Smart Industry 2/2018

are so quick,” he says. Large independent
software vendors such as Microsoft
and Oracle are also anxious to put
RPA into their platforms because of
its inherent value but also because it
opens doors to new buyers. “We are
dealing with operators at different
levels and also cutting across so many
industries so they see it as a route to
new markets,” Kirkwood explains. Last
year UI Path did a deal with Oracle
whereby UI Path is built into their
cloud business. For anyone buying
Oracle cloud, the software robots are
already there, waiting to be switched
on. And, Kirkwood notes, his company
is discussing building UI Path into
Microsoft Dynamics – the mid-market
ERP offering.
RPA adoption potential by buyer industry and function
Function F&A Procurement Human resource Contact center
Industry
Banking &
financial services
Insurance
Healtcare
Manufacturing
Hi-tech &
telecom
Energy &
utikities
Accounts receivable,
accounts payable,
general ledger
Invoice processing,
requisition-topurchase
order
Payroll. hiring,
candidate
management
Customer service
Industry-specific
processes
Cards activation
Frauds claims discovery
Claims processing
New business preparation
Reports automation
System reconciliation
Bills of material (BOM)
generation
Service order
management
Quality reporting
Account setup
Meter-reading validation
photo ©: Everest Group
Looking ahead
What does the future hold for more
fully integrating information flows
across businesses – from IoT and robots
to business functions such as
planning, billing, inventory management,
and marketing? Where is RPA
starting to have an impact?
The answers are not yet clear. However,
notes Chang, both automation and
overall business processes will need
to improve and transform to accommodate
the increased demand from
consumers. In today’s market, “the
Potential for RPA
Low High Illustrative processes with higher potential
High potential
Areas and industries
where RPA can make
the biggest difference
according to analyst
firm Everest Group.
customer is the most disruptive force
and the most influential driver behind
product design, development, and delivery,”
he says. To remain competitive
in their respective markets, manufacturers
will be required to implement
an integrated system that includes a
customer-facing platform, he says.
“At the end of the day, RPA is about
processes – analyzing them, understanding
them, and then automating
them,” says Harel Tayeb, CEO of RPA
vendor Kryon. He says RPA’s interaction
with IoT is fascinating because,
as the everyday objects with which
we interact become “smart,” the types
of processes and the quantity grow
exponentially. “Think of what you
can do with the programs on only
a desktop computer compared to a
world in which our houses can be programmed,
our cars, our lives,” he says.
“It opens up an entirely new range of
opportunities for RPA, which is exciting
on a consumer level as well as a
developer level,” Tayeb adds.
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