In the world of Robotic Process Automation (RPA), leveraging software robots to automate repetitive tasks and optimize business processes has become a widely adopted practice. These bots come in various forms, each designed to meet specific automation requirements within organizations. The two main categories of RPA bots are attended and unattended, each serving unique roles in boosting operational efficiency and productivity. Let’s explore the capabilities of these bots to better understand their specific functions and the importance of mastering their roles in order to enhance automation strategies and foster business growth.

Attended Bots: Augmenting Human Workflows

Attended bots are designed to collaborate with human workers, offering real-time assistance to boost productivity in daily operations. These bots run on the user’s desktop and need human input to initiate and complete specific tasks. Attended bots are perfect for situations that require human judgment, decision-making, and user interaction, ensuring a seamless blend of automation and human expertise.

Understanding How Attended Bots Operate

Attended bots work by supporting human workers in real-time through automated processes triggered manually or automatically.

1. Trigger-Based Activation

Attended bots can be triggered either by a user action or automatically in response to preset conditions or events.

For example, when a customer service agent answers a call, the bot can instantly retrieve the customer’s details based on the caller’s information.

2. Real-Time Assistance

After activation, the bot executes tasks that are often repetitive or data-heavy, enabling the human worker to focus on more complex aspects of their job.

For example, in the healthcare sector, an attended bot could assist a doctor by automatically filling in patient details into an Electronic Health Record (EHR) during a consultation.

3. Human-Bot Collaboration

A defining feature of attended bots is their ability to collaborate with humans. They support tasks that require frequent human decisions or interventions.

For example, in finance, an attended bot could assist an accountant by extracting relevant invoice details and filling in forms. However, the final review and approval would still rest with the accountant.

4. Workflow Integration

Attended bots are often integrated within existing workflows, enabling them to interact with multiple applications. They can automatically retrieve data from one system and input it into another, reducing manual data entry.

In the insurance industry, for instance, an attended bot may assist an underwriter by retrieving historical policy data and auto-populating forms. The underwriter, however, would remain responsible for the final approval.

Unattended Bots: Automating End-to-End Processes

Unattended bots function autonomously without human supervision, handling predefined tasks in the background. These bots are typically deployed on servers or virtual machines and can execute repetitive, rule-based operations at scale, all without human intervention. Ideal for scenarios requiring constant, 24/7 automation, they are perfect for tasks such as batch processing, data migration, and report generation.

How Do Unattended Bots Work?

Here's a closer look at how unattended bots operate:

1. Scheduled or Event-Triggered Execution

Unattended bots can be programmed to run on a set schedule or triggered by specific events, such as the arrival of a new file or the completion of a previous task.

For instance, an unattended bot could be scheduled to execute every night to reconcile accounts, ensuring all financial records are updated and ready for the start of the next business day.

2. Autonomous Operation

Once activated, unattended bots function independently, executing tasks without the need for human intervention. They are capable of navigating through various systems, retrieving data from one, processing it, and updating or entering it into another system.

In the healthcare industry, unattended bots can fully manage the claims processing cycle, from submission to payment reconciliation, all without human involvement.

3. Complex Workflow Management

Unattended bots are adept at managing intricate, multi-step workflows that span across multiple systems and large datasets.

For example, in the insurance sector, an unattended bot can process claims by verifying customer details, checking policy coverage, calculating the payout, and completing the payment process—all without human supervision.

4. Scalability & Efficiency

These bots are designed to scale effortlessly, enabling simultaneous deployment across multiple processes. This capability makes them highly effective for back-office functions, where repetitive tasks can be standardized and optimized.

In the finance sector, unattended bots streamline processes like invoice processing, payroll management, and compliance reporting, delivering impressive speed and accuracy while drastically lowering operational costs.

Comparing Attended & Unattended Bots

The decision to use attended or unattended bots is driven by the specific automation needs and the nature of the tasks to be automated. Here’s a breakdown of key factors to consider when evaluating both types of bots:

Summary

The distinction between attended and unattended bots highlights their unique strengths in addressing different process challenges. Attended bots are perfect for tasks requiring real-time human intervention, while unattended bots excel in automating entire workflows without manual oversight. By evaluating the task requirements, scalability, cost, integration, and compliance needs, you can choose the bot type that best suits your business.

At Destan, we specialize in helping you assess your processes to find the ideal automation solution. Whether you're looking to deploy attended bots to boost your team's efficiency or implement unattended bots to automate intricate workflows, we offer the expertise and support you need to maximize the benefits of RPA within your organization.