I see opportunities to utilize AI in banking, mainly check validation and customer churn prediction. Additionally, my work with a Pharmaceutical focused on R&D and supply chain presents further opportunities for AI implementation.
Agentic Process Automation System (Now Certified for WorkSpaces)
Automation Anywhere, Inc.External reviews
External reviews are not included in the AWS star rating for the product.
Review about automation anywhere
Empowers organizations with the most advanced OCR capabilities
What is our primary use case?
How has it helped my organization?
For each full-time employee, we can deploy one bot, automating approximately 75 percent of their tasks.
Automation Anywhere makes tasks more cost-efficient.
Automation Anywhere enables us to achieve a 90 percent compliance rate.
For organizations with technical teams, Automation Anywhere serves as an excellent tool.
The learning curve is generally beneficial, especially with the rise of remote learning opportunities. However, businesses may find the transition challenging. Automation Anywhere is a valuable tool for technical teams, although it currently lacks generative AI capabilities like those offered by OpenAI and Azure. While RPA continues to evolve, it remains a strong asset for those with technical expertise.
Non-technical personnel can be trained to use Automation Anywhere in approximately two weeks. The training involves a standard checklist, a knowledge transfer session, a reverse KT session, and supervised practice. This approach ensures that individuals are fully prepared to use Automation Anywhere effectively within two weeks.
Our automation and AI strategy prioritizes delivering immediate value to customers. We begin by identifying and addressing their most pressing issues to demonstrate the benefits of Automation Anywhere. This approach allows us to establish credibility and build strong customer relationships, paving the way for tackling more complex challenges later on.
In the six months since integrating Azure with OpenAI, security teams have granted initial approval for using generative AI, leading to productive discussions on its implementation.
I have worked with the core banking system, which is fully integrated with Automation Anywhere. This includes call management, voice integration, and check validation using OCR scanning. Through this system, the entire core banking process is end-to-end and automated.
The integration is successful, demonstrating consistent accuracy rates exceeding 80 percent. Utilizing Automation Anywhere OCR scanning has proven effective and beneficial for our operations.
Automation Anywhere is easy to upgrade.
What is most valuable?
The OCR feature in Automation Anywhere is the best I have encountered, even better than Google.
What needs improvement?
The initial cost of Automation Anywhere, including license fees and integration costs, is high. It is challenging for business users to operationalize the tool independently. Improving features linked to Gen AI and data processing could reduce dependency on ETL processes, allowing more tasks to be handled within Automation Anywhere.
Although Automation Anywhere is a GUI-based platform with drag-and-drop functionality, non-technical business users struggle to implement it due to the complexities of operationalizing automation within a business context. While a technical user can bridge the gap between the platform and specific business needs by collaborating with domain experts, non-technical users lack the understanding to effectively utilize the platform's features, resulting in a low success rate for independent implementation.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Automation Anywhere for six to seven years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Automation Anywhere is stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Automation Anywhere is highly scalable for both horizontal and vertical expansions.
How are customer service and support?
Customer service is good. Our internal COE provides support, and if needed, Automation Anywhere engineers are involved directly.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
Previously, I used Blue Prism and Watson. Watson was primarily for the healthcare domain.
How was the initial setup?
The initial deployment of Automation Anywhere is straightforward and can be completed in one week, assuming prompt support from the infrastructure team. The only potential delays stem from internal bureaucracy, not the tool's limitations.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The initial setup and licensing fees are high, and although it saves costs in the long run, reaching the break-even point can take at least six months. This means an initial investment may not yield returns for a year, which is often not feasible due to budget constraints. To address this, we offer amortization options, bearing the initial cost to help clients get started and then transitioning those costs into ongoing implementation support. This approach allows us to win contracts despite the high initial investment.
What other advice do I have?
I would rate Automation Anywhere an eight out of ten. While it's a robust tool, costs could be more competitive.
Automation Anywhere requires a dedicated maintenance team, with a recommended ratio of ten technicians for every hundred users, to ensure optimal performance and stability.
The automation team handles bot maintenance directly, eliminating the need for a separate maintenance team.
Eliminates extensive coding and integrates well with enterprise applications
What is our primary use case?
I am working specifically in the finance sector of every single business. Currently, I am collaborating with the finance department of a company to automate their reconciliation and other processes. It works well with ERP automation and similar tasks.
How has it helped my organization?
Before Automation Anywhere, we had Python automation packages. The challenging part about that was it required a lot of coding and error handling. That becomes very complicated, whereas in Automation Anywhere, we already have the framework. We just need to put the logic and all the error handling is done by the Automation Anywhere framework. It is quite good. The availability of frameworks for error handling allowing users to insert logic without additional handling is valuable.
They have an AI platform with GenAI implemented to help us generate anything that is necessary for automation.
Co-Pilot is an interface between a human and a bot. It helps us to give basic instructions or human-related intelligence to a particular bot to complete certain processes. It is quite an important part of automation when we need a human to decide what to do.
It definitely increases productivity. If a human takes six to seven hours to complete a process, a bot can do it within two to three hours with the help of a human if we include Co-Pilot.
When it comes to integration, I have integrated Automation Anywhere with Microsoft Dynamics, Excel, SAP, and Salesforce. All business and enterprise applications are pretty compatible with Automation Anywhere.
The benefits of Automation Anywhere can be seen immediately.
What is most valuable?
Automation Anywhere has a drag-and-drop feature eliminating the need for extensive coding.
It has a large supportive community. They support you at every single step. Their Apeople community is similar to the GitHub community. They are immensely helpful in developing automation bots.
What needs improvement?
One area requiring improvement is the debugging process. When I use a multi-structure with conditions to switch from one bot to another, successful debugging of the entire process is not feasible. Each bot has to be debugged individually.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Automation Anywhere for almost four and a half years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The stability of the automation depends on the applications being automated. For very old or legacy applications, there may be crashes. However, with the latest applications, there are no significant issues like freezing or crashing.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
It is quite flexible. For cloud-based applications, there is the option of APIs. For Windows-based applications, it provides UI interface automation, which enhances its scalability.
How are customer service and support?
Technical support is quite good, offering silver, gold, and diamond levels depending on the license. I have had instances of contacting support for compatibility issues, and they provide solutions such as patches. On a scale of one to ten, I would rate the support as eight.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I have used Microsoft's Power Automate, which is excellent for automation processes within Microsoft-related products. However, it lacks efficacy with other applications such as SAP, Salesforce, and others.
How was the initial setup?
The setup varies with the deployment type. Cloud deployment is straightforward with only a few steps. Dealing with on-premises can be more complex due to customization for specific organizational needs.
The upgrades are quite easy. You just need to select the appropriate version suitable for your business. You need to contact Automation Anywhere, and they will do it for you. There are no hidden charges.
It requires maintenance. If you update your basic application, you also need to update Automation Anywhere to that level. If your application is old or not compatible with Automation Anywhere, they can create some sort of patch to link those applications together.
What about the implementation team?
A single person can manage the deployment if they are purchasing the correct license with support. Alternatively, without direct support, an organization might need at least one professional and one developer.
What other advice do I have?
For business users, there is a separate dashboard and UI to help automate their process. If you are very new to Automation Anywhere but have a basic knowledge of your processes, you can directly automate with Automation Anywhere. If you have basic knowledge of any programming language, it is easy. You can also go to Automation Anywhere University and go through some basic videos. A new person can get started with it within 15 days.
I would rate Automation Anywhere an eight out of ten overall.
Automates data entry tasks with seamless AI integration and has a user-friendly interface.
What is our primary use case?
I primarily use Automation Anywhere for automating manual data entry tasks, such as customer data validation and supply chain management. I have used it for managing a large volume of customer entries, such as handling one lakh customer entries efficiently.
How has it helped my organization?
It saves time and is efficient in data entry for my company. Previously, tasks took more time, but now the process is easier with the software.
What is most valuable?
The best features of Automation Anywhere are having a user-friendly interface and the ability to integrate AI. Additionally, APIs and services like OpenAI's ChatGPT can be integrated, enhancing its functionality. It stands out for its efficiency and ease of integration.
What needs improvement?
The website can be buggy at times, and I would like to see improvements in latency and slow response times.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Automation Anywhere for about one year in my office.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I rate the stability of the solution as a nine out of ten.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
I rate the scalability of the solution as an eight out of ten.
How are customer service and support?
I have never contacted technical support as there have been no issues.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
Before Automation Anywhere, I used testing software in BrowserStack.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup took about a day, and while it was initially a bit complex, it eventually became easier.
What was our ROI?
The solution saves about sixty percent of my time and approximately fifty thousand rupees per month.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Although the pricing is somewhat expensive, it is worth it for the value provided.
What other advice do I have?
I recommend Automation Anywhere because it is beginner-friendly, allowing anyone to learn it easily in their organization.
Approachable platform allows automation across multiple virtual devices
What is our primary use case?
Our company uses Automation Anywhere for enterprise automation of various finance tasks, focusing on accounting. This includes processing accounts payable invoices, managing oil and gas revenue, extracting data from text, and downloading files from our ERP system. These automated processes, some of which are business-critical and complex, enhance efficiency and accuracy within our finance operations.
How has it helped my organization?
Automation Anywhere has helped to address process bottlenecks and departmental inefficiency. It is used as an attempt to streamline operations.
It simplifies the management of complex workloads.
Automation Anywhere has a significant learning curve, but it is understandable and reasonable. Having a support team makes the process easier compared to learning it independently.
The training for non-technical users takes one to two months.
We've integrated numerous tools with Automation Anywhere, most notably our accounting system, which is interfaced via SQL and terminal. Additionally, we utilize RPA to interact with various systems employed by other departments.
What is most valuable?
One of the strengths of Automation Anywhere is its user-friendly interface, which makes it accessible even to those without a development background. As someone who began with no coding knowledge, I found it a great entry point into the world of automation. This accessibility, compared to tools like UiPath, stems from its intuitive design. Furthermore, the capacity to deploy RPA solutions across various virtual devices, a common feature in RPA, is invaluable for streamlining and scaling automation efforts.
Automation Anywhere's API feature is a fantastic offering, providing the valuable ability to call or execute tasks.
What needs improvement?
As a developer, I find Automation Anywhere's bot editor riddled with minor workflow issues that hinder productivity. For instance, the broken bot package versioning system prevents copying and pasting code between bots with different package versions, a stark contrast to the flexibility of Python. This inconvenience arises even when transferring code between bots within the same process, significantly disrupting workflow. While there are other minor improvements I could suggest, Automation Anywhere has been, albeit slowly, addressing our concerns.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Automation Anywhere for five years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The stability of Automation Anywhere is quite good, with few outages from the platform itself.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Automation Anywhere is a very scalable product capable of handling large-scale automation operations.
How are customer service and support?
In my experience, Automation Anywhere's technical support has been lacking. Many of their representatives don't understand the product enough to offer effective assistance. As a developer, it's frustrating to encounter issues and try to communicate them to support staff who seem unfamiliar with the underlying technology. This lack of product knowledge hinders effective troubleshooting and resolution.
Our current support plan is the most basic, so I don't anticipate a quick resolution. However, they generally respond within the expected timeframe for this level of support.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Neutral
How was the initial setup?
Although I wasn't involved in deploying Automation Anywhere, I recall the process being straightforward and immediately successful for the company.
What about the implementation team?
The implementation included a team of four to five individuals supported by a contractor.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
We evaluated UiPath and another product that I cannot recall.
What other advice do I have?
I would rate Automation Anywhere a nine out of ten.
My experience upgrading Automation Anywhere from an on-premise solution to the cloud was challenging despite some helpful features. While a tool was provided to convert version 11 tasks to 360, it introduced unnecessary code during migration. This inefficiency may be specific to Automation Anywhere or a common issue with automation upgrades. Regardless, the process was lengthy and tedious.
Automation Anywhere requires considerable maintenance due to a combination of factors. Our automation of an older Java-based accounting solution causes some challenges. Additionally, automating browser-based tasks in large oil and gas SaaS companies leads to frequent breakage of bots when the underlying HTML or code changes. Consequently, ongoing maintenance is necessary and will be a permanent responsibility for our maintenance team, which includes our project leader and a group of developers.
Establish consistent policies and procedures before doing anything. This aligns with the Center of Excellence framework. Having clear, consistent policies is important before building bots and implementing solutions.
Is easy to learn and use, even for individuals without technical skills
What is our primary use case?
I use Automation Anywhere for a range of automation tasks, including desktop, web, and SAP automation, as well as handling PDF exceptions and facilitating application-to-application automation. Additionally, I establish database connections to perform database automation.
How has it helped my organization?
Automation Anywhere is easy to learn and use, even for individuals without technical skills, due to its user-friendly interface.
The learning curve for non-technical users of Automation Anywhere is relatively gentle, allowing them to grasp the basic functionalities and build simple automation quickly.
Our goal is to reduce manual labor by 200,000 to 300,000 hours over the next five years. We are currently saving approximately 20,000 hours each year through automation, which will result in a total of 100,000 hours saved over five years. The benefits of using Automation Anywhere can be observed within two weeks of implementation.
Generative AI is used in some of our automation processes to eliminate paperwork within a three-hour timeframe.
I have integrated Automation Anywhere with various applications, including SAP, MySQL, and numerous desktop and web-based applications. My experience spans desktop applications, web-based applications like SAP Ariba and other portals, and automation of buying processes. I am confident that I have worked with the full spectrum of applications available in the current market, from desktop-based to cloud-based solutions.
Automation Anywhere can be easily integrated into our automation workflows.
Automation Anywhere saved directors five to seven hours of manual work daily and, from a business structure perspective, more than five times the savings.
What is most valuable?
Automation Anywhere is easy to use and user-friendly due to its intuitive interface and straightforward implementation architecture, making it accessible even for those without a technical background. Its community edition and clear process workflow make it easier to learn and develop on compared to UiPath or Power Automate, requiring less technical knowledge overall.
What needs improvement?
The AISense recorder in Automation Anywhere needs improvement in resilience and OCR capabilities, particularly in comparison to UiPath's superior OCR functionality. Furthermore, expanding the Automation Anywhere packages to include a wider range of desktop-based applications would enhance its utility.
Automation Anywhere needs to expand its reach across more industries by strengthening its sales team and increasing its market presence in India and globally. This broader approach will allow them to capture diverse sectors, increasing demand and creating more job opportunities within the company. This expansion is crucial, especially since the current client base utilizing Automation Anywhere remains limited.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Automation Anywhere for approximately five years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Automation Anywhere is highly stable, and I rate its stability a ten out of ten.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Automation Anywhere allows for automation at scale, and I rate its scalability as a nine out of ten.
How are customer service and support?
Automation Anywhere has good support features.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
Before using Automation Anywhere, manual methods were used.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup was easy and took about a week. Two to three people were involved in the deployment.
What about the implementation team?
The deployment was handled by the IT department which involved two to three people.
What was our ROI?
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Automation Anywhere offers competitive and affordable pricing. However, a slight adjustment to align more closely with Power Automate's pricing structure could help them capture a larger share of the market.
I would rate the price of Automation Anywhere a six out of ten, with ten being the most expensive.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
Other solutions evaluated include UiPath and Power Automate. UiPath provides better OCR and capture capabilities.
What other advice do I have?
I would rate Automation Anywhere nine out of ten.
When I first became interested in the automation market, Automation Anywhere held a significant presence, especially during its expansion into India. While they continue to grow in the Indian market, they need to increase their market share compared to UiPath. From a developer's perspective, UiPath offers far more job opportunities. To be more competitive, Automation Anywhere should proactively expand its presence in industries like healthcare, telecom, and energy. This would lead to increased adoption of their product and create more job opportunities within the Automation Anywhere sector, ultimately benefiting the entire automation industry.
We have over 25 users of Automation Anywhere in our company.
The maintenance is done automatically by Automation Anywhere.
I would recommend using Automation Anywhere to others. It is a user-friendly tool, and developers can learn it quickly. Implementing automation often requires proof of concept, and Automation Anywhere is a viable option.
Terminal emulator enhances efficiency while error handling needs improvement
What is our primary use case?
I have experience using Automation Anywhere to automate various processes, primarily in the banking domain. I've worked on credit card reconciliation for Citibank in Taiwan, Singapore, and Malaysia, as well as loan services and contract renewals for CIMB Malaysia. Additionally, I've utilized IQ Bot to analyze Twitter sentiment, identifying positive and negative comments to create service tickets. My experience includes working with ServiceNow, SAP, and mainframe environments, specifically IBM SQL Server.
How has it helped my organization?
Automation Anywhere has significantly transformed its platform. Previously, tasks were created and managed locally through the control room panel. However, with the introduction of cloud technology, users can now build and deploy tasks directly in the cloud. By installing a bot agent runner on their systems, tasks can be executed automatically. Furthermore, the platform now integrates with Git and Azure repositories, enabling version control and collaborative development. This means multiple users can work on a single project simultaneously, enhancing efficiency and promoting agile methodologies. Additionally, the platform offers automated code review capabilities, allowing users to track changes and identify contributors. The control room manager also receives email notifications for any modifications made. This transition to the cloud has been a gradual process, spanning two to three years, and has significantly improved the platform's accessibility and functionality.
Automation Anywhere has a two to three-month learning curve.
Integrating Copilot into our system is straightforward. From a chatbot perspective, we can use it for tasks like sending emails or completing daily assignments. By utilizing Automation Anywhere, we can build an agent that functions as a Copilot, automating tasks for us. Copilot is also integrated with machine learning models, providing prompts and responses that can be modified as needed. Its user-friendly interface and ability to integrate with existing applications make it a valuable tool for streamlining daily tasks and improving efficiency.
Copilot has helped to improve our productivity by up to 30 percent.
With the use of Automation Anywhere, the organization has seen improved efficiency, particularly with the introduction of IQ Bot and Metabot for tasks such as extracting data from invoices and purchase orders. The combination of RPA with AI and cloud solutions has considerably transformed our processes, allowing for intelligent document processing and seamless system integration, thus streamlining operations.
I use a variety of AI technologies for our research and development, including generative AI, custom bit models, GPT-4, and LaMDA. We've also built our own product for GPT-4 called Thor, which utilizes intelligent document processing to extract data from contracts, purchase orders, invoices, and receipts. This data is then integrated with our machine-learning models and downstream systems. Our focus is on transforming our processes using RPA, AI, and cloud technologies, migrating existing systems to the cloud and enhancing them with AI and ML capabilities.
I have integrated Automation Anywhere with numerous applications, including Salesforce, ServiceNow, ITSM, SAP including S4/HANA and Fusion, Oracle including Oracle Fusion, Java Technologies, .NET Platform, Maple's Web Platform, various databases including QLS with dual database configurations, and Power Platform. I am also familiar with backend systems like Data Lake.
I enjoy using applications and API integration tools to efficiently connect systems. Our organization favours API automation, so we developed an ML-based automation product. We prioritize API integration for all applications, leveraging our back-end team and custom APIs for seamless connectivity. While UI automation can be time-consuming, API integration, especially with back-end services, is significantly faster. Our strategy involves collaborating with IT business partners to prioritize API development.
Automation Anywhere helps us save at least 85 percent of our costs.
What is most valuable?
I find the terminal emulator feature very valuable, particularly in how it interacts with IBM mainframe automation. The Control Room and credential vault are also noteworthy features. Control Room ensures security and access management by keeping credentials within a secure vault. The variable panel, with its comprehensive variety list, array, Boolean, and string types, is quite efficient. Additionally, Metabot stands out as an efficient tool for applications that change frequently.
Automation Anywhere's Metabot and IQ Bot have become increasingly efficient tools for automating tasks. IQ Bot, in particular, has evolved significantly since its launch. Initially, it struggled to effectively extract data from various document types like invoices and purchase orders. However, with the integration of built-in machine learning models, IQ Bot now excels at data extraction and processing. Furthermore, users can build custom models to suit their specific needs, leveraging Automation Anywhere's pre-trained models and readily available tools. This continuous development has made IQ Bot far more user-friendly and efficient than its earlier versions.
What needs improvement?
There are improvements needed in error handling processes, as currently, they rely on start and end error commands. A more strategic approach could enhance efficiency. While the implementation of a structured development approach has been introduced, further enhancements could be made to accommodate non-technical users better, perhaps by making the platform more accessible and user-friendly through a flowchart or diagram-based setup.
Automation Anywhere can be moderately challenging for business users without technical skills. While the platform offers some drag-and-drop functionality, building automation requires a strong understanding of logical operations and scripting. To become proficient, users may need to invest time in learning basic coding concepts or pursuing relevant certifications. This learning curve can mean that users typically require a few months of training before they can effectively build and implement automation.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Automation Anywhere for approximately eight years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I would rate the stability of Automation Anywhere as eight out of ten.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
I would rate the scalability of Automation Anywhere as eight out of ten. Automation Anywhere is capable of scaling to automate multiple processes and tasks.
How are customer service and support?
Support for Automation Anywhere includes L1, L2, and L3 tiers, which respectively handle various levels of issues from preliminary checks to development challenges.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Neutral
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I have used various other automation solutions including UiPath, Blue Prism, and NICE. Each of them offers different strengths, but Automation Anywhere stands out for its terminal emulator and credential vault.
How was the initial setup?
The initial deployment of Automation Anywhere is straightforward, conducted through the Control Room, where understanding task scheduling is vital for effectiveness. While verifying production readiness takes one day, the actual transition to production is a simple switch.
What was our ROI?
The implementation of Automation Anywhere has yielded substantial financial and time savings, effectively reducing the workforce by approximately 16 full-time equivalents within six months.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Automation Anywhere's pricing falls within the mid-range, but the long-term benefits outweigh the initial investment. After a year, significant cost savings and efficiency gains become apparent, justifying the expense.
What other advice do I have?
I would rate Automation Anywhere a seven out of ten. The process of building a script is difficult due to the lack of clarity in identifying the problematic stages. While the code highlights issues, the studio's interface is not user-friendly, especially for those unfamiliar with scripting languages. This lack of intuitive design can make it challenging to utilize the solution effectively.
I started using Automation Anywhere during its beta version and continue to use the latest version for both cloud and desktop deployments. One challenge I faced was the extensive number of default commands, 545 in scripting, 2,565 in web and the need for scripting knowledge, particularly when interacting with other services or adjusting system settings. While Automation Anywhere promotes itself as scriptless, understanding coding concepts is beneficial, especially for tasks like connection manipulation. Although the platform offers a vast array of pre-built commands and drag-and-drop functionality, creating custom activities requires building DLLs, which can be complex. Overall, despite some tricky aspects, Automation Anywhere remains a robust tool for both scripting and scriptless automation development.
Upgrading Automation Anywhere can be complex because its products rely on the .NET framework. When namespaces, components, or libraries within the framework are updated, the entire system isn't always fully adjusted to these changes. This necessitates careful analysis of the specific modifications and their impact on the overall system, allowing for a comprehensive understanding of the upgrade's effects.
Our organization has over 45 users of Automation Anywhere.
Automation Anywhere requires monthly maintenance. While patching the virtual machines only requires a reboot with minimal impact on the production environment, any changes to the environment itself, such as modifications to personal systems or processes, will significantly impact production.
The time spent on bot maintenance varies based on the complexity of the tasks. Simple cloud server or production changes require minimal time, approximately two to three hours. Application changes are more involved, with L3 or L2 tickets potentially taking three to four days depending on the service level agreement and impact. Minor L1 tickets, such as troubleshooting malfunctioning ML or server downtime, can involve either small or large changes. Migrating environments, like transitioning from on-premise to cloud, constitutes a major change that can take a month or even a couple of months.
Automation Anywhere offers a robust infrastructure with advanced features like Metabot, IQ Bot, and seamless integration capabilities with AI technologies, making it a commendable choice for automation needs. However, users should have some technical knowledge before using the platform.
It offers robust end-to-end capabilities within one platform
What is our primary use case?
I train new analysts and developers how to use Automation Anywhere, so my use cases are rudimentary. We automate many internal processes, such as our monthly reports, employee onboarding, and time cards. On the client side, we focus on finance and accounting use cases, such as order to cash, procure to pay, record to report, etc. I do a lot with revenue ops and revenue cycle automation.
You can create synthetic data to test automation capabilities without using real data. For every RPA delivery lifecycle, you can use synthetic data instead of production-grade data. If you need to beef up your artifacts or documentation, you can use Generative AI to have more complete or comprehensive artifacts as a part of your delivery artifacts.
Document Processing has been a higher priority for our clients this year. Automation Anywhere can meet that need in two areas: FortressIQ transactions and the IQ bot capability.
How has it helped my organization?
Automation Anywhere has significantly improved efficiency within my organization. For instance, we reduced the time to enter orders from five to ten minutes to less than a minute in one use case. This has given full-time employees significant time and enabled us to process more orders. We save a ton of time using automation to onboard folks and for our time cards.
What is most valuable?
Automation Anywhere's most valuable features include its end-to-end capabilities within a single platform. It offers desktop automation, unattended automation, a recorder for tasks, and advanced IDP capability, which means that I can handle everything from basic cutting and pasting to advanced use cases. With Automation Anywhere, I don't need multiple other tools to automate end-to-end processes. I only need one additional chatbot tool, assuming conversational AI is part of the solution. If I don't have chatbots, all the capabilities are built into the platform.
It's the second-easiest platform we use. Blue Prism is the easiest for non-technical users, but Automation Anywhere is also straightforward. It has a drag-and-drop interface that helps people who have used visual tools and a recorder for rudimentary task automation. If you're not a professional developer and haven't gone through the process yet, it's pretty easy to build a bot without much training.
When I took the training, I did 40 hours of basic and 100 hours of advanced. If I had learned it from scratch, my experience would be different. It was the last platform I learned out of the three. I had Blue Prism and UiPath under my belt before I learned it.
It takes 40 hours to train a non-technical user in basic automation. A process analyst only needs eight hours, but if you use the platform outside of Bot Insight, you need 40 hours to be proficient.
Automation Anywhere is easy to integrate for all the standard use cases if you have an API. Otherwise, you'll need to build a custom plugin or use computer vision. You can integrate workflows, APIs, business applications, and documents.
What needs improvement?
The IQ Bots need more out-of-the-box models to lessen the time required for model training. Their competitors provide more built-in models, which enhance capabilities in document processing.
Automation Anywhere white-labels the Shibumi platform and calls it COE Manager. They could expand on that platform to reduce the development time and manage robots in production. The COE tool could do more. I think that's another place where they can expand their capabilities.
For how long have I used the solution?
I started using Automation Anywhere in 2019, so I'm on my fourth year.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Stability issues are typically avoidable. Proper infrastructure setup and understanding are crucial for robot processing speeds. Infrastructure is critical, and you must ensure you design these bots to identify all business exceptions In the bot hardening process and the RPA delivery lifecycle. System exceptions are unavoidable, so you need to fix them. But outside of that, there isn't an inherent latency based on legacy software or anything else.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Automation Anywhere’s ability to provide automation at scale is on par with its competitors.
How are customer service and support?
I rate Automation Anywhere eight out of 10. It's on par with competitors, especially if you get the enterprise version. They're a leader in the cloud, with more cloud clients than any of their competitors.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I have used UiPath, Blue Prism, and Automation Anywhere. Blue Prism and Automation Anywhere are similarly easy to use. Automation Anywhere comes with all the digital capabilities you need right out of the box. They added those capabilities through acquisitions, but they own them outright. Blue Prism is easier to use but doesn't have all the same features. They were late to market with their RDA capability, And I would say their IDP capability isn't as accurate, so it's not as highly rated.
How was the initial setup?
Given its web-based architecture, the initial setup is genuinely straightforward. The hardest thing is a hybrid setup because you have to remember the rules for each one. Depending on the web browser, you have to have a certain amount of power and bandwidth at your disposal. I don't know that I would manage the environment myself. I'd rather have hybrid to cloud so that AA could manage the upgrades for me.
Larger, multi-tenant deployments typically take three to five weeks, while a single device on a VM can be set up in two to three days. When we sell it and do it for infrastructure, we use senior consultants, so it's 1.5 resources. Depending on how complex the configuration is, we may need more senior consultants, but one architect plus a consultant is usually enough to get it done.
Automation Anywhere requires some maintenance. We provide managed services to our clients for break-fix and business or system exceptions, but Automation Anywhere handles all the upgrades, patches, etc., as long as it's in the cloud.
It's difficult to say how much maintenance Automation Anywhere needs because it varies based on your environment. Sometimes, your environment isn't set up correctly, so the service crashes a lot, and you spend a lot of time resetting services and restarting processes.
It also depends on the configuration and the number of automations. My largest client has 400 automations in production, so it's a full-time job. They say one person can manage that many, but I don't think that's a healthy number. It's more like 140, depending on the SLAs and use cases. An IT resource can fix most system exceptions, but business exceptions require somebody who's at least minimally basic-certified and ideally advanced-certified.
In other cases, the automation wasn't built with the best practices in mind, so the process will time out and take longer than a human. Many things can cause maintenance and uptime to increase. Ideally, you want to do load management with the bot, so you're sharing the work. You want a utility available if the workload increases or a bot goes down. Lastly, you should ensure enough onboard memory and bandwidth for the automation to run.
What was our ROI?
The time to value varies depending on the size of your project and its objectives. It takes four to six weeks to produce a viable project if your goal is to prove that you can automate a process in your environment and realize value. Medium-to-large high-value automations might take six to 10 weeks or more. Once you have 10 processes in production, you'll see a return of two to five times the investment.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Complaints are generally about the cost of IQ Bot, which is higher than its competitors. The base model’s pricing is comparable to other platforms with attended, unattended, and IDP capabilities as well.
What other advice do I have?
I rate Automation Anywhere eight out of 10. They're one of the leaders. I don't want to give a bad score, but no one is a 10 because there's always room for improvement. While the market share doesn't reflect it, they're tied for first place, in my opinion.
I recommend doing the training before you purchase Automation Anywhere so you can understand the terminology, components, capabilities, and best practices. You should also get a partner to help you avoid all the hang-ups and pitfalls of adopting and monetizing new technology. About 70 percent of solo implementations fail.
One of the best easy and activly helping RPA platform & community-utomation anywhere
Document processing and queue management enhance efficiency despite complex interface
What is our primary use case?
Our use case involves reconciliation in a security company where money is collected from different locations and is reconciled at the end of the day. Other use cases include IT service management automation and HR processes, labeled HR two point zero. This involves payment processing in the HR space and fulfillment receiver.
How has it helped my organization?
Prior to implementing Automation Anywhere, the HR department faced challenges with payment scheduling, resulting in significant delays and monthly penalties. By automating this process, the department has eliminated these penalties and reduced the turnaround time for payment processing from two weeks to one day. This automation has not only improved efficiency but also generated substantial cost savings, as each transaction previously incurred a penalty of four rands.
Automation Anywhere offers good learning materials that are free to access. However, some background in RPA or an understanding of workflows is recommended to effectively utilize the platform and its resources. While the materials are comprehensive, a basic understanding of automation concepts will make the learning process smoother.
The learning curve for Automation Anywhere is relatively short, with non-technical users able to start developing within a week. This rapid learning process allows beginners to learn on the go and immediately apply new knowledge. With dedicated practice, approximately 40 hours, or a week's effort, can result in significant developer readiness.
Automation Anywhere has significantly improved our turnaround time, transforming our operations from lagging to leading. We are now ahead of our transactions and able to proactively meet metrics, cutting costs and avoiding penalties. This proactive approach has resulted in substantial cost savings and the elimination of losses due to penalties, marking a significant achievement for our organization.
We have integrated Automation Anywhere with an SAP application, encompassing processes that involve Excel and other mainframe applications.
The integration was challenging, but our experience with RPA technology proved beneficial. We collaborated with application owners to identify suitable APIs and address concerns regarding sensitive data and test environments. Leveraging Automation Anywhere's integration tools, including IQ Bot and cognitive capabilities, we successfully accessed necessary materials and automated sensitive processes. We also incorporated our existing workflows and adhered to standard screening procedures throughout the integration.
Automation Anywhere automated 90 percent of the process, with the remaining reserved for quality assurance to ensure complete processing.
What is most valuable?
The most valuable features of Automation Anywhere are the document processing and queue management.
What needs improvement?
The workflow has a complex drag-and-drop interface that is not user-friendly and requires a good technical understanding, which can be challenging for users. Additionally, the IQ Bot configuration is complex and requires significant effort to interpret unstructured data effectively. Simplifying these aspects would be beneficial.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Automation Anywhere for over two years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Automation Anywhere is stable, and I would rate it nine out of ten.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Automation Anywhere is reasonably scalable, and I rate it as eight out of ten.
How are customer service and support?
The customer service is straightforward, and the support process is efficient. Issues are addressed through logged tickets, making it quite good.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup of Automation Anywhere was straightforward and completed within a day, primarily due to our accreditations and existing understanding of other technology tools.
What was our ROI?
We reduced the number of full-time equivalent employees from five to one through automation.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Automation Anywhere is thought to be quite expensive, especially for smaller organizations. The pricing model, which varies based on the number of bots and level of support, can become costly. For corporate environments, it is manageable but still on the higher side.
What other advice do I have?
I would rate Automation Anywhere eight out of ten.
We use Document Automation and intelligent automation to identify fraudulent transactions and false claims. Automation Anywhere was instrumental in this process, helping to detect and prevent fraudulent activity. This has been a significant achievement in combating fraud.
We utilize Automation Anywhere across multiple environments, including quality assurance, user acceptance testing, and production, within various regions.
Automated bots monitor the active solutions and restart machines as needed to prevent downtime and reduce the need for manual maintenance.
Weekly maintenance of the bots, including any necessary manual tasks, requires one to two hours.
There are specific use cases where I would recommend Automation Anywhere, such as finance and accounting, human resources, customer service, and IT operations. It’s essential to consider the specific needs of an organization to determine if it’s the right fit.