RPA (Robotic Process Automation) is a category of tools for business process automation via software bots that simulate human work in GUI applications, both desktop and web. Broader scope than browser automation — RPA includes desktop apps too (SAP, Excel, ERP).
Main platforms (enterprise):
- UiPath — market leader, visual designer + .NET runtime
- Automation Anywhere — second player, cloud-first
- Blue Prism — heritage player, banking focus
- Microsoft Power Automate — entry-level, good Office integration
Typical RPA processes:
- Invoice processing (PDF → SAP/ERP)
- Employee onboarding (Active Directory + HRMS + email setup)
- Bank reconciliation
- Customer service (ticket routing, FAQ automation)
- Report generation from multiple sources
RPA vs custom automation: RPA is faster to deploy but 5-10× more expensive long-term. UiPath licensing = $5-12k/bot/year. Custom code = one-time setup + cheap infra. See RPA vs browser automation.