RPA on ‘robust growth trajectory’, GlobalData

Robotic process automation (RPA), in combination with other automation technologies, will become the future for retailers to run their processes more effectively, according to GlobalData.

Brad Shimmin, Service Director for Technology and Software atGlobalData, says: “One noticeable advantage with RPA is that its installation requires no change to the current set up and can interact with the existing underlying systems. It can also be combined with other automation tools to get the most out of them.”

Use cases in retail are not just limited to human resources, supply chain, accounting and finance areas, but also include processing returns, sales analytics, in-store planning and new product launches.

While RPA is a strong automation tool independently, its combination with other technologies such as machine learning, artificial intelligence (AI), cognitive computing, Big Data, and cloud can be immensely powerful. Cognitive automation, RPA joining AI and cognitive computing, can help retailers to check inventory and shift their human workforce to some other tasks, such as improving in-store customer experience.

But there are also pitfalls. An error in the RPA algorithm can lead to adversity within no time. One immediate solution to this can be human intervention on a small sample to check for any errors. The most ideal way could be to have another layer of RPA, which stands a futuristic concept for now.

“RPA is on a robust growth trajectory. In future, the technology will advance from being a rule-defined technology to play a vital role in intelligent automation. Integrating RPA with other automation tools can yield even better results for retailers. While there are many advantages, a careful approach is advised for the newcomers by learning from the examples of the early adoption,” Shimmin concludes.