RPA Tool Buyer’s Guide Copyright © 2016 Virtusa ...eraplatform.virtusa.com/downloads/accello/rpa-buyers-guide.pdf · virtualization services? What about execution? Can this tool

RPA Tool Buyer’s Guide Copyright © 2016 Virtusa Corporation. All Rights Reserved.


Evaluation Criteria to Consider when Selecting a RPA Tool

The chosen RPA tool plays a crucial role in your automation journey, and

can directly impact the outcome of an RPA implementation. Therefore,

tool selection should be carried out after carefully assessing your business

requirements, the technology stack of the applications, and expected

outcomes.

While the above could vary between business and operational units even

within the same organization, one could hardly argue that the common

goal is to achieve quick wins, where the ROI exceeds break-even-point in

the shortest possible time and additional benefits are accrued sooner than

later from the dramatic change in pace and efficiency with which

operations are now handled via RPA.


Ease of Use

Can I really afford to invest in an

entire army of automation experts

to get a job automated? Can I

expect these technical experts to

understand the nuances of the

business as my SMEs do as of now,

to do a thorough job of the

automation?

Some tools provide simple ‘record

and play back’ based automation.

It’s an industry-acknowledged fact

that the ‘record and playback’

approach cannot cater even for

medium complexity tasks,

although it creates an aura of

superficial user-friendliness.

While most automation tools

could provide a variety of features,

some of which are technically

more sophisticated than others,

attempting to work with them may

not be an easy feat. In most cases

programmatic skills to automate

even a basic use case, and the

learning curve could be quite

steep and frustrating without

further support from the vendor.

As such, what you essentially

require is an automation tool

which can easily provide your

domain savvy operational SMEs an

opportunity to get involved in the

automation process with minimal

technical knowhow. A tool that is

flexible enough to accommodate

basic process automation with

built in commands, wizards and

GUIs that can be extended for

more complex work as and when

required through alternative

mechanisms would be the ideal

bet for any enterprise.


Scalability

Given the highly disruptive nature

of RPA, even the most nimble and

courageous organizations will

often avoid a big-bang approach

preferring to scale based on the

nature of their business,

organizational resilience to

change, etc. Under such

circumstances getting tied down

to a tool/platform which leaves

minimal room to scale up/down is

certainly not advisable.

As such, the recommended course

of action is to take a good look at

the architecture of the tool and

the basic requirements for

configuration and deployment.

Some tool vendors mandates that

you buy a certain number of bots

whereas you may actually need a

fewer number than that. Some

tools enable you to start with a

small investment, however when

you need to scale up you may need

to spend a fortune on the

additional bots and plug-ins.

Ask yourself the following. Does it require dedicated automation environments or can it be adjusted on-demand through cloud and virtualization services? What about execution? Can this tool help multiple robots execute multiple workflows? Simultaneously by adding execution agents for parallel (grid) execution and support for an array of platforms (operating systems, browsers and devices) with minimal additional expenditure? Can we start small (pilot) and if it works well would it be possible to scale-up in a cost effective manner? If the answer is yes to most of the above, you will probably get your money’s worth when you eventually choose to do a company-wide RPA implementation across various BUs.


Reliability

The last thing you want to do is

invest in an automation tool with

no proven record of stability,

leaving you to incur large expenses

for maintenance and support

while the business operations

automated using these tools are

now in a worse predicament than

when they were initially done

manually.

RPA tools are relatively new, and

strive to reach the reliability and

efficiency level of Test Automation

tools.

As such, always look at the

reliability and robustness of the

underlying automation framework

upon which the tools is built. While

conducting a detailed POC / pilot,

investing some additional time to

evaluate the tool’s potential to

cater to multiple use cases, under

different conditions and data

volumes, and ability to run a large

number of iterations without

performance degradation could be

quite useful in the long run

especially as you move from

automating simple structured

processes across the presentation

layer, to more complex processes

which require integration with

other system APIs for example.


Technology Spectrum

While most commercial tools

specialize in automating certain

areas, it could become quite

restrictive at an enterprise level

given the diversity of operations

and their unique requirements.

As such, when choosing a tool you

will need to be proactive and

evaluate the potential to get add-

ons from the same vendor or

consider integration mechanisms

in the event the existing vendor

cannot support your requirements

in future.

On the other hand, you, shopping around for a single tool that supports automation across a number of channels such as web, mobile and desktop applications, web services and database automation. Essentially, the tool should be able to do true end-to-end automation. Having said that, don’t go for a sledgehammer to crack a nut. So, you shouldn’t be paying for fancy features like AI modules or HCR if you are not going to use them in the near future. So, a tool that fulfills your current requirement, but has the ability to cater to your foreseeable future requirements would be beneficial for most enterprises.


Flexibility Most likely, none of the tools in the industry would be able to fulfil your automation requirements. Standard features and functionalities of a tool are geared to cater for common requirements. When your business cases require something that cannot be fulfilled using such off-the-shelf features, you would need to work with the vendor for customizations. You may end up

paying much more for the customizations than the initial investment. Hence, you should identify the customizations to the tool in the early stages (ideally during your tool evaluation stage) and discuss the cost of such customizations and add-ons with the vendor. Alternatively, you can opt for a tool which allows you to build custom features without having to pay extra for the vendor. Also, you should look for a tool that supports a number of operating systems for the bots. Some tools support only a specific Operating System. Not only such tools mandate procuring expensive Operating systems and infrastructure, also requires deploying your application related RPA on the OS supported by the tool. This could open a can of worms.


Monitoring and ROI Dashboards Once a virtual workforce is deployed

enterprise-wide, it’s vital to put in

place the relevant governance

mechanisms to ensure the intended

benefits are achieved. In that

respect, having solid monitoring and

control mechanisms is paramount

for business continuity. For

example, there may be highly critical

activities that are allocated to the

bots, and if one of them goes down

unexpectedly, it’s very important

that the right stakeholders are

automatically notified to provide the

relevant workaround. Additionally,

many operational managers would

require sufficient visibility on the

various jobs being executed by the

bots to make timely decisions.

So yes, an execution dashboard is a

crucial component of any RPA tool

you select. Also, look at the

mechanisms employed to notify

users of manual actions pending on

their end (for partially automated

workflows), prioritize items if

needed, the level of detail provided

on potential errors and ease of

rectifying same via the tool’s

interface itself. A clean, friendly GUI

with drill down facilities for relevant

features and a “User Inbox”

generally fall into this category.

Additionally, it will be great if your

tool helps in providing ROI

dashboard features out of the box

as you will often have to justify your

investments. If this is not possible,

ensure the tool provides API access

to these so that you can create your

own custom dashboards. Being able

to apply a relevant dollar value up

front and do a ‘what if analysis’

against the selected processes can

easily help you secure buy in from

sponsors too.


Support and Professional Services Generally, most tools offer a range of support plans. You should opt for a plan that provides support during your organization’s standard operational hours, and SLA that are in align with the business criticality of the

processes you intend to apply RPA. So, discuss various support options and those costs with the tool vendor. Most tool vendors provide only the tool and standard tool related support. This means, you need to have your team fully trained on the tool or hire a third-party services provider to implement RPA using the particular tool. Therefore, inquire about training related costs from the tool vendor. Also, you may want to inquire on the professional service fee (rate card) from the tool vendor’s recommended implementation partners or an independent service provider of your choice. The last thing you would want is to end up with a vendor and a service provider who would put the blame on each other’s competency if things go wrong.


Sample Evaluation Checklist This checklist will give you a starting point to perform an extensive evaluation of an RPA tool / framework. It covers a range of criterion including technical capability, licensing and support mechanism enabling an optimal selection process. This checklist is currently populated with Accello specific data for your convenience, but can be used as is or contracted/expanded to evaluate other commercial products in the market.

Criterion Accello RPA Tool 2 General Applicability IT process automation Yes

Business process automation Yes

Cross-channel (frond end, services, database) / Multi-paradigm (web, mobile, thick client etc.) process automation

Yes - Accello can seamlessly switch between channels / paradigms

Partial / User assisted automation (such as the ones that mandate conscious decision-making / human intervention like approvals)

Yes

Processes that involve web based applications (such as web scraping, and filling in forms)

Yes

Processes that involve services and APIs Yes

Processes that involve thick client applications / terminals / SSH

Yes

Writing to / Reading from databases Yes

Processes that involve mobile applications Yes

User interactions with operating systems such as File / Folder operations

Yes

Email Operations - send / read content and attachments Yes

Extracting structured data from various sources such as PDF, Excel, Documents, Web sites etc.

Yes

Creating reports by extracting/merging data from multiple sources

Yes

Processes that can require actions based on simple rules / decisions

Yes


Processes that can require cognitive / AI based decision-making

Cognitive / AI modules are a separate product line, but can be integrated with Accello. The feasibility of Cognitive/AI automation will be confirmed upon analyzing the exact business case. Some cases may require a third-party commercial add-on

Tasks that need to be formed at pre-defined times or intervals

Yes

Text recognition from scanned documents and images Yes

Applications with non-English locale automation Yes

<Include additional criteria as required>

User Friendliness and Ease of Adoption Required level of programming knowledge Almost No. Accello is a zero

code automation solution. However, if you'd like to extend Accello by creating custom commands, then you'd require programming knowledge.

Infrastructure cost for hosting / installing Accello Low. Provides both on-premises and cloud based hosting. You can use physical machines or VMs. Accello bots can run on a number of operating systems.

Ease of installation and configuration Easy. The Accello team does the installation and configuration for you.

User friendliness Accello provides a simple, intuitive UI including a visual flow-chart like workflow builder

Required effort for learning the tool Low. End users can learn the tool within less than 8 hours. Accello provides live training over the web for its customers.

Feasibility of migration to a different tool Yes - provides a universal markup file. An interpreter needs to be written for the specific target tool.


Ease of getting an evaluation version Yes - Provides a 30-day valid evaluation license to the cloud based sandbox. Also, provides recorded training and live support during the evaluation period for potential clients.


Designer (IDE) Features Record and playback No

Ability to model scripts using workflow builder Yes. Provides a visual flow-chart like workflow builder

Automation Framework Yes. Inbuilt

Ability to create scripts without coding Yes. Zero code

Ability to create custom commands Yes. Supports calling external Java, SH and Bat, and using the methods in those as custom commands

Regular Expression Support Yes

Reusable Business Processes Yes

Reusable Data Tables Yes

Reusable UI Objects Yes

Object recognition techniques XPATH / CSS / Attribute Level / Image based

Method of Object recognition Provides Object Spy. Doesn’t require technical know-how of OR techniques such as XPATH

Object Repository Yes. Centralized

Support for complex variables / data types Yes

Support for modelling data and web schema Yes

Inbuilt Triggers Yes (Mail, File Operations, User Actions)

Ability to create custom triggers Yes

Inbuilt notifications Yes

Ability to define custom notifications Yes

Ability to run SQL / PLSQL Yes

Ability to run MDX queries Yes

Ability to use functions from standard scripting languages Yes - JavaScript


Executor Features Ability to schedule execution Yes - through Jenkins

Event Trigger based execution Yes - inbuilt / user defined

Notifications/Alerts in case of failures Yes

Ability to invoke through command line Yes

Ability to select specific bots for execution Yes


Parallel Execution support - single business process on multiple bots

Yes

Parallel Execution support - multiple business processes on multiple bots

Yes

Data provided for issue identification and troubleshooting

Provides detailed logs, video recording of the execution, and screenshots on error

Ability to commission / decommission bots Yes

Reports and Dashboards Yes - Provides a number of useful reports and a web (desktop and mobile) based dashboard.

Life span of data Persistent. Everything (Scripts, Objects Data, Logs etc.) is stored in an internal database


Web Application Automation Support for multiple browser types Yes - IE, FF, Chrome, Safari

Headless execution Yes

Support for Flex, Silverlight, Applets No

Support for iframes and pop ups Yes

Oracle Forms Yes. Requires a third party commercial add-on

SAP - Web Yes. Requires a third party commercial add-on

SharePoint Yes

Pega PRPC Yes

Support for Citrix No


Thick Client Automation REST Yes

SOAP Yes

Custom APIs Yes - will be confirmed upon a feasibility assessment

MQ Yes - ActiveMQ


Database Automation Support for SQL DBMS Yes. Readily supports

MySQL, Microsoft SQL, and Oracle. Support can be extended to any database that supports JDBC


Support for Non-SQL DBMS Yes. Readily supports the Orient database

Support for DW Yes on SSAS


Mobile Applications Automation Supported application types Native, Web, Hybrid

Supported OS Android, iOS


Widely Used Data Sources Automation (Excel, PDF etc.) Excel - ability to import existing master datasheets

Excel - ability to run macros Yes

Excel - ability to compare formulae and results Yes

Excel - ability to insert formulae to Excel sheets Yes

PDF - ability to identify word/line/table data/logo accurately

Yes

PDF - ability to read tabular data Yes

PDR - ability to capture relative positions Yes (using XPATH)


Intelligent Character Recognition Automation Optical Character Recognition (OCR) -Ability to recognize numbers

Yes

OCR - Ability to recognize the English alphabet Yes

Optical Character Recognition - Non-English Certain languages are supported. May require a commercial add-on

Handwritten Character Recognition (HCR) - Ability to recognize numbers

Yes

Handwritten Character Recognition - Ability to recognize the English alphabet

Requires a commercial add-on

Handwritten Character Recognition - Non-English Certain languages are supported. Requires a commercial add-on


Security and Auditability Ability to encrypt data Yes

Ability to mask sensitive information - front end Yes

Ability to mask sensitive information - logs Yes - encrypted fields will not be displayed in the logs

Automatic Backup Processes Yes

Detailed Application Log Yes - provides verbose logging

Script Execution log Yes

User role management Yes - 3 user roles (Admin, Designer, Guest)

Revision history of scripts Yes

Ability to roll back scripts Yes



Scalability and Availability Disaster Recovery site support Yes

Automatic Backup Processes Yes

Ability to add the bot as required Yes

Ability to decommission the bot Yes


Support Standard support hours ET 9.00 AM - 6.00 PM

IST 9.00 AM - 6.00 PM

Support Plan Options Provides flexible support plans to suit the client's requirements (Platinum, Gold, Standard)

Help / Support materials Online User Guide, Online training videos and sample projects, User Forum

Training Plans Free - Live Training Over Web - Free On-premises training - Paid


Licensing License Plans Offers attractive Annual

Subscription based License Plans including, Enterprise License Agreement (ELA) bundled with RPA service offering Starter Plan for small enterprises


Professional Services RPA Consultancy Provides both onsite and

offshore RPA consultancy. Also, offers RPA design and implementation, execution and monitoring.
