Intelligent Automation vs. RPA Industry Examples

It’s natural for those assessing their digital strategy to have questions about intelligent automation vs. RPA. The adoption of innovative technology and the available tools are increasing rapidly, making it difficult to know where to begin.   

McKinsey highlighted the pressure to embrace digital transformation in a recent survey. They found that over 1,000 leaders believed their current business model wouldn’t survive past 2023. In contrast, organizations that apply technology correctly will ensure they are in business well into the future.   

After reading this article, you’ll learn the difference between intelligent automation and RPA. You’ll gain insight from industry examples on applying these tools to level up your business. 

Watch video: Intelligent Automation Top Mistakes and Misconceptions with Kieran Gilmurray 

Business Automation: Intelligent Automation vs. RPA 

Intelligent Automation (IA) is an umbrella term that applies to a host of technologies, not one. IA leverages machine learning (ML), artificial intelligence (AI), intelligent document processing (IDP), and robotic process automation (RPA) but can include more.    

The goal of IA is to process large data sets, recognize complex patterns, and categorize the data based on what it “learns.” The faster and more accurate it becomes, the more “intelligent” it is.  

Document Understanding tools, for instance, must be taught to categorize structured, semi-structured, and unstructured data and improve their accuracy over time. After they learn primary connections, like labeling a dog’s picture as a dog instead of a fish, they can build further connections.  

In deep learning, the algorithms pick up patterns that influence how they organize data that we humans have no realistic way to know how they connect the dots. 

Robotic process automation (RPA) is part of the suite of tools of IA and is typically used in tandem for routine operations. It is best for repetitive tasks that require little to no decision-making. 

Related read: Which Processes Can Be Automated Using RPA: Top Use Cases 

It used bots or digital workers to replicate work that a human worker does, like data entry tasks or looking up data from multiple systems. It’s best for high-volume and tedious work but necessary for business operations.

RPA in Patient Onboarding and IA for Diagnostics 

Healthcare automation that uses both intelligent automation and RPA is improving patient intake and data flow between systems like Salesforce Health Cloud. Medical facilities as well as businesses, and other organizations, have tasks that are repetitive and occur at high volumes.  

These tasks are usually performed by medical staff, like entering data from a fax into Salesforce or into their EHR system. 

Watch video: Intelligent Document Processing in Salesforce – OpenBots Documents Demo 

Traditional onboarding methods can result in inefficiencies, especially with a high volume of patients. This is where RPA in patient onboarding comes in. 

Healthcare facilities can also benefit from diagnostic efficiency and accuracy. While physicians and qualified professionals render this already, staffing challenges can make them unavailable.  

These processes require professionals due to the decision-making component of diagnostics. Through IA’s optical character recognition capabilities, diagnostics can be automated, facilitating workflows for medical professionals.  

RPA and IA in Mortgage: Data Entry, Risk Evaluation, Loan Approvals 

There are numerous data entry tasks in the mortgage and financial services with the daily volume of transactions and clients. RPA comes in handy to automate these tasks so that staff can focus on work that requires human decision-making.   

Data like client information, account numbers, and other information from various sources can be automatically included in a CRM.  

This process is becoming more common with mortgage automation, where bots pull data into loan origination systems like Encompass. One example is Appraisal Bot for Encompass.  

IA is excellent for evaluating risks and payment capacities. IA allows for the cross-referencing of data from other sources or databases that can paint a picture of possible financial risks. 

Related read: Fannie Mae: Electronic Default Reporting   

For example, IA allows a bank to determine a person’s ability to pay loans by referencing the person’s financial records against multiple algorithms. 

Human Resources: Data Automation and Candidate Screening  

A significant advantage that RPA provides is reducing data entry errors. It enables human resource managers to streamline the employee data entry process. Bots reduce the time required for tasks, especially if multiple employees are involved.  

Human workers can get fatigued or miss a digit when manually entering data. Bots are different in that they mimic human actions but complete tasks precisely the same each time. 

Related read: New Hire Onboarding Bot for Tax Firm    

The run capability of bots allows organizations to manage data around the clock without degrading the accuracy of the information. Bots can run 24/7 a day. They follow rule-based operations and never deviate from their instructions or get tired and make an error.   

Hiring officers can also use IA to automate aspects of the candidate selection process. IA-supported software can help determine fitting candidates already screened based on their data. 

Expense Approvals and Fraud Protection 

Reimbursement filing and allocation take time. The process can take longer due to forms and approvals. With RPA, expenses can be pre-approved before executing the pre-approved budget.   

Accounting lends itself to fraud with this setup, which is why IA is used to solve this issue. It uses an employee’s unique login privileges like biometrics to identify and verify an individual’s record and other transaction details in accounting systems.   

Another example is managing invoice collection to stay on top of pending invoices that a sales department needs to close out. In this case study, a prominent reseller used bot automation to identify pending invoices and cue their time.   

Optimize Your Business Using RPA and Intelligent Automation 

Companies that want to generate more revenue will need to ramp up their digital transformation strategy. Specifically, the interaction between the human and digital workforce will enable organizations to grow at unprecedented rates.   

Embracing digital technology like RPA and intelligent automation will improve data handling and accuracy at scale. It also eliminates the boring, tedious, and soul-sucking work that holds employees back from learning new skills and taking on more responsibilities that could drive the company forward.   

If you want to take your company to the next level with automation technology, OpenBots is a great place to start. Our platform is zero-license, meaning you don’t pay for each bot automation. 

Don’t pay per bot! Get started with OpenBots for free.