RPA & AI, IT, HCI
What is robotic process automation and artificial intelligence and what is hyperconverged infrastructure? What will these technologies bring to you?
The combination of hi-tech technologies using optimization in IT projects (RPA & AI). Reduce the need for human resources, reduce the time required to complete an activity, reduce errors and eliminate the amount of manual routine activities. Find new solutions and increase efficiency. Our goal.
Efficiency
Robotic Process Automation optimizes processes by reducing the need for human resources, shortening the time required to perform an activity, reducing error rates and eliminating the amount of manually performed routine activities.
It is particularly useful in situations where standard integration or automation would be cost or time intensive or where you do not have the application under your control.
How it works
Based on instructions, the software robot controls the applications on the PC and performs the activity just like a normal user.
What's more, the robot doesn't need to sleep, doesn't take breaks and doesn't mind working night shifts.
Such an automated process is not necessarily simple: all that is needed is the ability to clearly describe how the robot should behave in certain situations.
What does it take to get the robot up and running?
Think of the robot as a new colleague to whom you want to delegate an activity. It doesn't have to be complicated at all.
Assessment
To get started, you need to identify a process that is suitable for robotization and that will generate enough savings to cover the investment costs.
Optimization
If the process can be optimized, now is the time. An optimally set up process can reduce the cost of implementing automation and deliver greater savings.
Process description
Before starting the development of a robotic process, the workflow needs to be specified. Basically, in the same way as if you were handing over a job to a new colleague.
Environment
Now you need to provide the robotic colleague with a workstation to work on and access to all relevant applications.
Learning
This part may take several days or weeks, as the robot needs to be taught not only to perform the activity but also to prepare it for any non-standard situations it may encounter.
Deployment
Now it is time to deploy the robot into the production environment. The deployment may require a few more modifications to the robot’s instructions.
Case study
The case study demonstrates what activities can be automated using Robotic Process Automation and also gives an idea of the potential business benefits.
Situation
An international logistics company collects route and freight data from around the world. The data needs to be sorted, evaluated and imported into the CRM immediately so that it can work with it more efficiently and use the most suitable, fastest transportation for its cargo anywhere in the world. This activity is handled by a department in the company that needs to receive, process, evaluate and pass on the data. The format of the data is received by email in a simple form, the data is then complexly processed, evaluated and passed on.
Solution
The robot starts its activity by acquiring the data and then identifies it through complex aggregation, sorts it, selects the most optimal option and imports the solution into the CRM.
Result
Reduced lead time from hours to minutes
Employees freed up for another agenda
Return on investment within 6 months
Elimination of risks
What is the difference between RPA and AI?
RPA and AI work hand in hand to metaphoric more human intelligence to process automation. Integrating AI technologies with the RPA platform enables a robotic workforce with more human capabilities, for example:
OCR (optical character recognition) reading and text analysis.
Listening using NLP (Natural Language Processing) and Voice Analytics.
Communicating using chabot, which can be both text and voice.
Another key difference is that while traditional RPA uses structured inputs and logic, AI uses unstructured inputs and develops its own logic. The combination of RPA and AI can create smarter and more complex process automation with the ability to support more complex use cases.
How does Hyper-converged infrastructure (HCI) work?
It's all based on resource virtualization, which means flexibility, easy scaling and cost optimization. Sound a bit like the cloud? It probably does. How is it different from the cloud and how is it implemented?
HCI is a software-defined infrastructure that integrates computing power, storage, and network elements into a single system and allows them to be centrally managed.
Much of the architecture does not run on several different types of hardware, but only on servers.
This architecture allows to replace the complex infrastructure that is usually provided by multinational providers such as AWS. It saves on costs and provides a solution for cases where, for security or legislative reasons, data needs to be stored locally rather than in a public cloud.
Because the servers and storage run on the same type of hardware, usually x86, and are networked via switches, it is easier to bring everything together. The same server will then host the virtualized computing power, storage and some network elements. This combination represents a hyperconverged infrastructure.
Benefits
Private infrastructure - removes all the risks of the public cloud. It processes data locally and can help meet various legislative requirements.
Saves on hardware - only an x86 server and network elements need to be purchased to set up. This eliminates the need to purchase specialised hardware. Storage and some parts of the network are created at the software level, e.g. in VMware vSphere.
Easy scaling - when you're short on performance or storage, just buy a new server and plug it into the cluster.
Simple configuration - a newly added server to the cluster requires no lengthy setup. The software layer will make the configuration easier.
Central management - all infrastructure elements are managed from a single location, so there is no need to log into several different portals.
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