We have around 400 to 500 bots running on the production server. If any issues arise with a bot, we check and fix them on our end.
We have SOPs for manual processes. We automate based on the SOPs.
External reviews are not included in the AWS star rating for the product.
We have around 400 to 500 bots running on the production server. If any issues arise with a bot, we check and fix them on our end.
We have SOPs for manual processes. We automate based on the SOPs.
Automation Anywhere helps us perform processes much faster. We have many options in the tool to keep all details secure. Overall, it is very beneficial.
Automation Anywhere is easy to learn for someone who does not have technical skills. Other technologies require us to learn syntax and other things. Many things are there, whereas in Automation Anywhere, we can just select an action. Within one or two months, one can easily understand and work on it. With basic coding knowledge, we can easily automate. Compared to other technologies, it is very easy to learn.
Automation Anywhere is user-friendly for automating processes with accuracy and efficiency. It saves time and offers precise outputs.
Automation Anywhere has saved about 60% to 70% of our time.
The best feature is the Capture action. If we want to capture the whole process, we can do it in a single shot. Everything is added to the code, which is a good feature. It takes us less time to automate. It allows us to achieve what we are doing manually, irrespective of how long it is.
I struggled with understanding the use of different variables during my initial time with Automation Anywhere. We have three types of variables. We have user-defined variables, system variables, and config variables. Sometimes, we get confused about the values stored in various variables. If the tool could show the current value stored in the variable, it would be much easier.
I have been working with Automation Anywhere for the last two years.
Automation Anywhere is a stable product, and I would rate it as one of the best.
It is scalable. I would rate it a nine out of ten for scalability.
In my team, we have 30 people using the solution.
Till now, I have not connected with any support member for any issues.
Neutral
Automation Anywhere is my first tool on the automation side. I do not have any experience with other tools on the automation side. Earlier, I worked with Java and C technologies. Compared to those, Automation Anywhere has more features, and it is very easy to do everything I want.
The initial setup is straightforward. If you have knowledge about it, it does not take much time. Within 15 to 20 minutes, it can be installed on a machine.
Its maintenance is easy.
I would recommend Automation Anywhere to others.
I would rate Automation Anywhere a nine out of ten. This is my first solution, and I am still learning it. I still have to learn many things about this solution.
I use Automation 360 as an RPA developer to automate BPS processes. I have developed over 12 to 15 bots that handle back-office tasks.
My current project is a UK-based water project. Previously, they would take the meter readings and send them to us for quarterly billings. We used to manually enter them in the system, whereas now, we have a bot to help us enter meter readings.
We have also developed a bot to open accounts for new customers. The bot takes all the input from the customer, creates an account, and sends a welcome letter.
Automation Anywhere has significantly helped my organization by automating tasks that were previously done manually by the back-office staff, resulting in increased efficiency.
A technical user can see the benefits of Automation Anywhere within a few days. After developing a bot, there might be some issues that need to be fixed in the bot. After resolving those issues, the benefits are immediate.
In terms of integration, I have integrated Automation Anywhere with some desktop-based applications, web-based applications, CRM applications, and Excel. I have also integrated Outlook where the bot sends an email through Outlook.
The recorder capture tools, specifically the AISense Recorder and Universal Recorder, are valuable. We use these tools in almost every automation. These tools are very effective in capturing data from various applications. We can get data from a web page or an application.
The integration of Generative AI is promising, though I have not yet developed bots using this new capability. It will be helpful for us in the future.
Automation Anywhere is a simple and easy-to-use solution with drag-and-drop activities. Automation Anywhere is easier to learn than any other tool. They also have Automation Anywhere University for learning. They upload all the videos there. They also have a good community.
Automation Anywhere has newly integrated the Generative AI feature. It should be more customizable. Currently, we can change certain parameters, but we would like to have the ability to do modifications within the LLM for better outputs. We would like the ability to fine-tune it. It would be better if Automation Anywhere could add some extra features for us to use the Generative AI feature.
I have been using Automation Anywhere for two years.
We are not facing any issues related to stability, lagging, or downtime.
Automation Anywhere handles scalability well with features like workload management, which helps in distributing tasks across different machines and bots. With workload management features, we can manage and distribute our workloads.
We have been facing an issue with the bots for the last two weeks. We have developed 15 to 20 bots for a client. After making any changes, when we push a bot in production and run it, the bot gives a preprocessing error. We were not able to find the reasons for that error, so we contacted their support and created a ticket. They got back requesting the log files. We need to take those log files from the client and provide those log files to Automation Anywhere support. They have been responsive so far and are working on resolving our issues.
Positive
I have used other tools such as Selenium, UiPath, and Power Automate to automate processes but have not extensively worked with them. I primarily work with Automation Anywhere.
Currently, we are using it for one client, and for that client, it is deployed on-premises. The initial setup was quite straightforward, but I was not responsible for the deployment. My role is focused on bot development and testing, while other team members handle deployment and maintenance.
I have not worked a lot with earlier versions or migrations of Automation Anywhere, but I have experience in migrating a bot, which was easy. I could easily migrate a bot from version 11 to Automation 360.
I recommend learning one RPA tool thoroughly before moving to another. With advancements in AI and ML, it is crucial to look into how to integrate these technologies into your automation.
A person without any technical knowledge can learn Automation Anywhere within one or two months. When a new employee joins our organization, our internal trainer gives them training for four to five weeks. Every week, there are two to three sessions of two hours duration. After about 15 sessions, our employees are ready to use Automation Anywhere to develop bots.
I would rate Automation Anywhere an eight out of ten.
I work for a healthcare company in the pharmacovigilance sector, where we are automating business processes. One key process is case processing, which involves identifying adverse events from drugs, vaccines, or medical devices. These adverse events are reported through various channels like call centers and emails. Currently, data from these sources is manually entered into a drug safety database. We are automating this data entry and the subsequent quality and medical reviews. This automation aims to reduce the workforce from approximately 5,000 to 1,000 employees, primarily by streamlining these processes using Automation Anywhere software.
To reduce maintenance and streamline operations, we have transitioned to a cloud-based subscription model. We are utilizing Automation 360, a subscription-based automation solution, and have also adopted RPA as a service, leveraging pre-built bots offered by Automation Anywhere, some of which are free while others require payment.
Implementing Automation Anywhere has brought significant improvements by automating repetitive processes previously handled by a large team. This automation has reduced the workforce requirement and allowed for attended and unattended bot implementation. Consequently, human errors have decreased, the quality of deliverables has improved, and timelines have been accelerated. Previously, delays in task completion resulted in penalties for the company, but this issue has been resolved. Automation Anywhere has enabled faster processing of cases, marking a significant positive change in the company's operations.
AI is being used to automate the case intake process, which involves analyzing structured and unstructured documents like emails, articles, and scientific papers. Previously, this task was time-consuming, requiring staff to manually search documents for key information. The process has been significantly accelerated by implementing Automation Anywhere's IQ Bot, with its cognitive automation, AI integration, and natural language processing capabilities. The software automatically highlights crucial details like patient information, product specifics, and adverse events, enabling reviewers to assess document relevance quickly. This automation has reduced review time from 30 minutes per document to five to ten seconds, allowing a greater volume of literature to be processed. Furthermore, the NLP feature automatically identifies and justifies the presence of specific criteria within the documents. By integrating Automation Anywhere into their internal tool, the organization has reduced the workforce needed for this process from over 100 people to 12-15, resulting in increased efficiency, faster turnaround times, and a more manageable workload.
Automation Anywhere offers a user-friendly platform with a drag-and-drop interface, making it easy for business users with limited technical skills to implement RPA solutions. The platform provides a complete suite of tools, including task automation, cognitive automation using IQ Bot, and bot insights and analytics. While embedded with AI capabilities, the platform remains accessible to users without deep technical knowledge. Users should familiarize themselves with the available features, including built-in AI capabilities for handling various document types, and explore the Bot Store marketplace for pre-built bots that can accelerate development. Automation Anywhere enables rapid scaling with cloud-hosted architecture and prioritizes security with GDPR compliance, audit trails, and role-based access.
Initially, integrating Automation Copilot with our daily applications proved challenging. However, subsequent updates have simplified the process. While it previously functioned with attended bots but not unattended ones, expanded API capabilities now allow for greater compatibility with third-party applications. This enhanced functionality enables us to emulate various tasks and seamlessly integrate with systems like Salesforce, SAP, and Oracle. We have successfully implemented Automation Copilot for data entry, updates, and, most significantly, report generation, resulting in improved efficiency and productivity.
Automation Copilot has significantly increased our productivity. Integrating our systems will allow for seamless data transfer, eliminating the need for manual intervention and preventing quality issues. Tasks will be completed automatically and in real-time, increasing productivity and reducing the time spent on manual work. This eliminates the need for batch processing and ensures that everything happens instantly.
Over time, we have integrated numerous products with Automation Anywhere, leveraging their REST API for seamless data flow. This has enabled successful integrations with Salesforce, SAP, Oracle's Argus, and five of our seven internal products, particularly with Automation Anywhere's cognitive automation capabilities. As long as Automation Anywhere provides the REST API, we can integrate any application or third-party service, facilitating effortless data transfer between various tools.
The time savings are valuable.
The learning curve for Automation Anywhere is steep, especially for advanced features like IQ Bot and API automation, which require technical expertise. While basic automation is relatively easy, the platform's documentation and training materials are not comprehensive, making it challenging to master the more complex functionalities. Compared to UiPath, which offers extensive resources and support, Automation Anywhere's limited resources contribute to a steeper learning curve for those seeking to utilize its advanced capabilities.
From a business perspective, Automation Anywhere is expensive compared to other tools like UiPath, making it unsuitable for small or medium-sized businesses. It requires robust systems to run efficiently and previously had limitations integrating with legacy systems, though they are improving this with REST API support. Additionally, community support is slow and unhelpful for critical issues. While they offer IQ Bot for unstructured data, it can only automate around 50 percent of such processes, requiring manual intervention. Although Automation Anywhere supports customization, it is limited. These are key areas where Automation Anywhere could improve.
I have been using Automation Anywhere for four years.
Despite Automation Anywhere being resource-intensive, in my four years of experience using it, I have found it to be a highly stable system that has never crashed.
Automation Anywhere offers impressive automation capabilities at scale. From a product standpoint, it is highly effective and achieves its purpose well. Automation Anywhere is a strong choice for enterprise applications due to its robust functionality and cloud-based version. While the portal could be improved, the product itself is excellent and, if chosen strategically, can streamline numerous processes.
Technical support response times are slow. While we can escalate critical issues, their carelessness with other matters, especially those impacting business priorities, is a concern. Their slow pace and occasional irresponsibility demonstrate a lack of respect for our time.
Neutral
As a UiPath certified architect and business analyst with extensive experience in UiPath and Automation Anywhere, I find UiPath to be the superior solution for most companies. While both offer cloud-native capabilities, UiPath boasts a more user-friendly interface, requiring less coding knowledge. Its AI Fabric platform provides extensive machine learning capabilities, surpassing Automation Anywhere's limited AI integration. UiPath also excels in bot management and orchestration, offering a user-friendly approach and robust capabilities. Furthermore, UiPath provides stronger security and compliance features, superior third-party integration, and greater pricing flexibility, making it accessible to companies of all sizes, unlike Automation Anywhere, which is often only affordable for mid to large companies. Although Automation Anywhere offers decent cognitive automation, UiPath's ease of use, AI capabilities, and flexible pricing make it the more versatile and comprehensive choice.
The initial deployment was complex, requiring determining the bot type, attended or unattended and bundle handling strategies for multiple bot deployments. This process, driven mainly by configuration and orchestration, can be time-consuming for those without a technical background. Familiarity with the system streamlines deployment, while newcomers or those with limited technical expertise may find it more challenging.
Automation Anywhere is expensive, making it more suitable for enterprise organizations.
I would rate Automation Anywhere eight out of ten.
The benefits of Automation Anywhere projects aren't immediate. Building and implementing a successful automation system involves several stages: proof of concept, pilot process, and finally, production rollout. This process typically takes two to three months due to the necessary development, testing, and refinement. However, once automation is in production, the improvements will be significant and immediately apparent.
In a highly regulated industry with over 10,000 employees, traditional RPA faced strong resistance due to concerns about headcount reduction. To overcome this, we adopted a cognitive automation approach, integrating machine learning capabilities from Automation Anywhere into existing applications. This minimized disruption and ensured a smoother transition. By embedding cognitive automation within familiar and validated systems, we achieved production with minimal resistance. This strategy also allows the system to learn user input through reinforcement learning, adapting to expectations based on feedback and a reward/penalty system. Therefore, we prioritize cognitive automation integrated within our existing products rather than relying solely on a separate RPA suite, especially given the challenges of implementing RPA in a large organization within a highly regulated industry.
Because we use Automation Anywhere in the cloud, they manage all upgrades and provide a defined schedule. We receive regular emails about upcoming upgrades, including the specific date and time. We can communicate any concerns about potential business impacts, and they provide clarity and assurance that upgrades will not disrupt deployed bots. This ensures our work remains unaffected during the upgrade process, which they handle very efficiently.
The bots require maintenance on our end to ensure smooth operation. This includes monitoring their uptime, examining audit trails for failures, and periodically checking their performance. While Automation Anywhere handles regular software updates and maintenance, we are responsible for maintaining the business processes the bots support. This involves ongoing support and ensuring the bots function correctly. If a bot fails, we are responsible for investigating the cause and restoring it to functionality, as we understand the critical role each bot plays in our operations.
To successfully implement Automation Anywhere, prioritize hiring an experienced consultant to provide initial training and guidance. This expert can efficiently onboard other team members, ensuring a smooth transition and maximizing the software's potential. Their expertise will be invaluable in identifying suitable bots from the bot store, even if they require some customization to align with the company's unique processes. This approach saves time and resources compared to developing bots from scratch and leverages existing solutions for faster and more effective automation.
We used Automation Anywhere to automate three SAP projects.
We implemented Automation Anywhere to update company code levels with a new general ledger and profit and loss accounts. This update was based on conditions involving multiple P codes and SAP instances.
Previously, updating the general ledgers across multiple SAP instances was a manual process, but it has since been automated.
Automation Anywhere is easy to learn, with a dedicated certification that takes one month to complete. However, to gain sufficient practical experience, users typically require at least six months to work on automation projects.
Automation Anywhere has helped save costs by, for example, doing the job of two full-time employees.
We have integrated SAP desktop automation, Web applications, and ServiceNow with Automation Anywhere.
We use ServiceNow APIs to manage tickets, not the application itself. All actions, including updating ticket details, processing, and adding comments, are performed through the APIs. If processing is successful, we update the ticket comments via the API. For any issues, we attach logs and update the comments with the error message before closing the ticket, all through the ServiceNow API.
Automation Anywhere has helped save costs and time and has reduced the number of human errors.
The Automation Anywhere interface is user-friendly, allowing even new users to grasp the basics within a few hours. While I haven't used Blue Prism, its interface appears more complex. Other automation tools also present a steeper learning curve than Automation Anywhere.
The most valuable feature is the user-friendly interface. When updated packages are available, we receive demos and can practice the automation in the portal.
Automation Anywhere's frequent updates are unnecessary and disruptive. Updates are often pushed for no apparent reason, even for perfectly functional packages. This excessive update frequency is undesirable and should be reduced.
I have been using Automation Anywhere for two and a half years.
I would rate the stability of Automation Anywhere eight out of ten.
I would rate the scalability of Automation Anywhere seven out of ten.
The initial deployment is straightforward. We move code from private to public in a zip file and provide it to the developers. It takes approximately ten minutes.
I have heard that Automation Anywhere is expensive.
I would rate Automation Anywhere eight out of ten.
Our client is an enterprise business.
Two leads and three support people are required to maintain Automation Anywhere. Once we develop the bot, we hand it to the support team.
We have approximately 2,000 users of Automation Anywhere.
Automation Anywhere helps automate routine tasks, freeing employees to focus on other areas, and can even automate processes with underdeveloped back-end systems.
I utilize Automation Anywhere for automation purposes. Recently, I completed a project for a client in the telecom sector. The project involved automating their monthly bill review system for customers. Previously, this system required on-site employees to check millions of invoices each month manually. A dedicated department then verified these invoices, sent them to customers, and verified payment status after payment. This process was time-consuming. We used Automation Anywhere's RPA and OCR capabilities and the AI document processing module to analyze document structures and verify tabs. We then automated various steps like accessing the portal, applying checks, and sending invoices via email. Now, the entire process is automated, triggered by a robot each month.
The main challenge which organizations want to address through any implemented RPA solution is the repetitive nature of their tasks. Instead of having ten employees perform the same monotonous task from nine to five every day, a single RPA robot can handle the workload, freeing those employees to focus on tasks that require human intervention. Automation is ideal for repetitive tasks, such as processing millions of invoices monthly, which can now be managed by a few RPA robots working around the clock. This allows employees to explore new opportunities, which is the primary goal of automation and the main reason for using RPA or any automation technology. Most automation technologies have features that enable this shift. However, automation is not suitable for all tasks; tasks requiring approvals or human judgment cannot be automated.
The deployment model varies depending on the client. In Pakistan, I worked with several clients using ABL who opted for cloud deployment. However, clients dealing with highly confidential and sensitive data, such as banks and telecommunications companies, prefer on-premises solutions. In contrast, clients in sectors like healthcare might be more open to utilizing cloud infrastructure.
Automation Anywhere has enabled repetitive tasks previously done manually to be automated.
Regarding RPA, ever since generative AI was introduced, we have ChatGPT and Google Gemini. The advent of these generative AI models has shifted the automation landscape. Automation has moved from Robotic Process Automation towards Intelligent Process Automation. The difference between RPA and IPA lies in their ability to handle changes. For example, if a website form changes its layout, a traditional RPA bot might fail because it can't identify the fields or buttons in their new positions. However, with IPA, the bot is intelligent enough to understand the fields' requests and can still process the data regardless of UI changes. Besides this, numerous other IPA use cases leverage Large Language Models and generative AI. For instance, a company could have a trained dataset monitored by an RPA bot, which then uses generative AI to create and send daily reports to top management, analyzing current numbers concerning past performance. This is a fascinating area that I've been exploring and working on lately.
For business users without technical skills, automation is achievable depending on the complexity of the task. Simple processes like sending custom emails from an Excel list can be easily automated with basic tutorials. While time and practice are necessary for mastery, basic automation can be initiated with just a few introductory videos.
We recently started using Automation Anywhere Copilot, so we haven't had the opportunity to integrate it with many of our automations. However, we have integrated it with SAP, where the bot reviews SAP data and provides the user with the required information at runtime. I have utilized this feature, and it's quite interesting. They also offer integrations with many other software, so the integration level is relatively high. Regardless of the type of features the business uses, whether they are using Salesforce, Microsoft Dynamics, SAP, or even AWS, integrations are available. They provide custom APIs that can be used for integration.
Automation Copilot helped increase our productivity by 60 percent.
Copilot has enabled staff to focus on other tasks by automating processes. For instance, the business department aimed to automate 350 processes this year, but by September, they had already surpassed that goal with 370 automations. Similarly, last year's target of 250 automations was exceeded, reaching 300. This increased efficiency has significantly improved workflows.
Our primary application of Generative AI for our telecom client is to detect service outages, such as when an area experiences a loss of service. We've been strategically planning our Generative AI approach for this year and the next, focusing on utilizing RPA to identify potential solutions and valuable insights within our data. For instance, in the context of outages, we aim to pinpoint the areas with the highest outage frequency, understand the reasons behind those outages, and correlate that information with customer complaint data. By analyzing metrics like complaint resolution times and outage resolution times, we can create a benchmark that helps us identify areas where we can enhance our customer service.
The amount of time Automation Anywhere helps save is dependent on the automated task. For example, the bill review task we automated helped save 10,000 hours per month.
We have several custom ERPs used internally but primarily rely on Microsoft Dynamics. We have a BCRM portal built on the Dynamics portal, hosting both our BCRM business-facing and CRM customer-facing systems. We also utilize Excel with VBA macros and other platforms, including Kofax for OCR. Kofax's Arabic language detection capabilities are crucial for processing UAE ID cards containing Arabic text. Kofax is our organization-wide OCR solution, integrated with Automation Anywhere. Overall, we have integrated Automation Anywhere with various software solutions.
Integrating Automation Anywhere into our workflows, APIs, and business automation is simple. RPA functions like a digital employee, and we can instruct them to perform tasks. Any activity currently done by a human employee can be done via RPA. However, the crucial question is whether it should be automated. If a task is performed infrequently, such as once every six months, creating an automation is inefficient. The time spent developing the automation could be better used to complete the task manually. Automation is ideal for repetitive tasks performed frequently. If a task isn't repetitive, automating it might not be beneficial. Regarding the capabilities of automation, nearly any work an employee performs on an organization's system has the potential to be automated.
Automation Anywhere has a persistent click-related issue that can make automation difficult, particularly in unattended environments. Even the Automation Anywhere team is aware of this problem, which has existed for several years. When automating tasks on a website, clicks may not work as expected in an unattended environment despite functioning correctly otherwise. The Automation Anywhere team has had numerous meetings to address this issue, but a solution remains elusive.
I have been using Automation Anywhere for almost four years.
Automation Anywhere's ability to provide automation at scales is dependent on how well it can integrate with every platform. I would rate the scalability seven out of ten.
I compare all other RPA tools to UiPath, which has excellent support—I'd rate it ten out of ten. In contrast, I'd rate Automation Anywhere's support six out of ten.
Neutral
In addition to Automation Anywhere, we also use UiPath, and Power Automate.
It ultimately depends on the client's preference for an RPA solution. In my opinion, UiPath remains the leading option in the market, unmatched by any competitor. Automation Anywhere currently holds the second position, but I anticipate Power Automate surpassing it in the future. However, UiPath is considerably ahead of the competition, leaving Automation Anywhere as a distant second. While Automation Anywhere is a suitable alternative, UiPath's high pricing can be a factor in the decision-making process. A lot of our clients choose Automation Anywhere because it is cheaper than UiPath to implement. Power Automate is the solution often chosen by businesses that already have other Microsoft solutions integrated into their environment.
The primary distinction among these RPA tools lies in the connectors and capabilities offered by Power Automate. Many businesses already utilize Power BI and Microsoft Dynamics, with most BI-related software relying on Tableau or Power BI. While some smaller-scale operations may still use Excel for dashboards, it's becoming increasingly uncommon. Power Automate's built-in custom connectors for Microsoft products provide a significant advantage. Overall, Power Automate has proven to be a game-changer, exceeding expectations with its features, custom connections, and level of support. While not currently the case, it's conceivable that with further enhancements, Power Automate could eventually surpass Automation Anywhere in the market.
While I wasn't involved in the initial deployment, I contributed to the migration from version A11 to A360. This was a major undertaking, spanning six months and presenting numerous challenges. Despite encountering various issues, we ultimately achieved a successful migration.
Cloud deployment is straightforward, while on-premises setup requiring server configuration can be challenging. A cloud deployment typically takes no more than one business day.
We have two teams: the operations team and the development team. The operations team handles deployment and typically consists of one or two people. The development team's size varies depending on the number of processes requiring automation. For fewer processes, one developer may suffice; however, we may engage five or even six developers for numerous processes.
Automation Anywhere provides good cost savings.
Automation Anywhere's price is considerably better than UiPath's.
I evaluated Robocorp from a POC point of view.
I rate Automation Anywhere eight out of ten.
Challenges in implementing Automation Anywhere depend on the process being automated. For instance, if your organization adopts Automation Anywhere, infrastructure won't be the primary concern as their cloud setup is straightforward. The real challenges lie in the processes themselves. RPA automates processes, so if, for example, in bill review, some invoices are unclear due to being scanned images, the robot might struggle to process them correctly. This is a process-related challenge, not an RPA implementation issue. To address this, instead of incorrect automation, we set a confidence threshold, say 80 percent, below which invoices are flagged for manual review. Thus, RPA implementation focuses on the process itself. Businesses have numerous processes across operations, products, clients, and consultations. The key is to identify these processes and determine suitable solutions. RPA involves instructing the robot on the required steps, which it follows diligently. However, even if ten employees perform the same task, each might have their own approach. Therefore, understanding the process from the user's perspective is crucial to identifying the optimal workflow. This ideal process is then programmed into the robot, ensuring consistent execution. It's important to remember that RPA, including Automation Anywhere, has limitations and cannot deviate from its instructions or make independent decisions.
Automating more complex processes requires a deeper understanding of coding concepts like loops, regardless of the automation scale. I teach UiPath Studio X, which is designed for business users without a coding background. It is a good starting point. Training in Studio X includes teaching basic coding concepts, emphasizing their connection to familiar Excel functions. This approach helps users understand the logic behind automation and bridge the gap between their existing skills and new concepts.
The learning curve for RPA automation, depending on your desired level of mastery, is manageable. It is key to understand all the features and how they work, including the AI-powered ones. Basic RPA automation can be learned in about four to five months, allowing someone to start working as an RPA developer. However, working on an actual project for a year or a year and a half is recommended to become a true expert. This provides ample time to learn the ins and outs of Automation Anywhere, understand the challenges, and develop solutions.
Upgrading Automation Anywhere to a newer version on the same platform is straightforward, but our migration from the obsolete on-premise A11 to the cloud-based A360 required moving every single business process, which was time-consuming. Apart from that specific migration, version upgrades are generally not complex.
Bots running on a cloud platform require continuous maintenance. While the cloud platform can monitor the bots, human oversight is essential to identify and troubleshoot issues like crashes. Large clients may necessitate a dedicated maintenance team working shifts to provide 24/7 monitoring and support. These teams typically monitor the bots' control room on a separate screen while performing other tasks. In the event of a crash, they investigate the cause and, if unable to resolve it, escalate the issue to the development team for further assistance.
I have used Automation Anywhere in various industries, including banking, telecommunications, retail, and oil and gas. In such clients, there's often a mismatch between systems, needing more integration. Creating new integrations from scratch, like calling APIs, is complex. Automation Anywhere bypasses this by integrating systems through their user interfaces. For instance, inserting data into an SAP database typically requires knowledge of connection strings, database design, and tables. This information isn't readily available. With Automation Anywhere, I observe users performing tasks like creating clients. I note the screen and information used, then load that into an Excel file. Automation Anywhere processes numerous transactions using Excel data and screen interactions. This accelerates digital transformation. While APIs are the ideal engineering solution for integration, robotics provides the fastest results.
We have installed Automation Anywhere on AWS, Azure, and GCP, which works well.
Automation Anywhere is user-friendly with its concept, even C-level executives can try automating tasks in five minutes, which is a great marketing strategy. However, for professionals in sectors like banking who design critical mission bots, deeper knowledge is necessary, including logging, API calls, etc. Automation Anywhere's best features are sufficient for newbies or those needing quick implementations.
Copilot is a good feature for those using machine learning and AI.
Copilot helps increase the productivity of new users.
Typically, extracting information from transactional systems requires tools like Automation Anywhere. For less structured tasks, generative AI is a great option. One area where these tools can improve is web scraping. For instance, if a website changes, traditional bots fail. However, with generative AI, we can create bots that understand page context and adjust accordingly. For example, if the input field for a flight code changes its location or ID, a generative AI-powered bot can still identify it by understanding the context of the surrounding labels, like "flight code". I believe we'll see a significant evolution in the coming years, with computer vision and generative AI enabling bots to understand the location of information on a screen and adjust web scraping strategies dynamically.
One of the main concerns with Automation Anywhere is the lack of a robust feature for capturing and managing information from the user interface, something competitors like Blue Prism already offer. In Blue Prism, you can create an "application model" to capture every control on a screen and assign them to variables, making it easy to reference and update them in your code, even if the screen layout changes. In Automation Anywhere, however, you must manually search and update capture instructions within the code, which is time-consuming and error-prone. Implementing a similar feature in Automation Anywhere would be critical for improving efficiency and maintainability. While this idea has been discussed with the company, it has yet to be implemented.
For experienced developers, there's room for improvement. For instance, code refactoring, a valuable feature, is currently impossible in Automation Anywhere. While Automation Anywhere is excellent for beginners, it could benefit from enhancements for advanced users.
I have been using Automation Anywhere for eight years.
Automation Anywhere is scalable. One of my clients, the largest bank in our country, is also one of Automation Anywhere's biggest clients. We have Automation Anywhere running on over 9,000 computers at the bank.
The technical support team is an excellent resource. We are a long-standing partner of Automation Anywhere in our country. My team possesses a deep understanding of the platform, but when we require assistance, the support team is always helpful.
Positive
The initial deployment of Automation Anywhere is straightforward. We use the bot model and deploy bot runners through the Automation Anywhere cloud, simplifying the process. While using the Automation Anywhere cloud is convenient, we've also deployed an instance in a private cloud environment like Azure or AWS, which works well. However, deploying in a private cloud requires knowledge of clustering and related concepts, so it's not suitable for everyone.
On average, a bot runner in Automation Anywhere can cost $5,000, while in Microsoft Power Automate, you can get most of the same functionality for $100. However, when you factor in the materials, support, and ecosystem of Automation Anywhere, it proves to be a more cost-effective solution overall.
I rate Automation Anywhere ten out of ten.
Typically, they release hotfixes, and if you're using Automation Anywhere's cloud platform, you receive these hotfixes automatically and at no cost. However, in my situation, as a system integrator partner of Automation Anywhere, they inform us of available hotfixes, which we then download and implement without issue.
We have built over 75 automations with Automation Anywhere across various teams in the organization, delivering a high value for our internal teams. We have explored a couple of process transformations with Automation Anywhere using their IQ bots and AI automation tools.
We have integrated applications like SAP ECC, One Source Automation, and SharePoint using Python code. Our company has 25 AA developers.
AA improves process consistency and reduces human error. We have saved our clients considerable time using Automation Anywhere. While we don't assess the dollar savings, we look at the amount of time saved per project. The tasks were previously completed by hand, but Automation Anywhere enabled a lot of process automation, giving users automation that runs around the clock. For example, we can automate processes to address point-in-time reports so a user doesn't need to wake up at midnight to handle these issues.
We haven't gotten approval to implement AI, but when we do, I believe it will accelerate the time savings we realize through automation. We will work with other teams to show them the value of AI and automation.
Automation Anywhere's most valuable feature is its ease of use. It's easy to envision a solution or process to transform with Automation Anywhere from end to end. We can realize the value much faster because it's easy to use and understand.
All the features are impressive. We haven't had a chance to use the Copilot or other AI features, but the studio is great. It's the platform where we build the bots. The IQ Bot used to be excellent, but the IQ Bot isn't available anymore. I believe it's document automation, which is also very good.
Anyone at any level can use Automation Anywhere. Once you get the hang of it, it's highly intuitive, and the learning curve is short. We started seeing value from Automation Anywhere within a month or so after implementation, but that was with the older version. It's even faster now that everything is on the web.
Training employees using the courses takes a couple of weeks, followed by another week or so of hands-on learning on the platform. It takes about four weeks to onboard a user.
Automation Anywhere can improve its integration. For example, you can't directly integrate Automation Anywhere with SharePoint or third-party applications seamlessly. Adding seamless third-party integration would add a lot of value to the platform. We need to use APIs or Python coding to integrate the third-party applications. If Automation Anywhere could add some connectors, that would be great.
I'd love to see the ability to build web or mobile applications that are integrated with Automation Anywhere bots, so that a user can work on a web interface directly. Then, it can be linked to the Automation Anywhere bots in the background. They just hit a button, and all the data or information will be used by the bot to do some process in the back end.
We have used Automation Anywhere for five years.
We've never had any issues with stability.
It's easy to build automations and scale Automation Anywhere.
I rate Automation Anywhere support 10 out of 10. The tech support is great. We have a CSM we can contact for information, and they're very responsive.
Positive
We use the SaaS model of Automation Anywhere, so the deployment was easy. We set up the infrastructure in under a week. We worked closely with the Automation Anywhere folks because we wanted a clean slate. We didn't want to migrate from the older version to the SaaS edition and took it as an opportunity to clean up the bots. It didn't require much effort, and only two people were involved. The upgrade process was simple. Maintenance is minimal. It only takes a couple of people to maintain 75 bots.
Automation Anywhere's pricing is excellent.
I rate Automation Anywhere nine out of 10. I would recommend it to others. It's intuitive and easy to implement.
We are a reseller. We first implemented it for an auto company and then decided to implement it for other customers as well.
We use it for workload automation. By implementing Automation Anywhere, we wanted to automate processes. We have not had any big problems with Automation Anywhere. The problems are in other systems.
Before Automation Anywhere, our clients did not have any other tool. Everything was done manually, and now, a lot of processes are automated by this tool. They save lots and lots of money.
We usually use Co-Pilot for approvals in a department. For example, when the accounting department needs to approve an invoice, we can use Co-Pilot and get the data, accept the data, and get the confirmation for the invoice. It can be automated by RPA. There is about a 5% to 10% increase in productivity because it is not so much stabilized for the client, but there is an opportunity to grow up to 40%. We are now playing a little bit with GenAI. We want to use some ChatGPT stuff and approve it through Co-Pilot. We can then use RPA. It could be a nice process. For example, we are building automation to compare the competitors in the market for a retail company. We can use ChatGPT to get some data from the website, and RPA can then make a comparison of these retail companies. We can then give the information to the finance department, for example, to change the price of the product or something like that. This is a really nice and great opportunity for customers.
The biggest benefit is cooperation with the robots. Approvals are great for us and for our clients. It is very nice for this.
We have mostly integrated SAP applications, and then there are also some specific automations for the customers. They usually have some internal applications that they are using. The integration components that we use vary depending on the target application. Sometimes, we are not able to get the data from the application via API, so we can use the UI automation. It is nice for automating the scraping technology for applications.
The main benefit for which we usually start using this solution for a project is to save overtime for employees so that employees are much happier because they do not want to do overtime. However, after that, when we start automating big processes, they are even able to reduce the number of employees. That is an aspect of automation, but overall, companies can save a lot of money because automation tools can help you save working capacity.
I like the new GenAI and Automation Co-Pilot, which is something like attended automation. It looks very nice now. GenAI is the most valuable to me at this time.
Reporting could be better because there is a little bit of overkill in getting information about the utilization of the bot license. This could be a little bit improved.
We sometimes have a problem with the connection between the control room and the database, but it is not very often.
We have been using Automation Anywhere since 2017.
For a small process, it could be a ten out of ten, and for a really complex process, it could be a six out of ten. That is because there are a lot of different ifs or decisions in the process. If a process is very complex and there are a lot of decisions, that could be a little bit bad for the stability of the bot.
Its scalability is great. You can reuse a lot of processes or roll them into different locations if the process is the same. For scalability, it is very nice. I would rate it a nine out of ten for scalability.
Knowledge-wise, they are great, but sometimes, the timing and the communication with the support can be a little bit crazy. Their knowledge is great, but the timing and scheduling of the calls are not so great.
Positive
We have worked with UiPath and Blue Prism. For us, Automation Anywhere is the winner. We chose it because we see the most opportunities for this tool. It is much more modern than Blue Prism. From my point of view, Automation Anywhere has a bigger price value than UiPath.
It is easy to learn how to automate processes with Automation Anywhere. It is not as easy as UiPath, but it is still easy to learn. UiPath is a bit easier to use because it has the UI and you mostly use the boxes. Automation Anywhere is more technical. It is a little bit more difficult than UiPath, but I understand why. In a few weeks, a nontechnical person should be able to automate a short or easy process.
We have the cloud as well as on-prem deployments. We now have something like a robot as a service. It is a hybrid with the cloud and on-premises setups.
It is quite easy to install it and connect it to the databases. The deployment is very easy.
The deployment duration usually depends on the client. It can take two or three days to set it up properly.
It could be a one-man job, but you need help from other departments to open the connection between the database and the control room and everything like that. The installation itself is a one-man job.
In terms of maintenance, a little bit of maintenance is required. The maintenance is mostly related to the bots or processes. It is not much related to the platform. Sometimes, you need to do upgrades and sort out some issues with the connections. Maintenance of the bot is a bit of a different story. If there is a change in the target system, we have to change the bots. It depends on the changes in the companies.
The maintenance effort depends on the version because sometimes, it is very easy to upgrade and everything is good, but sometimes, you update the platform and you need to change lots of bots. On average, it is easy to upgrade it. We can upgrade it with just one button.
Overall, we have nine people working with Automation Anywhere. Our clients are mostly enterprises.
It can save money and resources. You can save everything. There is a huge return on investment with its license.
I do not have the metrics for the ROI because it depends on the utilization of automation in a company. It could be a 100% ROI in one year. It could also be 1%.
It is somewhere in the middle. The price and value of Automation Anywhere are better than UiPath. The pricing is good globally. It could be a little bit cheaper, but it is good.
I would recommend Automation Anywhere because there is a price-to-value benefit. There are a lot of opportunities to save money in companies or enterprises. It is a very helpful technology, and it can help you to be a better competitor in the market.
Overall, I would rate Automation Anywhere a nine out of ten.
It can simply reduce the time taken for various tasks. People get tired of doing the same mundane and repetitive work. They also end up working beyond work hours. With a product like Automation Anywhere, you can develop automation that can work after office hours and assist you 24/7. It provides ease to a company.
When it comes to integration, Automation Anywhere and all other RPA tools majorly work through the user interface. I have used Automation Anywhere with some Microsoft products, cloud-based products, and desktop-based applications, so I have used it in all the fields. Unfortunately, I did not get a chance to roll it out to the whole organization. However, I have done RPA implementation for many organizations, and I have been working for more than eight years in this field. The basic structure of all the RPA tools is the same, so I know that this tool can be used in production for all types of applications, such as ERP applications like Oracle EBS or Fusion, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft PowerPoint, and other Microsoft tools, and, lastly, the desktop applications or terminals. I have done the training of Automation Anywhere. I am certified in Automation Anywhere, and I have experience working with all applications and tools using Automation Anywhere. The integration is very simple. One should only know which feature of Automation Anywhere is to be used to integrate with any of these applications. With the help of the training, one can automate any document or application process using Automation Anywhere.
For me, the best feature of Automation Anywhere is that it is totally cloud-based. We do not need to set up anything in VMs or other machines. It can directly work on the cloud. The orchestration and the control room are well-defined. For development, it provides drag-and-drop activities and automated workflow. In a nutshell, two things that are very helpful in Automation Anywhere are the control room and drag-and-drop activities.
If someone honestly and sincerely completes the basic training available on the portal of Automation Anywhere, one can be a good RPA developer, architect, or engineer. The training available on Automation Anywhere's portal is very helpful for getting someone started with it quickly. One can start using it within one week of dedicated learning.
A standardized improvement area for any RPA tool is making it more user-friendly. This can be done by allowing users to give instructions in their language. For example, one should be able to say in his or her language to automate the login page of the XYZ application. It should be able to create a flow based on the information or screenshots that the user provides. This is the next step that Automation Anywhere should be able to achieve. Based on the information given by a user in the dialog box, the tool should be smart enough to prepare a workflow that the user can simply play and test. It is more related to AI than RPA.
Its stability can also be better.
I started using it eight to nine years ago.
I would rate it a seven out of ten for stability. Sometimes, things are not updated in real-time.
I know companies that are using Automation Anywhere in a global environment across different countries. It is a very good product in that aspect.
In our organization, there are 10 to 15 people working with Automation Anywhere. For maintenance, there are around three people, but they are also doing the development. There are weekly meetings to manage the bots and target applications.
I did not get a chance to work in the production environment, but for my personal grooming, I requested help a couple of times, and I got a good response from them.
Neutral
I have experience with other products such as UiPath, Blue Prism, and Power Automate.
Previously, Automation Anywhere was not very user-friendly in comparison to UiPath, but now, it is totally cloud-based. It has all the drag-and-drop features, and any nontechnical person can work with Automation Anywhere. However, at that time, this was not the case. We had a team from the fields of IT, accounting, and business consultants. We wanted a product that could be used by everyone instead of just a technical person. That was why we selected UiPath, whereas now, Automation Anywhere has improved a lot. It has all the features and functionalities of other RPA programs, and it is quite easy to use. At the time, Automation Anywhere required a bit of query writing, whereas UiPath was simply drag and drop. Now, Automation Anywhere is a good product, and it has all the features that other RPA products have.
Among all these three products, UiPath is the most stable and has the least number of bugs. Automation Anywhere is at the second number. It has the same functionalities and features as UiPath, and it can do all the things in the same way as UiPath. Automation Anywhere and UiPath are almost on the same page.
I am not sure about the cost of Automation Anywhere, but UiPath starts from $420 per month. I believe Automation Anywhere is more expensive than UiPath, so UiPath has an edge over Automation Anywhere.
Microsoft Power Automate has almost all the RPA features. It can automate semi-complex robots, but it is not suitable for more complex processes. However, its cost is not even a quarter of other products. It has a cost of $15 per month. It is the best tool. If a company wants to buy a product with the lowest cost, I would always recommend Microsoft Power Automate. As the head of automation, I handle the automation strategy. I do a comparative analysis of all the products. I also inform customers or vendors about what they can achieve from the RPA technology.
The deployment is straightforward.
Process Automation takes from one week to six weeks depending upon the complexities of the process to be automated. In terms of maintenance, whenever the interface of any product or website changes, it is a nightmare for the developer. When you automate your tasks, there should be a maintenance activity at least every month so that no complaints come from the business users.
I first used it to do a PoC. I had to do a comparative analysis of the leading RPA products such as Automation Anywhere, Blue Prism, and UiPath. At that time, I decided to go with UiPath. UiPath was cost-effective compared to Blue Prism. Automation Anywhere was a bit lower in cost than UiPath, but UiPath was more user-friendly, so we decided to have UiPath in our organization.
We first explored the functionalities and features of the product instead of doing some kind of use cases. Later on, when we selected the product, we developed the use cases in different areas, such as in the area of master data management for the recording of transaction authorizations in the ERP system. We tested Blue Prism, Automation Anywhere, and UiPath. The use case was related to master data. At that time, in 2016 or 2017, Automation Anywhere was not that user-friendly in comparison to UiPath. Since then, I have seen a lot of improvement in Automation Anywhere. In some aspects, I feel it is far better than UiPath.
If you are starting with RPA without any prior knowledge, you should focus on the training available on Automation Anywhere's portal. Previously, UiPath's training material was the best, whereas now, Automation Anywhere's training material is the best. It is like spoon-feeding a baby. Anyone who is new in the field of RPA can easily learn from the Automation Anywhere website. It would take you a dedicated one week to learn Automation Anywhere.
I have not used the Automation Co-pilot feature. I believe that the future of any RPA or AI product is where a business user can give requirements in his words or language, such as English, Urdu, Punjabi, Hindi, German, or Norwegian, and the product is smart enough to develop the code for the user. The user can simply use that code. I see this feature in some of the RPA products, but they are not very good at it now. They can understand some of the things, but the output is not very good and impressive.
I would recommend other RPA solutions because of the stability part. It sometimes does not update itself in real time. Sometimes, there is also a factor of cost. I would then recommend Microsoft Power Automate.
Overall, I would rate Automation Anywhere a seven out of ten.