What is RPA: robotic process automation

Software bots that replicate repetitive human tasks to deliver speed, accuracy and scalability

9 min

RPA (Robotic Process Automation) is a technology that uses software bots to perform repetitive tasks normally carried out by people: copying data between systems, filling in forms, extracting information from documents or validating records. Bots operate on the interface of existing applications, without needing to modify the underlying systems.

The global RPA market reached $13 billion in 2025 according to Gartner, growing at over 20% annually. Companies across sectors — banking, insurance, logistics, healthcare — use RPA to reduce errors, speed up processes and free teams from low-value tasks.

How does an RPA bot work?

An RPA bot is a programme that mimics a human user’s actions in software applications. It can click buttons, type in fields, read on-screen data, copy information between applications and make simple rule-based decisions. Unlike an API integration, the bot operates on the graphical interface, enabling automation of even legacy systems without available APIs.

Bots are configured through action recording or visual workflow design. Once programmed, they can run unattended (without human supervision) or attended (assisting the user in real time as they work).

  • Attended bots: assist the user at their desktop, executing tasks on demand
  • Unattended bots: run autonomously on servers, typically scheduled or event-triggered
  • Hybrid bots: combine both models depending on the process phase

Most common use cases

RPA excels in high-volume processes with clear rules and structured data. Finance, HR, procurement and customer service departments benefit the most, though its application extends to virtually any area with repetitive tasks.

  • Finance: bank reconciliation, invoice processing, accounting report generation
  • HR: employee onboarding, payroll management, data updates across multiple systems
  • Customer service: CRM data lookups, ticket updates, automated responses
  • Procurement: order validation, price comparison across suppliers, delivery tracking
  • IT: user account provisioning, system monitoring, data migration

Leading RPA tools

The RPA tool ecosystem has matured rapidly. Leading platforms offer visual design environments, centralised bot management, performance analytics and AI integration for handling unstructured data.

  • UiPath: market leader by share. Powerful visual environment, component marketplace and strong community
  • Automation Anywhere: enterprise-focused with cloud-native capabilities and integrated AI
  • Microsoft Power Automate: native integration with the Microsoft 365 ecosystem, ideal for organisations already using it
  • Blue Prism: enterprise approach with robust governance and advanced security
  • SAP Intelligent RPA: designed to automate processes within the SAP ecosystem

RPA vs traditional automation

RPA and BPA (Business Process Automation) aren’t the same, though they complement each other. BPA redesigns and automates complete processes through native integrations between systems. RPA acts on the surface of existing applications, making it faster to implement but potentially more fragile when interfaces change.

The current trend is hyperautomation: combining RPA with AI, machine learning, process mining and API integrations to automate processes end-to-end, including those requiring interpretation of unstructured data such as scanned documents or emails.

ROI and costs of RPA

RPA ROI depends on process volume, execution frequency and the cost of human error. A bot processing 500 invoices daily that previously required 3 full-time staff can pay for itself in 3–6 months. Costs include platform licences (from €5,000/year for basic options to over €100,000 for enterprise deployments), bot development and ongoing maintenance.

The most common mistake when calculating ROI is ignoring hidden costs: bot maintenance when interfaces change, exception management the bot can’t handle, and the team’s learning curve. An honest analysis must include these factors.

  • Direct savings: reduction in human hours spent on repetitive tasks
  • Error reduction: bots don’t make transcription or calculation mistakes
  • Speed: a process taking 10 minutes manually can execute in seconds
  • Scalability: increase capacity without hiring, simply by deploying more bots

Limitations and risks of RPA

RPA isn’t a universal solution. Bots are fragile when application interfaces change: a button moving position can break a bot. They also don’t handle processes with high variability or those requiring human judgement well. Without a governance strategy, organisations end up with dozens of bots that are difficult to maintain.

The key to success is selecting the right processes, investing in monitoring and maintenance, and combining RPA with other automation technologies when the process demands it.

Key Takeaways

  • RPA uses software bots to replicate repetitive human tasks on existing interfaces
  • Best suited for high-volume processes with clear rules and structured data
  • ROI depends on volume and frequency, but maintenance costs must be factored in
  • Leading platforms include UiPath, Automation Anywhere and Power Automate
  • The trend is combining RPA with AI to tackle more complex processes

Want to explore RPA in your organisation?

We evaluate your processes, identify ideal RPA candidates and design a pilot that proves the return before scaling.