When Xerox invented the first copier in the twentieth century, it revolutionized the way offices functioned. In only seconds, exact copies of documents could be printed, freeing up hours of work time for employees.
Tasks that once took hours were simply automated. At the time, this was part of a big change sweeping the world; electric devices were streamlining processes in the home and office to make life simpler for everyone.
During this big boom, things that are commonplace today, like microwaves, air conditioners, and televisions became available to everyday consumers for the first time, making dinner prep and entertainment faster and more convenient than ever before. Homes and offices suddenly became more effective and more comfortable than could have been imagined only ten years before.
Now, Artificial Intelligence, also known as AI technology, is changing the way people work and live their lives, and it is a little scary for some of us.
Even as Artificial Intelligence is “taking over” many industries, we still don’t really understand what AI is or how it works. Despite this, AI technology seems destined to become as commonplace in daily life as copiers or microwaves.
Back in the 1960s, Xerox produced copiers, making the company a front-runner in the technology boom of the late twentieth century. Now, as the world of industry continues to progress, Xerox is once again poised to be a key player.
Like many other tech giants, Xerox is getting in on the AI game with its new Robotic Process Automation solutions.
It may sound scary, but the purpose of Xerox’s RPA solutions is to automate “mundane, repetitive” work tasks. This would save money for employers and time for employees, so it must be a no-brainer for tech-savvy business owners, right?
Not exactly. Just like the microwave, the copier, and the computer—new technology can be confusing for some people. You may be worried, wondering whether RPA solutions may mean fewer jobs in the future.
Your printer experts at STPT were worried too, and just like you, we wanted answers to some of our questions before diving into a whole new technologically advanced world.
In this article, we discuss what Xerox’s RPA solutions is, how it works, and why it is okay to be both excited for and scared by the AI tech of the future.
What Is Robotic Process Automation and How Does It Work?
Robotic Process Automation solutions use AI technology to build and deploy bots that automate and streamline business processes. It is a made-to-fit IT solution that will be offered through Xerox’s vendor partners, like STPT, which makes it easy for small companies to access.
RPA’s bots are artificially intelligent systems that can speed up processes in any area of your business production. To this end, Xerox offers a Bot Catalog with pre-programmed bots designed to automate financial, customer service, marketing, administrative, or HR tasks.
For example, the Payroll Automation Bot, found under the Human Resources tab in the Bot Catalog, can upload payroll statements into bank portals and process payroll automatically, saving HR personnel hours of time. Without lifting a finger, the Payroll Automation Bot processes all the information needed for payroll disbursement, including hours worked and rates of pay, and the bot also inputs all the information into the bank portal for you. Payroll is completed without you or your employees having to spend any time on monotonous data entry tasks.
The Payroll Automation Bot is just one of Xerox’s numerous RPA options designed to streamline your business functions. With multiple RPA bots, you could save your company hours of work time. This is good for employees seeking a better work-life balance and employers who need cost-effective ways to conduct business.
Think of Robotic Process Automation as something like a copier printer, scanner, or fax machine. It is a technology designed to automate a long, mundane process (like copying documents by hand) into an automatic process. The two processes seem different because copiers and scanners are machines we can see, and Robotic Process Automation uses bots that are implemented like software. However, RPA is really just another clever example of machine-automated process.
If your company’s processes are particular or unique to your industry, then Xerox’s IT engineers can also create bots that are specifically designed for your business so that your processes can be automated and deployed on the back end of your company’s systems to make your business more efficient.
Users can search the catalog to find a solution that best suits their business processes and can expect a quick turnaround of one to two months for unique bot deployment.
How RPA and Other AI Technology Is Saving Time and Money
Businesses are facing challenges like never before and managing daily operations has become more difficult. The speed of document exchange has increased dramatically over time; from USPS snail mail, to fax, to e-mail and text message.
However, despite the quickness of document delivery, we still need to use slow, old-fashioned processes to sift through information for things like HR application processing and payroll.
By automating long, mundane processes, you can free-up hours of time for employees and save employers money.
Let’s look at it like this: you have hired four new managers in different roles at your company. Each new employee has slightly different onboarding processes, forms, and trainings they need to complete before their first day of work.
If your HR department was handling this on their own without RPA in place at your company, then one or more of your employees would need to spend time finding, saving, and sharing different forms and documents with the new employees. Since all four new hires require different paperwork, your HR department would need to spend time making sure each new hire received the correct paperwork and filled it out correctly. You would also need someone in HR to provide instructions for training and other onboarding requirements specific to each new person.
Now, consider if your company used RPA to automate this process. Using the employee onboarding bot from the bot catalog, you can automate this entire process; the bot would send automatic welcome emails that contain all the documents and instructions your new hires need to complete the entire onboarding process on their own.
Unlike other examples of AI technology, RPA isn’t focused on automating higher order job tasks—it is designed to take over the menial, labor-intensive tasks that take up a lot of your time.
It Is Okay to Be Wary Of New Tech, But Don’t Let Your Fears Scare Away Innovation
Many of us have heard of AI bots like ChatGPT, but Xerox RPA solutions is a bit different. Instead of using bot “brain” power to answer questions or reproduce art in certain styles, RPA is designed to automate detailed document processes.
This means that a specially trained bot is created to run automatic processes for you, like payroll calculations.
This use of AI technology speeds up manual processes and reduces errors, freeing up more time for real people to do more important tasks at work.
Could this technology mean fewer jobs? Possibly.
But it could also generate new jobs and provide employees with fewer time constraints.
The bots are easily set-up and non-obtrusive. You can automate as many processes as you’d like—or not.
Much like the introduction of the copier or computer, Artificial Intelligence technology comes with its own sets of concerns, especially for worried employees afraid of being replaced.
However, it is important to remember that technology has been used for centuries to make our lives easier—and Xerox’s RPA solutions will continue to do just that by automating mundane tasks so we can all spend our time doing the things we really want to do.
Could Xerox’s AI Technology Benefit Your Business?
If you’re interested in streamlining your company’s business processes, then Xerox’s RPA technology may be a good fit for you.
Xerox is rolling out its state-of-the-art Robotic Process Automation with the help of solutions partners like STPT.
As a Xerox Diamond Authorized Solutions Partner for the DFW metroplex and North Texas area, STPT can offer you a free initial RPA consultation. In one of STPT’s free consultations, you can learn more about Robotic Process Automation, how it works, and whether it can save your company time and money.
Don’t wait for tomorrow: innovate today. To find out how your business processes can be automated with AI technology, click the link below:
