BPA VS RPA: Differences?
BPA, RPA, API in this ever-hurried world, even saying a word in full has become “a waste of time,” and so we speak in acronyms.
But do we know the true meaning of the words we hear daily?
Today we take an in-depth look at BPA, RPA and API.
- BPA:business process automation
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RPA: Robot Process Automation
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API: application programming interface
Two technologies aimed at automating business activities and processes, but with some important differences:
1- AREA OF APPLICATION
BPA focuses on restructuring complex, multi-step business processes involving different and systems.
Through APIs, actions can be automated across connected applications while RPA is better suited to automating repetitive and monotonous tasks on platforms and often cannot be integrated by other software.
2- TECHNOLOGIES USED
BPA uses these technologies to connect and integrate different applications and systems, where possible, directly through APIs allowing the step-by-step construction of a workflow, consisting of a series of actions performed directly by applications.
RPA, on the other hand, allows the integration of the various applications that are not open to external connections and simulates human activities within a single application or user interface, going to act as if the operator was in front of the screen working.
3- LEVEL OF CUSTOMIZATION/ FLEXIBILITY
Integration via API offers a greater level of customization than RPA, it is possible to act directly with actions set by the software without having to go through screen loads and often going to streamline the entire process, eliminating steps that are manually required because they are graphical or forced by the interface.
RPA, on the other hand, is designed to automate specific tasks, you replicate the steps of the person acting on the program, rarely going to change the process as a replication of his or her work, and thus the level of customization is limited.
4- MAINTENANCE
Automation through APIs is less costly in terms of “maintenance,” since thanks to integrations it is easily modified and updated; integration interfaces rarely change.
RPA given its technology, lends itself to changes due not only to changing IT infrastructure but also to changing user interface: Should the graphics, the location of certain functions, or simply the user experience be changed, the robot would have to be radically revised.
5- TRAINING
For automation via API, there are several platforms that offer low-code or no-code usability and that allow automation to be created using graphical elements. For these platforms, it is often enough to have a basic understanding of logic to be able to bring your own processes into these platforms. For RPA, the issue is different, because these types of platforms can have graphical elements but only for simple operations and often require a technical figure to develop ad hoc scripts to handle the various logical and data modification operations.
CONCLUSIONS
In conclusion, these two technologies, both of which aim to automate business activities and processes, are therefore different from each other. We cannot say that there is one technology better than another because as we have just seen they are different from each other and are used differently, it depends on the priorities a company has.
Ideallythese two technologies should be combined, so that we can have streamlined, evolved processes that bring value to the company.
