RPA vs. BPMS: Discover Everything You Never Knew!

RPA (Robotic Process Automation) and BPMS (Business Process Management Software/Suite) are critical technologies for automating and managing business processes. Therefore, you need to understand them fully before benefitting from them. In this post, I will compare and contrast the two solutions to enable you understand them better. As our adventurous journey progresses, you will discover the following about RPA and BPMS:

•      What they are
•      Their similarities and differences
•      Their advantages and disadvantages
•      When to use them separately and together

1.    RPA and BPMS: What They Are

I start our discovery journey by defining the two technologies before going into deeper details.

•      What is RPA?

RPA is the use of software blended with artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning abilities to perform repeat and high-volume human tasks. For instance, it can maintain records, handle routine transactions, and handle communication with digital systems within a business.

•      What is BPMS?

BPMS is a software tool that improves an enterprise's business processes by defining, automating, and analyzing business processes. The software drives Business Process Management (BPM), an organizational discipline that identifies, documents, and improves business processes.

2.    RPA and BPMS: How They Differ

Since you already know what these two platforms are, here are the main differences between RPA and BPMS:

•      Corporate goal

An RPA system reduces the amount of direct human effort required in performing repeat business tasks that don’t require complex human decision-making.

Inversely, a BPMS system requires the reengineering and modifying of underlying processes to drive central tools and improve business efficiency and productivity.

•      Primary activity

RPA automates repetitive tasks in a non-programmatic manner by training robots. Consequently, it saves time and allows employees to focus on other more important activities that require direct human performance.

Conversely, BPM defines and implements an organization’s entire management process model. Also, it can identify and streamline business processes to eliminate avoidable challenges and achieve shorter performance cycles.

•      Technical approach

RPA is simple and less technical. Moreover, it enables the easy application of changes made without altering the current applications and underlying systems.     

Inversely, BPM necessitates new application definition and comprehensive integration into underlying systems.

•      Time and impact

With RPA, a business can fully implement changes to its applications within a few days without needing to alter the current user interfaces that drive those applications. However, it does not resolve the underlying efficiencies within an organization’s business processes.

Implementing BPM requires more time and effort compared to RPA, and hence, its enterprise-wide impact. Moreover, it offers high and long-term returns since it improves efficiency, reduces costs, enhances agility, promotes productivity, and boosts regulatory compliance.

•      Human centric automation capabilities

RPA is an improvement methodology.

On the other hand, BPM is more than a methodology for improvement because BPMS applications have full end-to-end system and human centric automation capabilities.

3.    RPA and BPMS: How they Are Similar

Despite their differences, these technologies still have similarities. Below are some of them.

•      Process

Both technologies address processes in robots and business management. The term “process” here indicates and describes the sequence of tasks, actions, and steps that require automation.

•      Repetition

Both solutions are repetitive. This aspect binds them together since repetitive robot actions are a part of a wider business process that BPMS manages.

4.    RPA: Its Advantages

RPA can benefit your businesses in many ways. Here are some of them.

•      Better customer service
•      Ensures that business operations and processes comply with regulations and standards
•      Faster completion of business processes
•      Improves efficiency by digitizing and auditing process data
•      Cost savings for manual and repetitive tasks
•      Improved employee productivity

5.    RPA: Its Disadvantages

Despite its many benefits, RPA has its own disadvantages. Here are some of them.

•      It has high budgetary requirements that could hinder its implementation
•      The technology requires heavy IT support because robots need regular maintenance, addressing of security issues, and the need for extra care to avoid dependence on complex technological infrastructures
•      Even the smallest changes in the UI or data can ground RPA systems since unlike humans, robots cannot adjust their behavior automatically
•      Depending on RPA can interfere with the changing and modernizing of underlying business systems  

6.    BPMS: Its Advantages

BPMS can benefit your businesses in the following ways:

•      Cost reduction
•      Improved accountability
•      Greater efficiencies
•      Improved regulatory compliance
•      Enhanced competitive advantage
•      Effective change management
•      Increased growth
•      Enhanced process agility

7.    BPMS: Its Disadvantages

Despite its many benefits, BPMS has its own shortcomings. Below are some of its limitations.

•      Possible weak management and funds loss

All the benefits of BPMS depend on one thing—accurate implementation. Otherwise, it could cause a huge wastage of business funds. Therefore, plan for its implementation properly if you want to benefit from it.

•      Limited innovations

Implementing BPM/S requires an optimization of human resource and technology. Otherwise, it could stifle or limit innovation. So, optimize human capital and technology.

•      Impaired communication

If not implemented properly, it could weaken communication due to segregated workflow and processes among employees in different work fields. Therefore, balance your processes to maintain proper connection and communication among your employees.

8.    RPA and BPMS: Which One Should You Deploy First?

Before answering this question, I would like to mention that both solutions are like two sides of the same coin in that RPA automates processes while BPMS manages automated processes. However, you need to deploy BPMS before RPA because of the following advantages:

•      It enables RPA to automate digital form-filling tasks once it’s been automated in it(a BPMS system)
•      BPMS requires no desktops
•      It automatically pushes and pulls data from one system to another in the backend via a simple API integration
•      There is no need for “robot error verification”
•      Screens often change when systems upgrade their software, leading to RPA breakdown because you need to re-record all the actions as they change. However, BPMS doesn’t break down during upgrades because its integration is at an API level
•      BPMS is faster and more scalable
•      BPMS is more than system integration. It’s also a full human centric automation that uses digital forms and mobile tasks 

9.    When Is It Ideal to Use RPA and BPMS Together?

As I walk you closer to the end of our adventurous discovery journey, I will reveal when, and not if, it is best to use the two solutions together. The reason is that both of them can meet your varying needs. But before showing you when to utilize them together, here are examples of processes the two solutions are good at:

i.                   RPA

Since RPA is excellent for handling basic repeat tasks that don’t need human accountability and logic, you can use it to:

•      Create work item in a legacy software system
•      Enter PO to retrieve Invoices
•      Check correctness of supplier names
•      Complete invoice processing
•      Accept or resend invoices
•      Post documents into systems
•      Run and download reports
•      Prepare templates

ii.                 BPMS

Inversely, BMPS is ideal for managing complex processes that need human accountability and logic. Here are examples of processes it can manage effectively:

•      Governance risk and compliance
•      Mobile inspection
•      Accounts payable
•      Human resources
•      Expense management
•      Application integration

Here are the circumstances under which a business needs to enjoy the best of the two techs.

•      Implementation of end-to-end process automation and management

When you are in this situation, it is ideal to blend the two. This is because BPMS will take care of process orchestration, customer interactions, and complex human decision-making while RPA handles repeat task sequences. Consequently, you enjoy the best of the two worlds.

•      Seamless robot, system, and human flow

When you have human, systems, and robots working in a seamless flow, it is best to use both technologies.

•      The need to reduce operations costs

When you want to minimize expenses by automating complex routine tasks, mixing the two is an ideal option.

Parting Shot

There you go, abreast with everything you ever wanted to know about RPA and BPMS! I hope the little secrets I revealed in this post have expanded the horizon of your understanding of these two critical business process solutions. I believe by applying these secrets, you will be in a better position to know how best to optimize these technologies separately and together in your daily business processes.