Robotic process automation (RPA)

The robots in RPA are software, not machines. The US General Services Administration describes RPA as "a form of automation software" that uses software robots, or bots, to "mimic basic human-computer interactions". A bot logs in to an application, reads fields on the screen, types into forms, clicks buttons and moves files, following a script built from how a person does the task.

When it makes sense

RPA works through the same screens people use. That makes it useful for systems that have no API: older desktop software, insurer or government portals, and in-house tools nobody can change. It suits tasks that are frequent, follow fixed rules and use structured inputs.

Its limits

Because a bot depends on the screen, it can fail when a button moves, a page loads slowly or a login adds a security step. And it follows rules; on its own it doesn't read a messy email or judge an exception. Two practical consequences:

• Where an API exists, connecting through it is usually more dependable than automating the screen.
• Bots need logs, monitoring and a named owner, like any other workflow automation.

RPA is often combined with AI. Intelligent document processing reads the unstructured documents, an AI agent can decide which path a case should take, and the bot does the clicking.

How it relates to Worcia

Maestro, Worcia's AI process automation, connects through APIs where they exist and uses carefully supervised screen automation where they don't, with every run logged and exceptions sent to a person. See the legacy system data entry use case, and before you buy any automation, read how to calculate the ROI of AI automation.