Nowadays, the word “automation” almost always has a readily positive connotation. Once you decide to rely on it, it almost always means you can say goodbye to human errors and keep the need for manual effort to a minimum – if not zero. 

Ultimately, we have tools like Microsoft’s Power Automate for RPA to thank for automation’s preeminent rise, which is most exceptionally felt in numerous major industries. 

How does it work and what brought about its ascent? More importantly, is it suitable for every enterprise? We’ll answer all these queries and more in this post. 

What Is Robotic Process Automation (RPA)?

RPA is called such because it, in a way, mimics how industrial robots are deployed in manufacturing. It takes of care repetitive but no less essential steps, thereby, allowing humans to technically forgo having to do them themselves. 

Obviously, RPA tools are different in that they’re more focused on streamlining business processes. These could be tasks such as sending emails or an invoice or replying to one. Given the sophistication that these tools now have, it’s safe to say that such examples barely scratch the surface of how powerful and game-changing they are.  

Manual Process vs Robotic Process Automation

Once we compare the conventional manual process to how an RPA works, the latter is quick to stand out. Why? Because it’s meant to improve the former.

• With RPA, digital tasks that will normally take a longer time to do can be done in a comparatively shorter amount of time.
• Human intervention is prone to errors and inaccuracies. Automation serves as a ready answer to that by mitigating and even eliminating the chances of both ever happening. 
• RPA greatly boosts efficiency and productivity and often overshadows manual effort in both key areas. 
• RPA offers better ways to acquire invaluable user data not only effectively but safely as well. 
• RPA is often the more economical choice and paves the way to better scalability. 

Why Use Robotic Process Automation (RPA)?

What business, in this digital era, doesn’t want more efficiency and a seamless, optimal process? 

• If you consistently rely fully on manual processes when performing repetitive digital tasks, you’re immediately at a severe disadvantage when matched against competitors that use robotic process automation. 
• It naturally enhances a business’s data center infrastructure, making them more responsive to present and future needs. 
• You’ll be able to considerably lower your expenses while being able to boost productivity and efficiency.
• It lightens the load on your employees, and you’ll be able to put their talents and efforts to better use within your enterprise. 
• You’ll be able to quickly and correctly identify weak points in your workflow and improve on them in a more timely manner.
• If you’re aiming for continuous growth, there’s no better tool that sets your business up for scalability. 
• The improved efficiency will almost always be felt by your customers through their experience with your platform, paving the way to better loyalty. 

Microsoft Power Automate – Overview

Microsoft Power Automate is a rendition of RPA that mainly makes use of automated workflows to accomplish the said repetitious tasks. 

How are these workflows created? With the help of what the platform term “connectors”. With their help, you can build simple to more complex workflows that will get single or multiple tasks done – and with ready integration compatibility. 

These cloud-based integrations can be related to mitigating the risks of data and identity management services, for example. In fact, the platform as a whole is designed for a more full-scale integration into comprehensive collections of services. 

More importantly, Power Automate for RPA is also largely AI-based, which paves the way for more customized and agile solutions. All the while, it’s made with ease of use in mind, especially for business owners who prefer automation solutions that are less technical than most. 

RPA with Microsoft Power Automate

Aptly put, since it’s a workflow-based automation platform, Power Automate delivers its solutions through what it terms automation Flows. Technically, Flows fuse both UI- and API-based automation into one. They can be subcategorized into the following:

• Scheduled Flows

You set a specific time when a scheduled process will be triggered in order to fulfill a certain task. 

• Desktop Flows

These Flows automate all repetitive desktop and web-based processes. These provide suitable automation workarounds for tasks such as transferring files, extracting text, or getting data from spreadsheets. 

• Business Process Flows

These can be either straightforward or more complex processes. You can create different stages in the business process with each stage having up to 30 steps. Regardless of your purpose for using these kinds of Flows, what’s important is for them to be used to guide the user from beginning to end to complete a task – without having to undergo additional training for it.  

• Cloud Flows

Cloud Flows rely largely on API connectors and can be triggered by certain events like receiving an email or acquiring a notification. This is where the platform’s AI aspect is concentrated, as evidenced by the AI Builder feature. Simply put, AI Builder extends Power Automate’s capabilities to include optical character recognition, image recognition, form processing, and even language comprehension. 

Related Reading: Types of Flows in Power Automate and How to Create Them?

Types of RPA in Power Automate

RPA in Power Automate can be either Attended or Unattended.

Both are fairly straightforward in their context in that attended automation requires a certain degree of human intervention to fulfill the automation of repetitive tasks. Examples include Desktop Flows, which involve mouse clicking and keyboard typing. 

Unattended automation can be done without the said intervention, such as in the case of Scheduled Flows, which rely a lot on event triggers. Bots are actually the ones able to record the actions. 

Benefits of Choosing Power Automate for RPA

• More Economical Choice

It doesn’t take long to see that Power Automate is cheaper than most RPA software out there. What’s even better is that it’s included in Microsoft’s 365 suite. 

• Made with Smooth Integration in Mind

Legacy systems and existing architecture often greatly dictate an RPA’s viability in every organization. Simply put, Power Automate anticipates such hurdles by being more fluid when it comes to offering automation solutions. 

• Prioritizes Security

Most of this is due to the fact that Power Automate is built on Azure, which is known for its stellar cybersecurity that smoothly extends to RPA-based automation.

• Delivers Agile, Ready-to-Use Automation Solutions

All thanks to over 270 pre-built connectors that can be integrated and used in third-party applications. On-premise and cloud connectivity and compatibility lend a lot to this, too. 

• Highly Accessible and Universal

Power Automate shuns technical APIs and instead embraces drag-and-drop capabilities and connector-powered RPAs that don’t require coding in order to build usable and reliable bots. 

How Can Veelead Solutions Help You with Power Automate & RPA?

We are experts in providing results-driven Microsoft solutions centering on automation. Power Automate is but one platform that we have mastered and continue to master over time. 

We prioritize customized, optimal, and future-proof solutions that will be able to deliver your exact goals and for your enterprise to enjoy most if not all the perks of Power Automate mentioned here. Schedule a free consultation.

Related Readings:

Difference Between Power Automate Cloud and Power Automate Desktop

Difference Between Microsoft Dynamics Workflow and Power Automate