Every business has that task that comes back every week. Copying data from a website into a spreadsheet, issuing the same kind of document for several customers, checking a list line by line, downloading a report from a portal. Nobody was hired to do it, yet someone on the team does it, always the same way.
That is the kind of work RPA (robotic process automation) was made for. In this post we explain what RPA is in plain words, when it makes sense, what it does not solve and how to get started without overcomplicating things.
What RPA is, in plain words
RPA is a software robot. Not a metal machine: a program that uses websites and systems the same way a person would. It opens the page, signs in with a username and password, fills in fields, clicks buttons, reads what shows up on screen and saves the result.
The difference is consistency. The robot follows the steps in the same order every time, without rushing, without skipping a step and without getting distracted halfway through. That is why we like to think of it as a digital employee that works every day, nonstop, on tasks with clear rules. You set up the routine once, and from then on it runs on autopilot.
A robot or a direct integration between systems?
Some systems can exchange data directly with each other, with nobody at the screen. That is called an integration. When one exists and covers the whole task, it is usually the most direct route.
The catch is that many sites offer no integration, or only part of what you need. Supplier websites, older systems and public portals tend to fall into this group. That is where the robot comes in: it uses the same screen your team already uses.
The two approaches also work together. Your company's system can send the task to BotHub, and the robot does the work on the other site's screen, without anyone having to click anything.
What the robot does well
- Tasks with clear rules. If you can write the steps down on paper, you can teach them to the robot.
- Volume. A whole spreadsheet becomes one task per row, and nobody has to repeat anything.
- Off-hours work. It works at the scheduled time, including overnight and on weekends.
- Results ready to check. What the robot did is in your dashboard, ready to download, and if something goes wrong it tries again on its own.
What the robot does not do
The robot does not make decisions for you. If a website is down or slow to respond, it tries again on its own, up to 3 times. If it still does not work, the task ends in an error and does not count against your plan.
It is not instant, either: results usually come within the next hour. For tasks with a deadline, schedule them with time to spare.
And it does not replace the judgment of people who know the business. Approving a discount, negotiating with a customer or deciding what to do with an unusual case is still human work. The robot takes care of the repetitive part so there is more time for that.
Precautions before you automate
Websites change without notice
The robot works on other sites' screens, and those screens can change without notice, and the automation may then need adjusting. If the problem is temporary, like the site being down, the robot tries again on its own, up to 3 times.
Captchas
Some sites show a captcha (the "I am not a robot" test). When an automation needs to get past one, there is a separate charge on top of your runs, with the price available on request: you get the price before you start, it is billed only when it happens and it is itemized in your dashboard statement.
Where the passwords live
To do its job, the robot needs to sign in to your systems. At BotHub, passwords are kept in a vault. The robot only uses them when it runs the task you set up, you can change a password whenever you like, and once saved it is no longer shown on screen.
A tip: when the system allows it, create a user just for the robot, with access only to what the task needs. More on our Security page.
How to start small
- Pick a single routine. The best candidate is one that repeats, always follows the same steps and eats up the team's time.
- Write down the steps as they are today, including what the person checks before calling the task done.
- Test with a few cases. Every new account starts with 100 free runs, no card needed.
- In the first few weeks, check in your dashboard what the robot has done.
- Then expand: more rows, more schedules, another routine.
Starting small helps you find the exceptions in the process before they show up at volume. Every routine has cases nobody remembered, and it is better to meet them with ten rows than with a thousand.
Next step
Pick a ready-made routine in the automation catalog and try it with 100 free runs, no card needed. If your process is unique to your company, talk to us: we build the automation for you and put it to work.