What is Intelligent Process Automation ?
The term Intelligent Process Automation is a combination of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Robotics Process Automation (RPA). In other words, it is the integration of process automation technology and artificial intelligence technology.
What is Robotics Process Automation?
Robotic Process Automation (RPA) is a software technology that makes it easy to build, deploy, and manage software that mimics human actions when interacting with digital systems and software. RPA technology is transforming the way work gets done. Instead of humans, software handles repetitive, lower-value tasks such as logging into applications and systems, moving files and folders, extracting, copying, and pasting data, filling out forms, and completing routine analyses and reports.
When robots take on these repetitive, high-volume tasks, humans are freed up to focus on what they do best: innovating, collaborating, creating, and engaging with customers. Businesses also benefit: higher productivity, greater efficiency, and improved resilience. Automation can also enhance security, particularly for sensitive data and financial services.
RPA is not AI, and AI is not RPA. RPA assists humans in performing repetitive processes according to a fixed plan, with little variation in the workflow during operation. However, the combination of RPA and AI unlocks vast new possibilities for businesses everywhere.
Current IPA technology enables the integration of advanced AI capabilities—such as machine learning models, natural language processing (NLP), and character and image recognition—into RPA robots. Equipping robots with these AI skills significantly expands their ability to handle processes that require capabilities like:
- Understanding datasets that include semi-structured and unstructured data.
- Interacting and processing human communication in natural language, addressing new types of issues within a chat framework…
So, What Can IPA Do?
1. Intelligent Document Processing
- Automatically extracts information from documents such as invoices, financial reports, emails, contracts, etc., using integrated Optical Character Recognition (OCR) technology to read and convert image-based documents into structured text.
- Works with various document formats like PDF, Word, Excel, images, emails, and other digitized files, enabling the processing of multiple document types without requiring changes to the workflow.
- Integrates with document management systems such as OneDrive, SharePoint, Google Drive, etc., to automatically retrieve and store documents.
- Utilizes OCR powered by large language models for better document comprehension and reasoning, outperforming traditional OCR technologies—especially with large language models tailored for Vietnamese.
2. Browser Automation
- Supports automation of processes on browsers like Chrome, Edge, Firefox.
- Facilitates reading and extracting data from websites, including text, images, and structured data.
3. Desktop Automation
- Automates interactions with graphical user interfaces (GUIs) across various Windows applications.
- Extracts data from Windows desktop systems and applications that lack API support.
4. Mobile Automation
- Enables automation of apps and camera functions on Android, iOS, and Raspberry devices via remote control protocols such as MQTT and REST API.
5. API Integration
- Supports connectivity with other systems like CRM, ERP, etc., through APIs using protocols such as REST, GraphQL, OData, SOAP, gRPC.
- Allows creation of Webhook API Connectors for other systems to connect and interact.
- Supports importing API specification standards like OpenAPI (Swagger) and Postman collections.
- Handles APIs with authentication methods such as OAuth 2.0, SSO (OIDC, SAML), API Key, etc.
6. Agent Orchestration
- Facilitates the creation and management of agents across multiple platforms, including Browser, Windows Desktop, Mobile Devices, and Cloud.
- Provides auto-scaling and load balancing among agents to handle multiple tasks efficiently.
7. Automated Event Trigger
- Supports triggering automation based on events:
- Email: When an email is received, sent, read, or archived.
- Files and Folders: When a file or folder is created, modified, or deleted on a computer or in storage services like OneDrive, Google Drive, SharePoint.
- Data: When data changes in databases, spreadsheets (e.g., Excel, Google Sheets).
- Chat: When a new message arrives in chat channels like Microsoft Teams, Slack, Messenger, Telegram.
- Allows setting conditions to trigger automation only when specific criteria are met.
8. Scheduled Trigger
- Supports running automation based on time schedules:
- Frequency: Recurring schedules by month, week, day, hour, or minute.
- Interval: Custom repeat intervals, e.g., running every 5 minutes.
- Supports scheduling based on specific time zones.
9. Human-in-the-Loop
- Facilitates interaction between humans and automated systems.
- Allows setting steps that require human approval before proceeding.
- Enables users to manage approvals and receive notifications via platforms like Microsoft Teams, Slack, or email.
10. Action Extension
- Supports building extensions with various programming languages such as JavaScript, Python, PHP, Go.
11. AI Vision
- Capable of classifying images into different categories based on content.
- Recognizes and counts specific objects in images, enabling automation tasks based on those objects.
- Supports training data for object classification and recognition.
12. AI LLM (Large Language Model)
- Extracts information from content and uses it to automate tasks.
- Understands natural language commands and executes automated workflows.
- Handles complex automation tasks requiring AI cognition, such as decision-making based on unstructured data.
Summary
Nowadays, IPA is driving new efficiencies and freeing people from the monotony of repetitive tasks across various industries and processes. Businesses in sectors such as financial services, telecommunications, healthcare, and manufacturing have successfully implemented IPA, with applications like automated customer care, video content moderation for digital entertainment services, or automated daily, weekly, and monthly production planning.
IPA has become widespread due to its broad applicability. Virtually any repetitive, high-volume process governed by business rules is an excellent candidate for automation, and increasingly, cognitive processes requiring AI-driven solutions are also being addressed.