What Is RPA Robotic Process Automation In Logistics
Although the term robotic process automation (RPA) is relatively new, the purpose of this concept has been pursued since technology and robotization began to be implemented in the business environment. What is said objective? The use of software to perform tasks that are currently being carried out by humans. Of course, in a faster, constant, and error-free way.
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What Is RPA And What Is It For
Technology RPA ( Robotic Process Automation ) consists of automating processes that are subject to computer systems. In other words, it is software that uses digital robots to interact with programs in an automated way. It is used to automate repetitive and seemingly simple administrative tasks, such as connecting to web applications, copying, pasting or renaming files, creating directories and folders, and more.
But what is a software robot? Robots, or software bots, are computer programs that can be installed on a PC, a physical server or a virtual machine to digitally carry out tasks that humans have previously carried out.
Although RPA technology is implemented mostly in the financial departments of companies ( Gartner says that 80% of these departments should already have or are planning to use some form of RPA), logistics also benefit from the capabilities that automation offers process robotics. For example, it can streamline those purely administrative tasks and even help with inventory control.
What Tasks Can Be Automated With RPA
Software robots can imitate the actions carried out by humans, based on pre-established rules and even artificial intelligence. Its mission is to free employees from those more monotonous administrative tasks so that they can focus on other more strategic tasks that provide greater added value for the company.
Let’s see, in a summarized way, what are the main functions that RPA technology fulfills:
- Interact with desktop applications or web applications.
- Edit documents such as Excel, Word, PDF, etc.
- Manage files and folders: create, delete, update, move, etc.
- Use email: extract data, generate, and send emails.
- Export text from images to get information.
- Execute commands.
RPA technology integrates continuous improvement techniques that constantly identify new processes that can be robotized and learn from their mistakes to achieve maximum efficiency.
Benefits Of RPA Technology In Logistics
The logistics also takes advantage of the enormous benefits offered by robotics process automation. These are some of the operations in which a software robot helps companies obtain a competitive advantage:
- Tracking And Shipment Status: RPA technology allows you to monitor the status of your shipment and receive notifications about the pick-up time, warn of possible delays or create an electronic proof of delivery through automatically generated messages.
- Stock Control: Robotic process automation can simplify stock control.
Purchase management. You can execute purchase orders through automated criteria such as the price, quantity, or periodicity of a purchase. - Supply And Demand Planning: Based on a specific set of predefined rules, the software robots automatically analyze historical sales data or market indicators to forecast future supply and demand. In this way, the quantity of products required to carry out any type of activity is ensured and adequate safety stock is maintained.
- Smart Documentation: It facilitates that the transfer of documentation is fast and without errors, processing invoices, collecting credits, exchanging data, etc.
RPA technology is emerging as a very profitable tool for companies to digitize their supply chain while reducing costs. All this, obtaining greater satisfaction from both employees and customers.
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