70 Process Automation Tools of 2021: A Comprehensive Guide

1- Scope of automation is increasing. While most major automation projects in 2000s involved IT system upgrades, currently there are numerous tools to automate tasks on a myriad of systems. Improvements in machine vision, OCR and machine learning enabled bots to understand user interfaces and perform actions.

2- Automation has numerous benefits: This is obvious but still it’s the most important reason why automation is now and will remain relevant.

• Reduce manual processes
• Reduce errors in critical data-entry routines like email-marketing programs. Everyone cringes when you accidentally send out newsletters with outdated pricing information.
• Increase process execution speed which improves customer experience. For example, your customers loan applications can be approved automatically rather than waiting for a day for approval.
• Create information transparency which makes it easier to hold individuals accountable for their responsibilities.

These are a summary of the benefits of automation, for more please see our guide on benefits of automation.

What are the different types of process automation tools?

We categorized process automation tools according to two dimensions: 1-Ability to interact with multiple software tools vs focus on a single tool 2- Generalist tools vs specialized tools.

1- General process automation tools

General process automation tools work with multiple platforms and can serve any industry or business function.

1a)RPA & cognitive automation tools

These tools are the most flexible tools in this list thanks to their screen scraping capabilities and their ability to manipulate the user interface (UI) like a human. This is a big advantage in automating legacy applications that only have a user interface but not an API.

1b)Low code application platforms

Low code application platforms allow rapid automation of modern applications by non-technical users. They were initially built to rapidly develop applications with GUI (Graphical User Interface). They also involve process orchestration features to enable end-to-end process management.

They are flexible tools that can be used in any industry or business to rapidly develop applications and automate tasks. They are easier to use than RPA tools and can be preferred when automating processes and tasks using modern systems with APIs.

You can read our guide about low & no-code development to learn more about these platforms.

2- Business function specific automation tools such as IT process automation (ITPA)

Business units have specific automation needs and these needs can be satisfied by specialized process automation tools which can automate complex multi-system dependent processes

ITPA is the most popular business function specific automation, helping IT departments automate complex processes. Since these tools are used by experienced IT professionals, UX has been less of a concern in this space.

IT departments have for a long time struggled with the 80/20 conundrum: spending 80% of their effort on maintenance and just 20% on improving the systems so they improve business outcomes and reduces their maintenance effort. ITPA helps IT departments reduce maintenance time by automating common tasks. For example: Provisioning of a virtual server which normally requires numerous manual steps can be fully automated. The automation module would take the steps below and finalize server provision without any IT personnel involvement. It would

• monitor for approved provisioning change requests
• begin the server provisioning process upon receipt of an approved provisioning change request
• configure the server settings
• initiate server deployment
• close out the change request

Incident management is another example. Such an automation module would:

• monitor and prioritize alerts from multiple sources
• Analyze alerts and verify them with other legitimate sources
• Prioritizes actions to take and deploys recommended action plans.
• Reach out to all the key players who require notifications of the activity before closing the support ticket

Please sort and filter this table to learn more about the solutions. And if there is a field you want added here, just let us know. Please note that these lists are slightly outdated. We provide the latest list in the links before the table. The updated lists allow you to sort/filter the results and learn more about the products, hope you enjoy it.

Non-RPA solutions

We have the latest and greatest version of this list with a much better interface under aimultiple.com.

Profiles of some leading macro providers:

UiPath Excel Automation is a powerful tool to extract and migrate data. It sorts through data to find and delete duplicates. Use it to compare columns and build analysis reports of your spreadsheets. It also completes your forms using data from other spreadsheets and more.

RPA solutions

Up-to-date list with a much better interface is at aimultiple.com.

Profiles of some leading RPA providers:

UiPath is one of the leading providers of RPA bots

Automation Anywhere provides IQ Bots, which are AI programs with integrated vision skills. These bots take machine learning a step further by observing exactly how your employees work. They record that data to program your customized digital workforce. This system can automate many tasks like the processing and management of purchase orders. They manage invoices, insurance claims, tax forms, mortgage applications, contracts and loan applications. It also provides data extraction from digital files and proofs of delivery.

Argos Labs offers low-code solutions to deploy RPA more easily. This solution requires less coding knowledge and enables non-technical users to be a part of the development process. As these low-code bots can be customized in any industry and run on all different platforms, they also accelerate automation tool deployment processes.

Our checklist to help you assess process automation programs

•  Identify and understand processes to automate
  • Do you have a data driven approach to identify which processes to automate? You should have a clear understanding of your as-is processes and choose the most suitable ones to maximize the impact of automation. Process mining is an emerging technology which can help your business see the full picture about your processes. It can also identify the best processes to automate.
  • If you’re still unsure which processes need automation most, then choose the most-repetitive tasks in your day. Data-entry processes are also easy to automate. Plus, look at where your business experiences the most human errors. Then consult an automation specialist about how to reduce those errors with a better workflow system.
  • Do you understand your processes in enough detail so you can automate them taking into account process and input variations? You can leverage process mining to do that. It will ensure you understand processes in detail, making it easier to deploy automation while taking into account edge cases and different inputs. According to stats provided by a process mining vendor using process mining can improve RPA business value by more than 40%.
• Identify technical requirements
  • Will the program you want be compatible with your current software stack?
  • Does it support all of the applications and platforms your team needs?
  • Do you work in an industry that requires your data-sharing policies to follow specific regulations? Then you need an automation solution with extra security features. For example, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act governs healthcare-industry systems.
• Next, improve the business processes that you already have. You shouldn’t try to automate an old process with flaws in it and inefficient data-processing policies. First, streamline, simplify and improve your workflow. Then you’ll end up with a faster, better automated system.
• Get other team members onboard and finalize requirements in your process automation plan. List for them exactly what benefits they will receive from the new system. Explain which problems the new system will eliminate. Discuss with your team managers how much control the bots should have and when humans need to step in during customer interactions.
• Evaluate different vendors in line with your requirements. Talk to a representative from the company you want to work with to develop your robotic process automation or IT process automation. They can describe for you the long-term impacts the software will have for your company.

For more details, read our in-depth guide to “How to Compare Robotic Process Automation Vendors” here.

After you’ve chosen a vendor, what’s next?

Key points to remember when starting process automation

According to most experts, you should start in phases. The main reason for this approach is that it’s much easier for everyone. You set concrete goals that you want to achieve through these RPA programs first. Then you test the initial small process automation to see if it matches those goals. If it doesn’t, then you can try another program. You can cancel the trial easily before you make a big investment of time and money into overhauling your whole system.

Also, make sure every team member gets adequate training before you launch the new process automation tools. It’s not enough to train your employees about what their new roles are in the process. They have to understand the overview of how the entire process works. That way, they’ll know how to resolve any unexpected problems that may come up during the transition phase. It won’t be possible to train your staff completely in one day. Still, the pre-training is essential to ensure a better roll-out and prevent disasters on the first day of launching your new software. Always do an in-house test run first where possible before you begin using the programs with live customers.

Finally, you will need to make sure that your developer includes an “escape route” in your program for emergencies. A real human should have the ability to step in and take over the program at any time. You never know when you’ll need to take charge so that business can continue as usual. Expect that sometimes unforeseen problems occur with the first automation.

If crossing over to automation still makes you feel uneasy, then read about our “Three Alternatives to Consider Before Automation Investment.”

 If you still have questions about process automation tools, feel free to contact us:

Let us find the right vendor for your business