flow. Signing into desktop, recognizing natural language and interpretating, filling up a form with basic information are all example of IPA. Now do we see any similarities in RPA and IPA, of course. IPA in a way is advanced, upgraded and next level to RPA. It handles more complex processes, critical data formation and most importantly takes decisions. RPA is a simple and continuous repeat of what has been mentioned while IPA can take smarter decision in order to reach to an expected outcome. RPA can help and very well be the initial road and allow organization to get matured with automation initiatives involving IPA. Similarity statement between RPA and IPA also voice out logical difference. Some of them are narrated below for a quick reference. S. No RPA IPA 1. RPA uses structured input and logics but is not impactful with variables. IPA uses unstructured input and develop its own logic, adapts with Variables 2. Is a software-based Robot, rule based that needs a rule feed on what do with Exceptions Combination of RPA with AI Technology. Smart enough to interpretate and handle exceptions. 3. Automate repeatable human action and behaviour. “Mimicking like Humans” Handle more complex processes and have the ability to learn and decide. “Act like Humans” 4. Evolved from Screen Scrapping, Workflow and Artificial Intelligence Build in with RPA along with Natural Learning Processing, Machine Learning, Data Extraction and AI 5. Best suitable for High Volume Processing. Saving Time and efforts Best suitable where decision making is needed to move between steps. It will be everything which is RPA but smarter and flexible 6. RPA has its restrictions; analyst still need to spend time in retraining Bot IPA automates more and automates more efficiently, adapts, learns on its own. 7. Productivity is limited to the scope of work is with activity rather processes Cost of Adaption is cheaper and generates more productivity 8. Easy to use and don’t require deep technology skills and ranges from basic to mature Significantly complex and hence skill requirement ranges from matured to advanced. 9. Generally Human Dependency is reduced and not absolutely avoided. IPA can elevate the process to run without manual intervention needed Where is IPA heading towards…. It has been said about “Chess” it is a mind game and works to sharpen the human mind. World Champions across world are considered to brilliant mind. But with technological advancement, Automated game is very much capable of defeating human mind for its adaptability to think, react and act just like human being except for the fact it will not forget to make a loop of what best it learnt in giving situation. An example from mail management, with a simple RPA we can deploy a Bot to send one pre-formatted mail across individually to multiple mail id. With IPA, Bot has the capability to read the body of the mail and interpretate the severity, category and assign the mail to a specific individual. Another example from a Call Centre, RPA can assign calls to the specified calling agents and note the Call Handling Time. Using IPA, the BOT can measure and comment on the Agents Call Quality. It can interpretate the sentiments and reaction of the customer and guide logical solutions.

1. Robotic Process Automation: RPA is used to perform repetitive human task, It is rule based actions to perform a task like automatic reply to an email. Software based bots which are capable of automating human actions or behavior are considered as RPA.RPA makes routine task quicker, more reliable, efficient and reducing human efforts to lowest possible extent. Workflow automations, Screen scrapping, Data capturing at particular conditions are some of the applications where industry is using RPA . 2. Intelligent Process automation: IPA = RPA+ Artificial intelligence + Machine Learning. IPA are required to perform more complex and end to end process solutions with decision making capabilities. IPA enables business to automate process by removing repetitive, monotonous & routine task from the process and make process more efficient. It uses fundamentals of process redesign mostly. One of the best example of RPA and RPA to IPA conversion used in the industry is managing data base of employee attendance and managing pay roll from that available data. Managing employee attendance was very large scale data handling process and required minimum error as it is linked to employee compensation . We have many RPA based applications where large organizations using these attendance data and leave balance data to generate consolidated report . Further to this, now a days some industry is using employee attendance data to digital workforce allotment on shop floor. Once employee punches his attendance at Factory gate , based on his skill level and subject matter expertise ,he gets area/machine allocation automatically. Here RPA of employee attendance further linked with employee skill map matrix and allowed system to take decision on machine/area allocation to employee on Realtime basis as per production planning and requirement in area. This has improved productivity and removed extra processing of workforce allotment manually to each employee. There are many other examples of hyper automation through IPA like Managing freight cost through optimum route selections, Procure to pay cycle automation with cost comparison, Customer relationship management, Real time Quality management, Financial transactional RPA with fraud detection analytics etc. Regards, Hirak