What is UiPath?
We are made to automate! What is UiPath?
Main takeaways
- UiPath requires very little programming knowledge.
- The software mostly uses drag and drop features.
- UiPath allows you to build complex automations. Example below.
UiPath is a Robotic Process Automation software that works for windows. It helps in automating repetitive tasks by completely eliminating human interventions. The software is user friendly and requires minimum programming knowledge as it mostly uses drag and drop features. It is used in various fields such as banking, healthcare, finance, and many more.
What does UiPath do?
UiPath is a modern software that automates business processes. It helps to partially or fully automate tasks performed on the computer by showing the robot how to do the tasks. In other words, the robot can repeat tasks that are normally performed on the computer like: click, open file, open browser, search info etc. UiPath allows us to build complex workflows and create connections within many applications. It can also work in the background or in the foreground.
Background vs foreground process
Background processes are running in the background, which means that the background process doesn’t need to interact with UI elements on the screen but rather relies on background processes to pass along information. You can run multiple background processes at the same time.
Foreground process is used when your automation project needs to interact with UI elements. These processes heavily rely on UI Automation activities. Foreground processes are visible on the screen and they involve actions like: click, open browser, open file, etc. You can run only one foreground process at a time.
Attended vs unattended robot
Attended robot – It acts as the personal assistant of an end-user and helps with small day-to-day tasks or specific parts of a process.
Taking a real-life example is the best way to get a good understanding on how the Attended Robot can improve your work and increase the productivity of your work, the diagram below does just that.
- The User receives a Support Ticket, while reading through the details, he/she realises more information is needed to better answer the request
- The User triggers the process that searches for documentation on its behalf
- The Attended Robot then starts looking through internal and external sources for related documentation using key words found in the Support Ticket
- The Attended Robot presents them to the User
- The User provides a faster and more complete response using the documentation provided by the Robot
Unattended robot – This type of robot does not need direct user interaction to start an automation. Because it usually runs on dedicated machines, the users do not need to interrupt their work for triggering a task/process as the Unattended Robot has already been programmed to run based on the configuration set in the Orchestrator.
As an example, we can use a Reporting System. This is where the Unattended Robot shows its worth as it can be used to capture data related to the employee’s performance, daily volume of tasks per department, and other indicators needed in frequent reports or processes that would otherwise be highly manual and time consuming.
Who uses UiPath?
UiPath is used by many big companies like:
Uber
Xerox
Spotify
SpareBank
Heineken
You can find a few case studies here.
Understanding UiPath Interface
The UiPath interface is clear and user friendly. As mentioned before the software is using drag and drop features which do not require much programming skills. Basic VBA programming language (like in excel) is sufficient to build complex processes.
You can install multiple plugins and extensions which will help you integrate your favourite softwares and browsers.
It might look scary at the beginning as the software offers various features that allow you to build advanced automations, however once you get a bit familiar you will find it simple. The community around UiPath is also big and friendly, therefore it is easy to find solutions whenever you encounter an issue.
1) Go to the official UiPath website
Go to the UiPath official website and create your account or sign in if you already have an existing account. Once completed you will see the screen below.
2) Download UiPath Studio
On the screen you will see “Download UiPath Studio”. Click it in order to download the setup files. Once the file is downloaded, run the setup file and install it.
3) Select Licence
Select quick (recommended for community users). You will install products with default settings.
4) Sign in to your account
5) Select UiPath Studio
6) You are ready to start automation
According to my steps you should be ready to start making programs. Let me know in the comments in case you encounter an issue.
UiPath Features
- Drag and drop – you need to have very basic programming knowledge. Some processes may not even require a single line of code.
- Many plugins and features – software offers a lot of features, however you can install additional plugins whether you will need to get something special.
- Orchestrator – a web application that allows you to orchestrate the execution of repetitive business processes by UiPath robots.
- Advanced screen scraping – simple features which automatically create workflow.
- Debugging – very simple way to check the system errors and track what is going wrong.
- OCR (Optical Character Recognition) – reading text from pictures and more.
- Supportive community – forum with community that helps to answer questions and resolve issues.
- Reliability – very reliable software, once the program is built properly it can last for a long time without errors.
UiPath Studio and Orchestrator
- UiPath Studio is a visual designer that lets you build automation workflows with pre-built activities. This automation could be used to automate a simple or complex task, based on the clients’ requirements. Studio is best for RPA developers looking to build complex automations that include capabilities of managing and invoking 3rd party code or implementing proper error handling that enable automations to be deployed at scale for both attended and unattended scenarios.
- UiPath StudioX is dedicated to those with no prior technical background or coding skills. Task automations, especially those meant for attended scenarios, should be easy to build, deployed and scheduled by anyone in the company or for self use. StudioX is a more limited version of Studio.
- UiPath Orchestrator is a web application that allows you to orchestrate the execution of repetitive business processes by UiPath robots. Orchestrator manages the creation, monitoring, scheduling, and controlling of automated bots and processes. This product of UiPath is used to publish the projects or the automation workflows to ensure that the automation works on various systems simultaneously.
UiPath Application Example
UiPath Pricing
This is a free edition for learning purposes, but can be eventually used by the “enterprises” if these requirements are met.
As per document: “Enterprise means any organisation together with its affiliates (as defined by applicable law) who collectively have either (a) more than 250 machines (physical or virtual) or users or (b) more than five (5) million US dollars (or the equivalent in other currencies) in annual revenues;”
- If you are an individual (natural person) Customer, you may use the Studio on (1) one machine. Orchestrator will only be used for evaluation and training purposes.
- If you are a Legal Entity (which is not an Enterprise), you may use the Studio on up to five (5) machines across all your affiliated companies. Orchestrator will only be used for evaluation and training purposes.
- If you are an Enterprise, you may use the Studio and Orchestrator only for evaluation and training purposes.
The pro and enterprise pricing varies on a case by case basis.
Please contact me, so I can get the best pricing for you.
Summary
UiPath is a powerful tool that allows you to build very complicated processes. It is mostly used by big companies, however small companies can also find it useful.
If you are willing to implement UiPath please do not hesitate to contact me.
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