Mulesoft Automation with RPA
What is a bot?
An automated bot is a widely used term, but there is still confusion about what bots really are. Bots are not physical beings, not robots as we imagine them. A bot is a piece of software code executed on a computer and performs tasks as instructed by its developer.
Not to be confused with chatbots, bots' distant relatives with limited responsibilities to answer questions that simulate human-like conversations.
Do bots possess intelligence? Can bots totally replace humans? The answer is no. Only repeatable and predictable tasks can be replaced. A process that includes complex decision-making usually requires human interaction.
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What tasks can be automated using RPA?
Rule-based repetitive tasks can be automated using bots: interacting with web screens, filling in online forms, email integrations, manipulating data, accessing apps, extracting data from various types of documents, and much more.
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What is MuleSoft RPA, and why is it different?
MuleSoft has recently entered the RPA market by releasing a new addition to the MuleSoft ecosystem - MuleSoft RPA. It offers an entirely differentiated integration and automation journey. MuleSoft's robotic process automation tool is fully integrated into its ecosystem. The Anypoint Platform, an integration platform for SOA, SaaS, and APIs, has been extended to include MuleSoft RPA. RPA processes can be invoked directly from MuleSoft Composer, thus powering complete end-to-end automation.
End-to-end automation.
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Unlike many RPA vendors, MuleSoft powers complete automation, including system integration, process automation and human task automation. The top benefits of using the MuleSoft RPA tool:
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What is MuleSoft Composer?
MuleSoft Composer is a no-code integration tool providing the same features as Anypoint Platform, including runtime, monitoring, security, and governance. Salespeople and business analysts love Composer because they can easily create integrations without writing a single line of code!?Using the RPA connector available in Composer, you can find and execute any bot published to MuleSoft Exchange (the marketplace for various reusable assets).
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Hyperautomation
No single software solution can offer the power, intelligence and capabilities to identify and deliver end-to-end automation of complex business processes. There is a distinct tendency to consolidate advanced technologies, including RPA, AI (Artificial Intelligence), iBPMS (Intelligent Business Process) and API-led integration. Gartner sees the future in 'Hyperautomation', Forrester calls it 'Digital Process Automation', while IDC refers to it as 'Intelligent Process Automation'.?
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MuleSoft RPA life-cycle and components
The MuleSoft RPA tool consists of four main components: MuleSoft RPA Manager, MuleSoft RPA Builder, MuleSoft RPA Recorder, and MuleSoft RPA Bot instances. Let's explore their roles by following five steps of the RPA process - Evaluate, Design, Test, Build, Deploy, Management.
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Process evaluation
We always start with the process evaluation to confirm that our candidate can and should be automated. We create a new process in?RPA Manager, a cloud-based centralised interface to manage our automation. Integration with MuleSoft's Anypoint Platform has numerous benefits, one of which is a single control room to coordinate tasks, manage users and monitor RPA bots. In RPA Manager, we specify the process details, including the cost of running, nature of work, frequency, input/output, risks and other parameters. The result is presented as a Process Matrix used by the Project Manager (PM) to evaluate and approve (or reject) the candidate. The next step is to set up the team and user's permissions for each stage of the automation lifecycle - Design, Build, Test and Production.
Design phase
During the Design phase, we can build a process flow using either the Business Process Model Notation (BPMN) or the Process Recorder. Using the left-side menu, we can select and drag and drop task elements into the process's flow.?RPA Recorder?can be used to record a process and automatically transform it into workflows. Once the design is complete, we promote our process to the Build phase.
?Build phase
RPA Builder, a development environment installed on the local Window system, is used to create logic for our bot's execution. Each element of the previously created BPMN workflow should be transformed into actionable steps. RPA Builder offers a ToolBox to select required action steps and drag them into the workflow to create a complete sequence of actions. We can test and monitor our bot execution to ensure no apparent errors.
Test phase
The next step is configuring the test plan and testing our bots' execution thoroughly. During the Production Phase, the team sets up the activity programme, defines users for execution and specifies the running schedule. Finally, we are ready to deploy, execute and monitor our bots in a production environment using RPA Manager.