Process Automation

By,
Harshil Kanakia
 Outline
● Development of BOT
● Activities, Flowcharts and sequences
● Log File
● loops and conditions
● Best practices for BOT Development
● Evaluating BOT Performance
● Testing
● Monitoring
 Bot
● A bot -- short for "robot" and also called an internet bot -- is a computer
program that operates as an agent for a user or other program, or to
simulate a human activity.
● Bots are normally used to automate certain tasks, meaning they can run
without specific instructions from humans.
● An organization or individual can use a bot to replace a repetitive task
that a human would otherwise have to perform. Bots are also much
faster at these tasks than humans.
 Types of Bots
Attended Bots Unattended Bots

Handle tasks for an employee Automates back offices processes

The user directs a bot to perform a task Bots complete processes without any human
intervention

Users can trigger a bot any time Bots complete the tasks according to the pre-
determined schedule.
 Types of Bots in Automation Anywhere
● Task Bots

● Meta Bots

● IQ Bots
 Task Bots

● The Task Bots are the core of automation which execute repetitive rule-
based tasks.
● These tasks are easy to build and can execute multi-step processes with
no errors.
 Meta Bots
● MetaBots are the advanced bots to that of the Task Bots.
● Meta Bots are used to automate applications on a PC.
● Meta Bots can be created using Application API’s, Visual Captures and
Integration Flow.
 IQ Bots
● IQ bots are next-generation intelligent bots that allow developers to add
cognitive capabilities to processes.
● These bots use cognitive capabilities to extract information from semi and
unstructured data.
● IQ bots also learn to detect patterns so that the next time the pattern is
encountered the bot knows exactly what has to be done. With every
human validation, it learns and grows smarter to execute the actions.
 Types of Business Data
● Structured Data

● Semi Structured Data

● Unstructured Data
 Structured Data
● Any data source with clearly defined fields like:

1. Databases
2. Spreadsheets

● Task Bots and Meta Bots are bots used for Structured Data
 Semi structured Data
● Any document where the location of a field or line items may vary like:

1. Invoices
2. Contracts

● IQ bots are used for Semi Structured Data.

 Unstructured Data
● Any data that is never organized in a specific manner like:

1. Voice recordings
2. Videos

● RPA + AI in IQ bots will be used for Unstructured Data.

 Activity in Automation Anywhere
● Numerous Bots are created everyday that needs to be executed smoothly.
As a control room admin,you need to ensure there is seamless bot
execution across all devices.

● For this reason,The Automation Anywhere Web Control Room provides

the Activity module that shows the history.
 Types of Activities in Automation Anywhere
● In-progress : Displays a live status of all the on-going activities for the
control room.

● Scheduled : Displays a list of activities that have been scheduled for a

later time in an activity table.

● Historical : Lists the all the activities, which have finished running-
successfully or unsuccessfully completed.
 Action in Automation Anywhere
● Actions are the essential building blocks
of a Bot. They are the commands that
tell a Bot what to do.
● Action package Reference :
https://docs.automationanywhere.com/
bundle/enterprise-
v2019/page/enterprise-
cloud/topics/aae-client/bot-
creator/using-the-workbench/cloud-
commands-panel.html
 Flowchart (Workflow)
● Shows the graphical representation of
task.
● Entire task is enclosed within start and
stop activity.
 Sequence
● Sequences are the smallest type of project. They are suitable to linear
processes as they enable you to go from one activity to another
seamlessly, and act as a single block activity.
 Log File
● Log files store messages issued from various application and system components.
● Logs help people and machines to:

1. Determine if a process completed successfully.

2. If a process does not complete, review information about why a process failed to complete.
3. Determine if the bot is performing as expected.
4. Interactively follow the logs.
5. Parse the logs with a tool or import the logs into Excel to gather and analyze metrics.
6. Import the logs into a database.

Reference : https://docs.automationanywhere.com/bundle/enterprise-
v11.3/page/enterprise/topics/aae-architecture-implementation/logging-development.html
 Loop
● Loop package is used to run a sequence of actions repeatedly for a
specific number of times or until a specific condition is met.
● For example, repeat the set of actions that read data from each row of a
Microsoft Excel file, rename all files in a folder, and save each email in a
mailbox.

Reference : https://docs.automationanywhere.com/bundle/enterprise-
v2019/page/enterprise-cloud/topics/aae-client/bot-creator/commands/cloud-
loop-command.html
 Conditions
● If package is used to control the sequence of execution based on one or
more conditions of a task.

Reference : https://docs.automationanywhere.com/bundle/enterprise-
v2019/page/enterprise-cloud/topics/aae-client/bot-creator/commands/cloud-
if-command.html
 Best Practices for BOT Development
● Templates and Bot Stores: Before designing a bot, see if there is already
one available. The top RPA providers have their own stores as well as
libraries. So do some checking first.
● Reusable Workflows: This means you can design your bot from smaller
parts. Of course, this helps to reduce the complexity. But there is another
important benefit: easier updates. For example, suppose when you create
a bot, you repeat the creation of a certain Sequence. You may have, say,
20 bots that use it. But then later you need to make some changes to the
configuration. Well, this means you will need to go back to each of the
bots and make the change. However, if it had a reusable workflow, then
you would just have to change this once.
 Best Practices for BOT Development (Contd..)
● Readability: Take the time to make sure your workflows and code are
easy to understand. One part of this is to set up a standard naming
convention for the activities and variables. It is also a good idea to make
comments within the bot that describe the different steps.
● Think About the Business: “Bot development should involve the business
teams and the IT teams working together,” said Asheesh Mehra, who is
the cofounder and CEO of AntWorks. “This is key since RPA development
should work toward automating the identified business process. These
teams should be sure to employ technology and develop solutions that
can scale as needed. And they should clearly define business rules,
including exceptions and when a human must get involved.”
:) :) Thank you! :) :)