BPA or RPA? Maybe you need both

Process automation might not be new. In fact, from the time of lean manufacturing, assembly-line production and more recently, the communications revolution, process automation has been in use. It has helped businesses improve efficiencies and reduce costs by leaps and bounds. Today, as businesses aspire to streamline workflows in their systems, Business Process Automation and Robotic Process Automation might just be the right tools. But what is the difference between them, and are they complementary?

Business Process Automation

Business process automation or simply BPA, is used to automate workflows that improve the efficiency of a process across an organisation, from end-to-end. Rather than focussing on a distinct individual task it encapsulates the whole process from end-to-end across the business and departments.

An example of this could be invoice processing. If a company implemented BPA, that process could capture a sent invoice, extract key data and then validate it against internal sales systems. If the invoice matches, it could be automatically sent for payment approval, and otherwise directed to a team for review.

Using BPA in this way can save hundreds of business hours a year, enable more rapid processing of invoices and better customer service experience for resolving invoices submitted with errors.

Robotic Process Automation

RPA, short for Robotic Process Automation, is another process automation technology that works via software (ro)bots. Unlike BPA which automates business processes, RPA imitates human tasks that would take place on a computer by following a set of predefined rules. For example, an RPA bot can:

· Log into systems

· Navigate online pages or documents

· Input and extract data

· Mimic any other interactions humans have with computer systems.

One example of RPA, could programming a bot to assist with onboarding new hires. When a candidate accepts an offer, the bot would automatically trigger a series of actions. It first creates a new employee record in the HRMS (Human Resource Management System), then sends a welcome email with links to complete forms. The same RPA would update IT with a request to set up email accounts and hardware access, before logging the progress of the onboarding process in a tracking spreadsheet used by HR staff.

Choosing between BPA and RPA

The choice between BPA and RPA is not really a complicated one. All you need to do is consider a few factors, like the scale of automation required, costs, and the complexity of the processes involved.

For example, BPA is ideal for organisations looking to optimise their entire workflows across multiple departments. It involves integrating disconnected systems like CRM, ERP, and HRMS to eliminate inefficiencies. Common use cases of BPA include:

· Optimising order management

· Setting up multi-level approval workflows

· Streamlining regulatory compliance processes

On the other hand, RPA is best for automating specific, repetitive tasks. It’s especially useful for short-term automation needs or working with legacy systems that lack integration capabilities. It works within existing systems without requiring significant redesign. So, it is a good choice if you are looking for a quick and cost-effective solution. Common use cases of RPA include:

· Extracting data from invoices

· Automating email notifications

· Automated report generation

Benefits of Combining BPA and RPA

Both BPA and RPA can complement each other. RPA can streamline individual tasks within a BPA-driven framework. This ensures immediate and long-term process efficiency. RPA handles repetitive, rule-based tasks, such as data extraction or email notifications, while BPA focuses on end-to-end workflow optimisation.

Together, they enable you to streamline processes at both micro and macro levels. For instance, RPA bots can efficiently collect and input data, which BPA systems then use to trigger complex workflows across departments. This integration minimises human intervention, reduces errors, and accelerates overall process execution.

The combination also ensures flexibility and scalability for your business. RPA can quickly address specific pain points and deliver immediate productivity boosts. BPA provides the foundation needed for long-term process improvements.

Leveraging BPA and RPA

To effectively leverage BPA and RPA, you need to choose a toolset that can seamlessly integrate with a wide range of systems through adapters, APIs or other standards. Many tools come pre-configured for a range of the most popular business apps. Just think about the number of applications used by staff in different departments and roles in your business and you’ll quickly be in double figures.

Adaptability is also key. There will be cases where you want to move quickly up implement or update BPA and RPA rules. The best tools do this through the use of visual tools that help you quickly design end-to-end workflows as a logical sequence of events.

Finally, scalability matters too. How many users or transactions will your tool need to process? What happens when a new branch is opened, or a rule change needs to be rolled out globally? Any tool chosen needs not only to be able to cope with a workload, but possess the management tools that allow you to test, roll out and roll back RPAs and BPAs across your estate, however large or distributed.

Legacy applications

Whilst a business may use a number of enterprise apps, many still those one or two apps that they do not dare get rid of. It might be an application that runs as part of a piece of old (but essential) production line equipment, or even a mainframe, but BPA and RPA can still be used here.

Rich RPA and BPA platforms such as Salesforce work with legacy systems to streamline processes like data entry and data extraction by mimicking human actions to interact with applications, documents, and databases. Some platforms are very rich and even allow Optical Character Recognition (OCR), web and image search, and use APIs to automate data retrieval and processing from various sources, including spreadsheets, emails and web pages.

It's doesn’t need to be binary choice

At a time when everyone is obsessing over AI, which can seem like a hammer to crack a walnut, BPA and RPA still have a role to play. If you have repetitive activities or whole business processes in your organisation that have become an unnecessary ‘time suck’ then BPA, RPA,or a combination of the two can quickly save huge amounts of time, improve the experience for your customers and suppliers, and allow staff to spend their time on higher value tasks. One can argue that this is even a prerequisite for successful AI implementation, since good AI Agents and systems can only be implemented on good data and processes.