RPA opportunities thriving in APAC amid COVID-19

The coronavirus pandemic is creating “significant opportunities” for robotic process automation (RPA) solution providers across the Asia Pacific region, new research has shown.

These opportunities lie in the creation of solutions that can take out repetitive tasks to make way for reinforced coronavirus mitigation techniques and business continuity.

This is according to analysis by research firm GlobalData, with its technology analyst Shravani Kore claiming there are considerable benefits for utilising RPA during this time.

“COVID-19 has created significant opportunities for RPA solution providers as industries are looking for remote operation solutions and automated process. This ensures that the demand for RPA solutions will further continue in the coming years,” she said.

“RPA relieves human workers of their repetitive daily tasks by processing workflow much quicker and consequently more efficient. It also improves and scales up businesses, data security and effectiveness.”

These benefits can be seen in a number of different sectors, with a significant one being healthcare – the front line of the pandemic.

RPA solutions here, GlobalData noted, can be seen in the form of GPS-enabled dashboards that utilise bots to collect data and provide real-time information on infection sites, hospital wait times and mask availability.

An example of a provider in this space, the research identified, is RPA software vendor UiPath with its UiPath Health Screening Bot, which can collect employee health data and to simplify health measures for businesses. 

Another RPA software vendor finding success in healthcare is Automation Anywhere, which launched solutions focusing on business continuity and remote working for government and healthcare organisations.

Additionally, India’s Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai, utilised RPA solutions for bulk electronic pass generation that were developed by UiPath and consulting practice EY.

In the office space, RPA has stepped in to support after-hours responses and assisting with the dispatch of management, workload automation and infrastructure management. One such example is the Vietnam-based RPA software vendor FPT and its akaBot, which aims to take away repetitive work and keep remote workforces focused on maintaining business continuity.

The education industry is also seeing RPA solutions being put to use, with solutions being implemented to reduce manual work and automate administrative processes for student admissions, faculty administration and supplier tracking.

Additionally, the banking, financial services and insurance industry is also seeing assistance from RPA solutions, with tasks like compliance, risk operations, fraud detection, accounts receivable and payable all being covered.