Robotic Process Automation
Robotic process automation drives an application the way a clerk does: it opens the window, types into fields, clicks buttons and reads what appears. It exists because plenty of business software offers no other way in.
It is also brittle. A bot depends on the screen staying as it was, and vendors move buttons. So we treat RPA as the fallback. Where a system has an API, a file import or a database we are allowed to read, we use that instead and say why.
Screen robot or API integration?
A screen robot is reasonable when
- The application is a legacy desktop program, a mainframe terminal or a supplier portal with no interface for developers.
- The vendor charges more for API access than the task is worth.
- The system will be retired within a couple of years and a stopgap is all that is needed.
- The steps are fixed and the screens change rarely.
An integration is better when
- A documented API, webhook or scheduled export is available.
- The volume is high and speed matters, because bots work at the pace of the screen.
- The portal uses a CAPTCHA or its terms forbid automated access. We do not work around either.
- The web application is redesigned every few months.
Jobs suited to a bot
All of these share one trait: a person is acting as the link between two systems.
Portal uploads
Entering invoices or shipment details into a customer or government portal that accepts only manual entry.
Legacy data entry
Keying orders from a modern web shop into an old accounting or ERP client.
Statement downloads
Logging in to supplier sites each morning to fetch statements and price files, then storing them in the right folder.
Reconciliation lookups
Checking a list of references in one system against another and marking the mismatches for a clerk.
Migration
Moving records out of a system that has no export, one screen at a time, overnight.
How bots break, and what we do about it
Anyone selling RPA without this list is leaving out half the cost.
The screen changes
Elements are located by stable identifiers where the application exposes them, not by pixel position. When a selector stops matching, the bot halts and reports. It does not click blindly.
An unexpected pop-up
Update notices and session warnings are handled by name. Unknown dialogs trigger a screenshot and a stop.
Half-finished work
Each item is marked as pending, done or failed in a queue, so a restart resumes from the right place without entering anything twice.
Expired passwords
The bot has its own account with the least access needed. Credentials sit in a vault, and password rotation is part of the runbook.
Silent wrong data
After entry, the bot reads the saved value back and compares it. Totals are checked at the end of each batch.
How a bot gets built
Small bots are delivered one process at a time.
Look for another route
We ask the vendor and read the documentation. If an integration exists, the project changes shape here.
Record the manual steps
The operator performs the task while we note each screen, each rule and each exception they handle from memory.
Build with logging
Every action is written to a log with a timestamp and the item it concerned.
Run in parallel
The bot and the operator process the same batch. Differences are examined until there are none.
Operate
Alerts go to a named person. A runbook explains what to do when the bot stops.
What we automate with
Licensed RPA suites suit companies that already own them. Open-source tooling avoids a per-bot fee.
- Web applications
- PlaywrightSelenium
- Windows desktop
- Power Automate DesktopUiPathpywinauto
- Documents
- OCRPDF parsingExcel automation
- Scheduling and queues
- Windows Task SchedulercronPostgreSQL job tables
Raised by operations managers
How much upkeep does a bot need?
Plan for regular maintenance. Each change to the target application may require an adjustment, which is why we recommend a retainer for bots in daily use.
Is it allowed to automate a third-party portal?
That depends on the portal's terms of use. We read them with you before starting and decline where automation is prohibited.
Does the bot need its own computer?
It needs a session of its own, usually a virtual machine in your network. It cannot share a desktop with a person who is working.
Can AI read the screen instead of selectors?
Vision models can now operate interfaces, and they cope better with layout changes. They are slower, cost more per run, and make errors, so we use them for reading documents more than for clicking.
What happens to the staff who did this task?
That is your decision. We make no claims about replacing people. The operator remains the person who handles exceptions.
Tell us which screens are involved
Name the applications, the number of items per day, and who does the task now. Our answer arrives within one business day, and it may be that you do not need a bot.