Robotic Process Automation (RPA)
Also called: RPA
Robotic process automation is a set of software tools that configure rule-based bots to carry out repetitive, structured digital administrative tasks. A bot copies data between forms, clicks through a screen, or scrapes a standardised web field, following fixed instructions. Traditional RPA is entirely deterministic; newer products add predictive AI so the bots can handle semi-structured work such as an invoice whose layout keeps changing.
In practice
RPA is the automation most mid-market businesses already own, and it breaks whenever an underlying screen or form changes, so maintenance is the real cost line rather than licences. Before buying an AI agent to do the same job, check how many of the existing bots are still running and what share of the estate has quietly failed.