Which is right for your organization?
There are a lot of buzzwords and trends in technology and it can be difficult to tell which is a fad and which will deliver reliable improvements to your company’s bottom line. I thought it would be helpful if I did some comparisons between two of these “TLAs” — what we jokingly call these common “three-letter acronyms.” We’ll take a look at both RPAs and IPAs and talk about the impacts of each.
RPA stands for “Robotic Process Automation” and is an emerging technology which is already showing a lot of results when successfully integrated into corporate processes where numerous repetitive steps can be automated. A good example is when a process requires filling out a web form or using a web application where there is no ready integration with existing systems. Using a “record, capture, and replay” approach, RPA software allows an organization to leverage multiple, relentless automated “bots” to perform such tasks. They don’t get tired. They don’t take vacation. They don’t check Facebook. They don’t ask you to buy Scout cookies, wrapping paper or popcorn.
IPA stands for “India Pale Ale” and according to Wikipedia, the arbiter of all fact on the internet, was developed using a pale malt and became associated with the East India Trading Company and thus came to be known by this TLA, which reflects on its color as compared to other ales, as well as its colorful history. But what is ale? It’s a kind of beer fermented with yeast that can live at warm temperatures. (Compared to lagers, which ferment using yeast that works at colder temperatures.) Of course this is an oversimplification and if you want a deep dive into the world of beer, I would refer you to that fellow with the fancy mustache who keeps muttering about “carboys” and “specific gravity.” You know the one.
“But which is right for my organization?” The answer depends on your needs, but here’s a helpful decision grid to help you figure out which is the right choice.
So, while it may still be difficult to make a decision, I believe that RPA is going to be a better choice for your business if your goals are to increase productivity, reduce drudgery, and maximize profits. If you’d like to learn more about RPA, contact us at info@apexbpm.com. If you’d like to learn more about IPA, honestly, we have team members with deep expertise there too.
- If your business is a pub.
