Attended vs Unattended RPA- How to Choose the Right Automation Solution

Automation is the need of the hour for modern companies. Top executives jump on the automation bandwagon to increase efficiencies and improve customer experiences by reducing human errors. Here, robotic process automation (RPA) comes into play as a cost-effective tool. This post will explain the difference between attended vs unattended RPA. We will also dig deep into the characteristics and benefits of both attended RPA and unattended RPA.

Let’s start with discussing the answer to the question- what is attended RPA?

Attended RPA- Definition and Importance

Before understanding attended RPA, we should know attended automation. When the process needs manual triggering of software bots to complete a specific activity, it is called attended automation. Here, humans (HITL or Human-in-the-Loop) supervise the robots and tell them to perform repetitive tasks.

Attended RPA works like a personal assistant for your employees. It remains available on their desktop to automate daily tasks of a repetitive nature. However, attended RPA bots must complete every task completely before employees move it to another activity or task. In other words, attended RPA needs human supervision during the task completion process.

Attended RPA can augment human capabilities and it can improve overall productivity. Attended RPA bots are always ready waiting for employees to help accomplish the repetitive task.

Brief Overview of How Attended RPA differs from Traditional RPA

Traditional RPA can automate tasks eliminating human intervention completely. However, attended RPA acts as a helper or assistant for handling repetitive tasks alongside workers. An attended RPA bot stays on the user’s desktop waiting to be activated to handle specific tasks within a larger process. It saves the employee’s time and effort by completing repetitive tasks within a complex process. However, attended RPA has a limited role in any complex project.

Key Characteristics of Attended RPA

Here are the key characteristics of Attended RPA-

• Human Collaboration

Attended bots work alongside employees, acting like virtual assistants on their desktops. Employees initiate and interact with the bot throughout the process, providing guidance or handling exceptions.

• Task Focus

Attended RPA is best suited for tasks with clear, pre-defined steps and minimal decision-making. It often requires human involvement for tasks with complex decision points or to handle errors properly.

• Deployment and Maintenance

Typically deployed on individual desktops, this type of RPA is ideal for automating tasks for specific users. It has less licensing costs initially compared to unattended RPA because easy maintenance.

It is fair to mention that attended RPA is ideal for situations where tasks benefit from human oversight and real-time adjustments.

  Read more: RPA Development Demystified: Benefits and Processes Unraveled

Benefits of Attended RPA for Human-Bot Collaboration

Attended RPA acts as a virtual assistant boosting human productivity and accuracy in a collaborative way. An attended RPA bot can instantly retrieve customer information, suggest relevant product recommendations, and even automate repetitive tasks like data entry. It frees up the rep to focus on personalized customer service and addressing intricate inquiries. This human-bot collaboration improves employee satisfaction and enhances accuracy.

Attended RPA empowers employees to handle more complex work as the bot streamlines routine processes.

Unattended RPA- Definition and Importance

It is a process that takes automation to the next level by working independently on a 24×7 basis. These are tireless bots that do not need any human trigger or intervention to work. They are ideal for “set and forget” activities. Unattended RPA can handle inventory, process orders manage payments, and perform data entry-type tasks without needing manual supervision or schedule. In other words, unattended RPA is an event-based process rather than user-driven attended RPA.

Key Characteristics of Unattended RPA

Here are the key characteristics of unattended RPA-

• Independent Operation

Unattended bots operate autonomously based on pre-defined schedules or triggers, minimizing human intervention. They can run continuously without breaks, ideal for tasks that need to be completed around the clock.

• Task Complexity

Unattended RPA can handle tasks with predefined workflows and logic, including data extraction, manipulation, and integration. It is possible to scale them to manage high-volume tasks and automate processes across departments.

• Deployment and Maintenance

This type of RPA is often deployed on dedicated servers or the cloud, enabling automation across departments. However, licensing and infrastructure requirements (servers or cloud) can lead to higher initial investment compared to attended RPA.

Simply put, unattended RPA is ideal for situations where high-volume, repetitive tasks need automation without human intervention. Also, it is useful for processes that require consistent and error-free execution.

Benefits of Unattended RPA for Fully Automated Processes

Unattended RPA offers a truly "set and forget" automation environment for complex processes. Unlike attended bots that require human interaction, unattended bots operate 24/7 on pre-defined schedules or triggers. This characteristic enables them to handle high-volume tasks entirely on their own, freeing human employees from repetitive work. This reduces operational costs and eliminates human error to ensure consistent, reliable execution of tasks.

All your company gets is a smoother and more productive workflow with higher efficiency of employees.

Key Differences Between Attended vs Unattended RPA

Both unattended and attended RPA have major differences in their functionality based on human intervention. Here's a breakdown of the key differences between attended vs unattended RPA-

Level of Human Involvement

Attended RPA– Employees initiate and interact with the bot throughout the process. Attended RPA bots need monitoring.

Unattended RPA– Bots operate independently based on schedules or triggers, with minimal human interaction.

Deployment and Scalability

Attended RPA– Typically deployed on individual desktops, ideal for automating tasks for specific users. Scaling can be limited as it depends on individual user adoption.

Unattended RPA– Often deployed on dedicated servers or the cloud, enabling enterprise-wide automation across departments. Scales well to handle increasing needs.

Complexity of Tasks

Attended RPA– Most useful for simpler, rule-based tasks that require human oversight or integration with user actions.

Unattended RPA– Handles complex, data-driven processes with predefined workflows and logic. Can operate 24/7 basis.

Cost Considerations

Attended RPA– Licensing costs may be lower upfront but can increase with wider user adoption. Infrastructure needs are minimal. Maintenance involves user training and basic bot updates.

Unattended RPA– Licensing costs might be higher due to server or cloud infrastructure requirements. Maintenance involves managing the server environment and ensuring smooth bot operation.

In a nutshell, RPA attended vs unattended works on human interaction and an autonomous method respectively.

  Read more: Robotic Process Automation Impacts and Benefits Manufacturing Sector

Top Tips to Choose the Right RPA Solution for Your Organization

Choosing the right RPA solution can be a time-consuming and daunting process. However, it is essential to ensure the growth of your company. Here we give some useful tips for selecting the right RPA solution-

• Analyze Your Needs

You can identify repetitive tasks that can be automated and their impact on business goals. You should also consider if these tasks require human oversight or independent bot operation for selecting attended or unattended RPA.

• Leverage Industry Insights

It is imperative to research common RPA use cases in your industry to understand best practices. You can identify if attended, unattended, or a hybrid approach is more prevalent for your specific needs.

• Embrace Strategic Flexibility

A hybrid RPA approach combines attended and unattended bots for a well-rounded strategy. This enables you to automate tasks requiring human intervention alongside those suited for independent bot operation.

• Consider Solution’s Scalability

You need to choose an RPA solution that can adapt to your evolving business needs. Moreover, as your automation demands grow, the solution should seamlessly scale to accommodate them.

• Look for Future-Proof Features

You can explore solutions that integrate with intelligent automation capabilities like machine learning and AI. This will position your RPA program for greater versatility and future growth to have a competitive edge.

Hope these tips will help you choose the right RPA services for your company.

Concluding Lines

We can mention that attended RPA excels at tasks requiring human oversight and real-time adjustments, while unattended RPA shines in automating high-volume, independent processes. You can leverage their benefits by carefully evaluating your workflows and choosing the most suitable solution. As technology advances, RPA will become more sophisticated, seamlessly integrating with AI and machine learning to further automate complex tasks and unlock new levels of efficiency.

Silver Touch Canada is a trusted RPA solutions provider. We serve our corporate clients by offering tailored RPA solutions based on their business models and requirements. Do you want to find the most suitable type from attended RPA and unattended RPA for your company? Contact us with your automation requirements and we will get back to you soon with the most relevant and robust solution.

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