Robotic Process Automation vs Intelligent Process Automation

Technology has completely turned the way of living upside down. Every day brings in a new idea that gives birth to new technology. Today, business processing is made easy by technology. It has automated specific routine tasks using RPA and IPA, making it easy for business to focus on what is more important. It has increased efficiency and improved productivity within organizations. Now, people can utilize their time, completely, in high-priority tasks instead of spreading in multiple repetitive tasks. The repetitive tasks have been taken care of by technology. You must have guessed the technology that we are talking about, isn’t it? Yes, it is RPA, short for Robot Process Automation and IPA (Intelligent Process Automation). One question that might have triggered to you is, how RPA and IPA are different? You get the answer here, well before we jump into discussing Robotic Process Automation vs Intelligent Process Automation (RPA vs IPA), let’s know more about these technologies.

Both of these technologies perform the same tasks but in a different manner on various heads. RPA is the primary business processes automation tool that increases efficiency and hence improves the productivity of the business. IPA, on the other hand, is used to automate complex tasks of business processes. It gives new technologies to RPA to ensure automation in changing environment of the business. First, let’s discuss what these technologies are built for, and then we’ll move on to the heads on which they work differently.

What is Robot Process Automation (RPA)?

The name must have popped up a robot in your mind. Well, RPA is a robot but a software-based robot. It is a highly misunderstood tool for automating business processes. The running of a business is a combination of multiple high- and low-level tasks that are needed to be performed on daily basis. The low-level ones are easier but take up a lot of precious time which can be utilized to perform other high-priority tasks that take up a lot of energy.

It is these monotonous tasks that affect the efficiency of an enterprise. Therefore, RPA was built to automate these routine tasks which were being done manually due to a lack of technological sources. It reduces the workload of workers, leaving them free to focus on precedence business processes. This software-based robot has the capability of replacing human tasks or behavior with automation, generally, the administrative functions, making the business processes efficient and effective. It is evolved using three primary technologies named screen scrapping, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and workflow automation.

What is Intelligent Process Automation (IPA)?

Intelligent Process Automation is a bigger aspect of RPA. IPA is an innovative technology that combines various other technologies like RPA, AI, Natural Language, and Machine learning together to give reliable and efficient results. IPA is used for automating fundamental processes and back-end processes by combining RPA with machine learning technologies and RPA with AI technologies respectively.

IPA reduces human error as it is a technology that automates the manually performed, routine, and less efficient tasks. It makes business processes quicker, more reliable, and more efficient by setting routines on automation. IPA is a team of robots like RPA with machine learning and RPA with AI, that reduces human tasks and replaces them with an automated technology that performs these tasks in an even better manner of efficiency. The word intelligent explains the power of this technology and its reliability as it is a better version of automation technologies like RPA. IPA is a large-scale RPA designed for complex and dynamic tasks in business processes.

Now, as we are through the definitions of IPA and RPA, let’s discuss IPA vs RPA. The difference between RPA and IPA will give you a gist of the importance and the places they hold in the world of automation of business processes.

Robotic Process Automation vs Intelligent Process Automation  | RPA vs IPA

Definition:

RPA is a set of software-based robotic tools used to minimize the burden of workers of an organization. It is used to automate routine and autonomous tasks that reduce the efficiency of the business processes. It replaces human tasks or behavior with automated tools to perform monotonous daily tasks.

IPA, on the other hand, is a broader aspect of RPA. It combines RPA and AI technologies to automate complex business processes. It supplements inserted automation with decision-making powers to provide paramount efficiency.

Simplicity:

RPA is simpler than IPA. It does not require any prior programming knowledge. It can perform high administrative processes at the price of minimal knowledge of the technology.

IPA performs these tasks quicker ensuring reliability and increasing efficiency. It has decision-making powers that make it capable of sustaining in the dynamic nature of the world of business.

Scalability:

RPA is used to perform routine tasks that do not involve decision-making. The software robots can be deployed at zero or minimal cost when there is a change in the virtual workforce. It does not affect the quality of work done by RPA.

IPA activated additional bots to make it easier to scale resources. It is a life-saver as it can meet dynamic challenges faced in the workplace.

Technologies:

RPA is built using three primary technologies namely AI, screen scraping, and workflow automation. In the world of business processes automation, RPA and AI are the utmost important technologies that deliver the purpose efficiently although on a smaller scale than IPA.

IPA is just an innovative technology that brings up new technologies to RPA, enabling it to automate complex processes. It uses various other technologies like natural language, machine learning, and AI and brings them up to RPA to fulfill a large-scale purpose of business process automation.

The comparison below will give you a clear understanding in brief of the difference between RPA and IPA that we have just discussed in the above points.

Basis	IPA	RPA
Full-Form	Intelligent Process Automation	Robot Process Automation
Definition	Large-scale business process automation technology, bringing up new technologies to RPA.	Robotic tool used to automate routine tasks of business processes.
Benefit	Has decision making power for complex business processes.	Improves productivity by increasing efficiency.
Evolvement	Evolved to bring new technologies like natural language, machine learning and AI and brings them up to RPA.	Evolved used three primary technologies namely AI, screen scrapping and workflow automation.

Today, RPA is one of the top 10 technology trends in the world. It is being used widely across the globe which is not at all surprising as it delivers quite a valuable purpose of business process automation. It has spread its wings into various sectors like BPO, financial sector, healthcare sector, utility companies, insurance sector, and many more. The tools provided by RPA to create software robots are the backbone of RPA. These software-based robots are fully controllable and can be configured whenever required. Just like humans, software robots see what to do and then do the work on their own. It is the epitome of automated workers as the IPA makes it more reliable, more efficient. It frees the humans to handle further complex tasks in the business.

Bottom Line

The world was divided by religion, caste, and customs but technology brought the world together. It made them compulsive to act together to run the world as a whole. Technology is the greatest invention in history. It is still growing, trying to make life easier to live. It gives a reason to expect better from the future as the challenges in the past are no longer a task, they have been put on automation. Each one of us is living a life based on hope or a goal. There is a different reason waiting for us that we use to live on with life every time we achieve a goal. We learn from the past, we make decisions in the present and we get curious-looking forward to the coming future.

Technology has taught us that the journey of life is as beautiful and creative as we see from our eyes. Nothing can change our aesthetic if we are firm and confident with it. The codes used to develop technology depicts the beauty in our eyes and technology is the art that we create to soothe our lives. The more innovative the idea is, the easier is our life. The clearer the code is, the more beautiful is the technology. Technology is an alternative to human beings. Although it is built by humans some tasks are performed better by technology than humans.

The difference between IPA and RPA discussed above has given a clear understanding of both of the technologies. It is now time for you to utilize these technologies and make the innovation successful. There is a reason why RPA is one of the top 10 technological trends today. Its purpose is well understood and valued around the globe. The broadness of mind decides the expansion of business as it helps manage the dynamic challenges in the business environment. For you to be ready for the unpredictable future, adapting technology is the foremost step. RPA vs IPA gives you how are they different and what will fit into your business, to make the most of these, talk to our RPA consultants.