What is our primary use case?
I have used it for multiple use cases across various domains. I started with automating use cases in the utility industry, such as customer billing and processing meter readings. Those were the initial use cases for which I used it. Currently, I am using it for a transport company in the U.S., where we process their invoice documents, perform three-way matching, manage their supply chain records, and handle daily billing bots. All these implementations have been successful.
For the transport company, we have identified a use case. Their ticketing team is manually processing all the incidents that occur during that day. We are now collecting all the documents and information about previously resolved tickets. We are creating a knowledge base out of it, and we will use that along with the AI agents that Automation Anywhere has. We will create an AI agent that will help take care of tickets by learning from the knowledge base. We are working on the PoC, and within the next quarter, we will be able to implement that.
We have implemented a Generative AI solution using Automation Anywhere and ChatGPT for email management. We implemented it for semantic analysis and sentiment analysis. One of our clients wanted us to create a bot that automatically fetches all the reviews from all of the social media platforms, including Twitter, and create a knowledge base within their own platform or database, whether the review is positive, negative, or neutral. For that, we leveraged the ChatGPT plugin along with Automation Anywhere. We created a bot that reads all their reviews, does semantic and sentiment analysis, and accurately describes them as positive, negative, or neutral.
We have not yet used Automation Co-Pilot, but we plan to implement several use cases. One use case involves integrating AI agents with Automation Co-Pilot for conversational AI. Users can input queries, and AI agents will run prompts to fetch required details directly in Automation Co-Pilot. This is particularly beneficial when the process SMEs need to verify post-bot run actions and address any data issues. Currently, the RPA support team is asked to rerun bots. We aim to enable SMEs to prompt bots for reruns, reducing response time from different time zones from five to six hours to immediate actions, significantly boosting productivity.
How has it helped my organization?
By implementing Automation Anywhere, we wanted to reduce the manual effort required for various processes for the clients. Previously, the client's accounting team had to collect all the bills, and based on the vendor, upload those to a particular portal. They daily receive bills for more than 250 vendors. We have now automated the process. There is no manual intervention. Earlier, this effort used to take more than 300 hours per month with more than ten people, whereas now, it does not take more than 50 hours per month, and they have only five people.
We have done integrations with Oracle NetSuite and Google APIs. We have done automation with ChatGPT and Claude AI. We are now leveraging Document Automation along with AI agents. We have also done integration with Anthropic. The integration is quite smooth and seamless.
What is most valuable?
Document Automation is a game changer. Earlier, with IQ Bot, we achieved partial automation—around 80% of the process was automated. With GenAI and Google Vision OCR now integrated into Document Automation, end-to-end automation is achievable, even with unstructured documents.
The AI agent automation is noteworthy. Everyone is moving from RPA to agentic process automation. I had a chance to delve deeper into it at the Imagine event in Bangalore in 2024, where I engaged hands-on with AI agents. We are exploring use cases to create our own AI agents, which is exciting.
The generative recorder and BPMN converter features are also impressive. If we have recorded the complete process flowchart in the .BPMN file, uploading this file into Automation Anywhere results in a complete bot framework, reducing development efforts by 30%.
Additionally, the generative recorder's ability to handle changes in web portal elements ensures process continuity and notifies developers of updates, aiding in environmental change understanding. If any element changes on the existing web portal on which the bot is currently working, the generative recorder can record and capture the action. The bot will automatically understand at the run time that the particular object has changed, and it will automatically take actions to complete the process and ensure that it does not fail because of that one change.
What needs improvement?
AI agents need further improvements. AI agent technology in agentic process automation is still evolving. We have only scratched the surface, and there are many potential use cases yet to be explored. As technology advances, I believe it will enable us to implement more comprehensive automation solutions.
Document Automation has issues related to speed. When I compare Document Automation with IQ Bot, IQ Bot is faster than Document Automation. My understanding is that they are still evolving Document Automation, and this issue of slowness will be resolved in the upcoming .35 version, so we are good with that.
They are working on signature identification and validations for handwritten documents. Currently, we are able to extract data out of scanned but digital images, but there is still scope for improvement for handwritten documents.
For how long have I used the solution?
I started using Automation Anywhere in 2015, so it has been over eight years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
It is stable. I would rate it a nine out of ten for stability.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
I would rate Automation Anywhere a ten out of ten for scalability.
Our clients are small to medium organizations. We have seven people working with Automation Anywhere.
How are customer service and support?
I would rate their support a nine out of ten.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We have completed several migration projects, moving existing bots from platforms like Blue Prism, UiPath, and Power Automate to Automation Anywhere. This was due to limitations with these platforms, such as Power Automate's compatibility issues with legacy systems, which resulted in partial automation.
Customers seeking end-to-end automation have found Automation Anywhere to be the best tool. We analyzed all bots and processes to determine that Automation Anywhere met all requirements. We converted their process documents and redeveloped bots in Automation Anywhere, resulting in successful end-to-end automation.
Licensing costs for Blue Prism and UiPath are higher compared to Automation Anywhere, making the latter's ROI more appealing.
Automation Anywhere is currently leading with GenAI and AI solutions. UiPath is also good, but they are still defining its market position. They are a bit confused about whether they want to project themselves as market leaders in AI, RPA, or agentic process automation. Automation Anywhere has already released five to six features directly connected with AI, not just for the customers but for the developers. Blue Prism recently came out with the cloud version. They are still exploring how they can leverage more AI into their platform. Power Automate works great with Microsoft products, but it fails badly outside the Microsoft ecosystem.
How was the initial setup?
Automation Anywhere has enhanced a lot since we first started using it. At the time, it had the client/server architecture. It was not on the cloud. We had to manually install Automation Anywhere on each and every desktop. In 2019, they shifted to the cloud, so we just have to install the bot agent on any computer we want to use as a device. It does not matter whether it is a bot creator or a bot runner. That has improved the installation setup and reduced the configuration time by 80%. Previously, we had to manually install the client and control room and configure them. That was a tedious task, whereas now, because of the cloud, its deployment is very simple and user-friendly, and it has reduced the earlier effort by 80%.
Almost all clients use cloud deployment, but a Korean client has an on-premises setup because they are very diligent about the data. Cloud deployment is easier than on-premise deployment.
Cloud deployments typically take a few hours, around four to five hours. On-premises deployments can take up to two or three business days due to customer environment restrictions and infrastructure limitations. If conditions are optimal, the setup can be completed in one day. For the cloud, deployment time is much shorter, taking only about four to five hours.
The updates happen automatically for cloud deployments, whereas for on-premises setups, we have to download the new release files from the portal and manually do the updates.
In terms of bot maintenance, currently, our team is working for three customers, and there are 105 bots. Our team of seven people is handling these 105 bots. We are doing 24/7 service and daily spend four to five hours on average for bot monitoring and support.
What about the implementation team?
We have one person for the cloud deployment. For on-premises, we have two to three people.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
It is not cheap, with costs ranging between 700 to 800 dollars per month. While Power Automate is cheaper at 15 dollars per month, Automation Anywhere offers superior features, user-friendliness, and smoothness. Many customers are transitioning from UiPath and Blue Prism to Automation Anywhere, acknowledging its value.
The pricing is justified and on-point. There are bulk packages that include licenses, Automation Co-Pilot, and Document Automation. Both Automation Anywhere and partners like us offer discounts.
What other advice do I have?
For non-technical users, I would recommend the citizen developer program on Automation Anywhere University. They have a training portal where people can register themselves and do the learning paths. There is a learning path for new developers or people who do not have much technical knowledge but want to start their automation journey. They can go ahead and do that citizen development training and complete that learning path to understand it in a better way.
It takes about six months to learn it and start using it. The best part about the training is that you can also do hands-on training along with it. You can simultaneously learn and implement it. Six months is a good enough time to get your basics cleared and start your automation journey.
I would highly recommend Automation Anywhere, but the recommendation depends on the customer's specific requirements. For example, for automating tasks strictly within the Microsoft ecosystem, Power Automate will suit. However, for incorporating third-party applications like Oracle NetSuite, I would recommend Automation Anywhere due to its broader capabilities beyond Microsoft applications. Automation Anywhere easily accommodates diverse market use cases to meet customer requirements and scale effectively.
Overall, I would rate Automation Anywhere a nine out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Public Cloud
Disclosure: PeerSpot contacted the reviewer to collect the review and to validate authenticity. The reviewer was referred by the vendor, but the review is not subject to editing or approval by the vendor. The reviewer's company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner