Tungsten RPA Reviews

My use case for the product is in the finance domain. 

You can automate browsing tasks without needing a server connection. The platform provides its browser, allowing you to run anything inside it. 

The product should improve desktop automation, which is hard to configure. It needs to have custom connectors. It is the only advantage that Microsoft Power Platform has over Kofax RPA. It has more than 800 custom connectors. 

I have been working with the product for seven years. 

I rate Kofax RPA's stability a nine out of ten. 

I rate the tool's scalability a nine out of ten. My company has 15 developers and 20,000 users for automation. 

Technical support is available remotely. Users can submit a support ticket and wait for a response unless the issue is urgent or requires escalation. You won't find any language barriers. However, support is not available 24 hours a day. 

Neutral

I have worked with Microsoft Power Platform and UiPath. Kofax RPA offers a comprehensive solution with built-in capabilities for executing tasks like running Excel files and web automation without additional servers. They provide their browsers and extensions. For functions such as OCR, image processing, and data extraction, Kofax has built-in features powered by their engine, eliminating the need for subscriptions to external technologies like Microsoft Cognitive Services or Google Search. One of Kofax RPA's strongest features is its on-premise solution, which is particularly beneficial for organizations operating in regions with data regulations, such as the UAE.

Setting up Kofax RPA for the first time is not easy. It comes with a wizard, but you need to configure things manually. Deployment takes one to two hours to complete. 

In the government sector, we automate hundreds of transactions. For instance, in one department handling corporate insurance renewals, automation drastically reduced the time and effort spent on manual tasks. Previously, employees would spend significant time preparing renewal letters, processing policies, and communicating with clients. Implementing Kofax RPA automated these processes, resulting in a 70% reduction in departmental costs and freeing up employees to focus on more valuable tasks.

The pricing model for automation solutions like Automation Anywhere, UiPath, and Microsoft Power Platform is subscription-based, where costs are calculated based on factors such as the number of hours used and the scale of automation required. This subscription model can lead to significant long-term expenses for large organizations with numerous automation use cases. With Kofax, you purchase a license upfront, and that's all you need. You can create as many automation workflows as you require without additional costs for individual use cases.

I rate the product an eight out of ten. 

We use the product for the automation of business processes.

The strength of Kofax is that it has multiple products. The product provides end-to-end solutions for different business problems.

Compared to other Microsoft products, like Power Automate, Kofax does not have most of the native integration with other solutions. It is based on API integration. The product has some constraints and performance issues.

We have been using the solution since 2019 in our organization.

I rate the tool’s stability an eight out of ten.

Around 100 people are using the solution in our organization. I rate the scalability a seven out of ten.

The product’s support is satisfactory.

Neutral

We use Power Automate right now in our organization.

To deploy the solution, we install the application on the server, and the people work on the web application. The solution can be deployed within a couple of minutes. We need two engineers to maintain the product and to follow up on server and license-related issues.

The cost depends on the number of licenses and the number of RPAs. Annually we pay a ten percent support fee for the solution.

I am using the latest version of the solution. Kofax provides TotalAgility, which is similar to App Service, along with RPA and OCR services. In general, the RPA product is technically well. Microsoft is giving more interesting products to the market. Currently, we are trying to move to Microsoft products. We are interested in having more cloud solutions in the organization. 

Our Kofax is an on-prem solution. Nowadays, everything is related to ChatGPT. It is not easy to collaborate with Kofax products. Currently, the chatbot option and chatbot development are not there in Kofax. Overall, I rate the solution an eight out of ten.

Firstly, I implemented Tungsten in a hospital. It helped us to handle patient records and their interactions with doctors and insurance companies. When a patient visited a doctor and received a prescription, we used Tungsten RPA to access the insurance company's website, input the patient's details, and request approval for the prescribed medication or procedure. This approval process occurred before the patient reached the pharmacy, ensuring timely access to necessary treatments.

Secondly, Tungsten increased spot limits. Working with a bank's customer care department, we streamlined the process for customers requesting limit increases. Previously, the process involved manual ticket handling and eligibility checks, leading to delays in customer responses. With Tungsten RPA, we automated the validation and approval process, allowing customer care agents to input necessary information and trigger requests directly. The RPA system then assessed the customer's eligibility and sent success emails or apology letters accordingly, improving efficiency and customer satisfaction.

Tungsten RPA has numerous benefits along with RPA mechanisms. It saves costs. After the customer care team open cases, many individuals filter these tickets and process the requests. For example, if there was a need to access the core banking system, it take a considerable amount of time, around 45 minutes per request, as navigating is time-consuming. Tungsten RPA completes the approval process in less than two minutes, reducing the required FTE hours. This boosts employee morale as they encounter fewer system-related issues but also enhances customer satisfaction.

Tungsten provides multiple modules such as Kofax TotalAgility for business process management which can automate various processes inside a business. It offers features related to dashboards and error management. Under this unified platform, businesses can optimize their solutions through various automation levels, ranging from semi-automation to full automation.

Tungsten RPA features enhanced desktop automation capabilities, improved Active Directory integration, and upgraded recorder functionality. These updates will be available in the upcoming release.
Firstly, The first level of support needs enhancement. When you open a ticket with Tungsten, they inquire about various aspects of the issue. The initial support level should involve conducting a Webex meeting to address and assess the reported issues within the environment directly. This would involve thoroughly checking the issues and logs, among other relevant factors. It may require a minor configuration adjustment that could be resolved promptly during the session.

There are several challenges associated with Tungsten RPA. Firstly, there is often a perception issue among employees who may believe that RPA is intended to replace their jobs rather than enhance efficiency. This misconception can hinder the adoption of RPA solutions in the workplace, as employees may resist the implementation of automation technologies.

Secondly, there have been challenges related to integrating Tungsten RPA with applications built on Java. Many issues have been addressed and resolved in  V11.3, thus improving the compatibility of Tungsten RPA with Java-based applications and major challenges.

I have been using Tungsten RPA for nine years.

There are some challenges related to scalability, existing across all versions. Previously, when scaling up, you would need to upgrade the system by adding more servers. There are no issues with adding servers but with upgrades.

Technical support is provided based on SLA and maintenance contracts. They assist clients in resolving these issues.

Positive

I worked with Automation Anywhere and Microsoft Power Automate. I've come across Blue Prism and UiPath.

The setup is straightforward.

Previously, Tungsten RPA offered perpetual licenses, but now it has a subscription-based model for more flexibility, similar to the Microsoft developer platform.

Tungsten has been known for a long time for connecting with OCR or scanners, as it provides RPA mechanisms to enhance the quality of scanned pages and scanning processes. Tungsten is integrating Kubernetes, OCR, and email and border processing capabilities. When you receive an email containing an invoice, Tungsten can automatically extract the attachment, perform full OCR, and execute all required processes based on the provided instructions.

There are two main ones. The first one is that Tungsten has an embedded browser, which allows Kofax to run multiple robots on the server side. You need a terminal or another device to control your automation in other RPA applications. For example, if you've developed a process to go to a browser, search for a new word, and then collect data from Twitter, you would usually need another device to control this process. Anything related to website browsing and Excel can be done directly from the server without an intermediary terminal or device with Tungsten.
The management console orchestrates and streamlines operations. Compared to other tools such as ABBYY RPA, ABBYY UTM, and those employing REST and SOAP protocols, configuring Tungsten RPA is notably straightforward. It generates apparent configurations for SOAP and REST API, facilitating smooth orchestration. Managing tasks and configurations is simpler than other applications.

I advise using Tungsten with Kofax KTA rather than as a standalone solution. When you purchase Kofax RPA, you should buy it together with Kofax KTA. This combination is preferable because it offers robust business process management capabilities and enhances the strength of RPA. Integrating these two applications will result in a more potent solution.

Overall, I rate this solution a nine out of ten.

We install and implement Tungsten RPA for customers. The primary use cases initially involved website automation, SharePoint implementations, and management of information. It later expanded to automation of UI activities in applications.

The biggest cost savings have been during migration projects, such as migrating large volumes of content from one content management solution to another and performing auditing and manipulation of the content during the migration.

Initially, the most effective features for process automation were website automation related to web auditing, SharePoint implementations, and automated management of information. It then expanded to automation of UI activities in applications. 

\Additionally, the platform's architecture includes error handling capabilities within bot creation that are comprehensive and robust.

Automation of complex processes involving stable legacy systems could be a major plus. The biggest issue lies in the stability of the target environment. Automating systems based on Citrix, where using AI or OCR-based capture of a screen, presents challenges. 

The Citrix environment's instability can hinder automation. Users can adapt by pressing buttons multiple times, however, robots may require complicated logic, leading to an exceptionally complex implementation with more error handling than originally budgeted.

I have been dealing with Tungsten RPA since 2014.

When dealing with legacy applications some of the biggest challenges were due to embedded application code, making it complex to model the application in a robot. The application's complexity increases as it's exposed further, making stability a concern.

The marketplace expects a silver bullet to solve system integration problems, so scalability suffers when using RPA for temporary solutions like migrations. 

Once the migration is complete, there's no sustained use, impacting scalability.

The return on investment has been notable primarily through migration projects, which offer one-time savings. Migration projects include transferring large volumes of content and manipulating the content as needed for different content management systems.

The pricing models across the market initially differed significantly, as most RPA implementations were licensed on a per bot basis, unlike Tungsten RPA, which uses a server-based model. 

Though the initial purchase was costlier, this cost is distributed more effectively across multiple implementations rather than a single bot.

Tungsten RPA is a robust product with good functionality for specific automation and use cases. Scenarios involving the stability of target environments and other technologies that may impact it require consideration. 

I would rate the product a solid seven out of ten.

We use the solution to interact with websites, work in Excel, and capture information from systems. It also helps us perform basic checks in Excel using formulas. 

The tool's most valuable feature is web browser automation, which makes it easy to interact with any website. We can assemble a robot in a few hours with web automation, depending on its complexity. 

We've faced a few challenges with Tungsten RPA. One issue I recall was with sending emails that needed multiple attachments. At the time, the feature only allowed attaching one file at a time. We discussed this with Tungsten RPA, and they planned to add multi-attachment capability to their backlog. I'm not sure if it's been upgraded since then. The solution's desktop automation is tricker. 

I have been using the product for about four years. 

I rate Tungsten RPA's stability an eight out of ten. 

I rate the solution's scalability an eight out of ten. 

My queries get resolved as soon as I log a support call. 

Positive

I didn't personally choose Tungsten RPA - it was already the chosen tool at my current company. I have experience with other RPA tools like Blue Prism and UiPath, and I'm also looking into automation in general.

It's difficult for me to compare the solution directly with other tools like Blue Prism. I haven't kept up with the latest updates and improvements in Blue Prism. When I used Blue Prism, there were some limitations, particularly in working with documents, classification, and extraction. But I know they've made improvements since then, so I can't make a fair comparison without knowing all the current features.

The solution's deployment is straightforward for a development environment. I'd rate it a seven out of ten for ease of setup. Installing on a single server or laptop for development is easy - it's mostly clicking through the installation process. However, I haven't set up a production environment, which might be more complex as it involves installations on different servers that need to communicate.

The deployment time varies depending on the environment's complexity. For a simple development setup, it's quick - install, click through, and set up licensing. However, a production environment with multiple servers, management consoles, and robots would likely take longer and be more complicated.

I rate the overall solution an eight out of ten. 

We use the solution for reading documents, press releases, web scraping, and inputting the details into our platform applications to some extent. We do AI stuff like understanding scrapped data and then preparing a report.

Mostly, we scrape documents using this tool.

Everything is working based on the server model. Kofax does not cover desktop automation, whereas other products have covered it. The solution should have predefined connectors. We have a mainframe, database connector, and external applications, like site-core integration. Also, CMS portal integration should help come to the latest trend.

I have been using Kofax RPA for more than five years.

The product’s stability is good.

I rate the solution’s stability a seven or eight out of ten.

Around 50-60 users are using the solution.

I've used Pega Robotic Process Automation, AI, and Power Automate. In comparison with Power Automate, it isn't easy to code. The UI part is not so user-friendly. A non-developer can run Power Automate. You need some knowledge to use Kofax. For example, if you want to make an entry into an application by grabbing the text from somewhere else. That will be pretty much easier in Power Automate than Kofax. There is some office automation available in Power Automate. Also, using Power Automate is much easier if you have an Office 365 license. You don't have to purchase a new license. Kofax doesn't come with any of the existing options that we are using. We have to specifically spend on Kofax separately. There is an OCR content feasibility in Power Automate, but Kofax does not have one. There is an OCR engine available within Kofax. Earlier, I was using it for train processing.

Depending on the use cases, Kofax covers a larger area of content scrapping, like grabbing texts from many other inputs like documents.

Overall, I rate the solution a six out of ten.

We integrated the whole system, especially SAP, IFS, and Canyas ERP tools, and there is no problem integrating other tools on Tungsten RPA's side.

Generally, Kofax automates repetitive tasks that users would do otherwise.  We have around 100 users, but I expect our usage will decrease. We are primarily a company that services and delivers API. 

We do a lot of batch processing, which Kofax can handle efficiently. We are currently using it on Azure Cloud, but we are moving to Azure Cloud Kubernetes in the coming year 

Kofax handles UIs via the browser well. If it's not possible, they have other features like modeling screen scrapes, etc. 

RPA technology is constantly changing, and sometimes Kofax lags behind. 

I've used Kofax for around five years. My company had used it for one or two years before I joined. 

I rate Kofax RPA nine out of 10 for stability.

I rate Kofax RPA seven out of 10 for scalability. We run Kofax on the cloud, but it's not a cloud product. Scalability is difficult, but the issue is the licensing structure. It can be highly scalable if you have enough licenses.

I rate Kofax support eight out of 10. We use them regularly. They could resolve issues a little faster. 

Positive

I rate Kofax seven out of 10 for ease of setup. Setting up Kofax isn't always straightforward, but it's not overly complex. It's in the middle. The average deployment time is hard to pin down. It's part of our ABN NAMRO infrastructure, which prevents us from doing things quickly. The time it takes isn't due to Kofax. Everything needs to be optimized based on internal procedures, etc. Generally, it isn't a big issue for us.We do everything in-house with a platform team of around six people that handles maintenance, lifecycle management, etc.

The maintenance consists of updating the infrastructure and installing new applications. Sometimes our accounts raise vulnerabilities that need attention, but they're usually minor. 

I rate Kofax RPA four out of 10 for affordability. It isn't cheap compared to other products. For example, it's more expensive than Power Automate. 

We are evaluating Power Automate. We haven't had hands-on experience, but we're looking into it because it's a SaaS product. The primary advantage is that you don't need to do package lifecycle management and all these maintenance tasks. Microsoft takes care of that, which is attractive. I can't say how usable it is or anything else. 

I rate Kofax RPA eight out of 10. It's a good product if you do a lot of batches. However, if you're a total beginner only dealing with relatively simple RPA processes, you might consider looking at Power Automate.

It also depends on what you want to do. Kofax has more solutions than RPA. When you use other Kofax tech, it's more efficient to use it. For example, you can integrate Kofax APA with it. These vendors have a range of solutions, but we're only talking about Kofax RPA.

Kofax is predominantly used for data extraction from documents in the banking industry.

Kofax RPA has allowed us to create a program in which the top 100 forms used across the organization are extracted and pushed into a database, from which any team globally can extract the information from those forms.

Kofax RPA's best feature is its high success percentage in picking up information from documents, especially where the DPI is really low.

Kofax RPA's UI could be more user-friendly. In the future, I'd like to see more frequent updates and better integration with Citrix.

I've been working with Kofax RPA for around eight months.

Kofax RPA is stable and performs as expected.

Kofax RPA is scalable.

Kofax's technical support is reasonably responsive, though not the fastest.

Neutral

I previously used UiPath and Blue Prism and changed at the request of clients.

The initial setup was fairly straightforward and took around two to three weeks.

We used an in-house team.

Kofax RPA is moderately priced but expensive in comparison to UiPath and Power Automate.

Unless it's necessary to interact with or extract information from complex documents, I would recommend choosing a different solution than Kofax RPA. I'd rate Kofax RPA seven out of ten.

We have over 250 use cases for Kofax RPA. For example, we use it for master data management, tracking, and data migration.

Kofax RPA has provided our organization with a lot of savings in many different areas and we have improvements in data quality.

The most valuable feature of Kofax RPA is the simplicity of automating tasks.

Kofax RPA could improve web-based automation and there should be a choice of what browser we can use, such as Google Chrome, instead of an inbuilt browser from Kofax RPA. Additionally, Kofax RPA is missing an orchestrator that other solutions have, such as UiPath.

I have been using Kofax RPA for approximately three years.

Kofax RPA is stable.

The scalability of Kofax RPA is good, but it is not easy to do.

We have approximately 80 users using this solution in my organization.

I have used the support from Kofax RPA. There have been a lot of issues we have had that have taken weeks, if not months to fix and the support is not satisfactory.

I rate the support from Kofax RPA a five out of ten.

Neutral

The initial setup of Kofax RPA was complex.

The migration to Kofax RPA could improve. It is very difficult to migrate.

I rate the initial setup of Kofax RPA a three out of ten.

We did the implementation of the solution in-house. The maintenance is difficult, and we have a development team using it.

There is a standard license needed to use Kofax RPA and the price is reasonable.

We want to switch to UiPath because it is the market leader and it has features that are missing in Kofax RPA.

My advice to others is only to choose this solution if they are looking to automate simple processes.

I rate Kofax RPA a five out of ten.