Blue Prism is a global pioneer in intelligent enterprise automation, transforming how employees work. Blue Prism helps organizations enhance operational efficiency and agility by making it simple for individuals to automate tasks.
If you plan to interview for an RPA or Blue Prism developer role, here is a comprehensive list of the most frequently asked Blue Prism interview questions with answers. You can check out other articles and videos on Blue Prism for better clarity. Now, it’s time to get started with Blue Prism interview questions.
Beginner Level Blue Prism Interview Questions and Answers
Here is a list of all possible Blue Prism interview questions asked to freshers in Blue Prism interviews and their answers.
1. What is Blue Prism?
- Blue Prism is software that develops enterprise robotic process automation (RPA), allowing businesses to automate complex, end-to-end operations.
- Blue Prism developed the Virtual Workforce Platform concept and works on an enterprise Robotic Process Automation platform that is strong, highly scalable, secure, and reliable.
- Blue Prism's software complements standard IT solutions by utilizing an agile virtual workforce that follows rule-based business processes and interacts with systems the same way users do.
- Blue Prism's RPA software solution automates tasks that would otherwise be carried out manually by humans or through significant customization of current IT systems, resulting in a higher level of automation with significantly lesser investment and faster deployment.
Also Read: Automation Anywhere: From Daily Life to RPA Software
2. Explain the different types of tabs in the Blue Prism dashboard
There are six types of tabs on Blue Prism, which are as follows:
Home
The home page includes many charts that provide information on the blue prism database.
Some of the charts are:
Workforce Availability Metric: The workforce availability metric displays the run-time resources you are utilizing.
Total Automation: Total automation shows the number of queues and automation in the database.
Queue Volumes Now: Queue volumes now display queue volumes based on status.
Largest Database Tables: The largest database tables show the blue prism database's largest tables.
Studio
- Blue Prism's Studio is a critical component through which we build actual automation actions. With the studio, the Following stages can achieve exception handling. Add logic, calculations, and intelligence writing no code.
- In-studio you can connect the blocks in preferred order and drag them into actions, calculations, loops, and more.
- Use intelligent skills from the digital exchange. Digital exchange is where you can find ready-made skills to enhance your automation with machine learning, AI, language translation, and many more.
- It divides the studios into two categories: Object Studio and Process Studio.
Control
- The control room assigns the processes to digital workers. Users can quickly start a process by dragging it onto a resource.
- The control room is the key administrative point in Blue Prism, where it handles the control, monitoring, execution, and scheduling of process executions on dispersed bots.
Analytics
- Blue Prism Analytics is a module that allows you to see data graphically in charts such as pie, doughnut, bar, column, gauge, and line.
Releases
- The release manager is used to manage configuration package import and export between multiple blue prism settings.
System
- Administrators use the system tab to manage users.
3. Explain the features of Blue Prism?
The features of Blue Prism are as follows:
Provides Intelligent Execution Technology
Organizations can instruct the autonomous engine on process priorities, feed amounts of work, and leave it to run without human involvement, responding to systems, business scenarios, and preferences changes. Robots, like humans, can be used to do tasks based on SLA, volume, and priority and adjust and change robot allocation dynamically without human intervention.
Built on Microsoft SQL Server (Compatible across different platforms)
They built Blue Prism on the Microsoft .NET framework. It is technologically flexible, working across other platforms and technologies such as a mainframe, windows app, WPF app, Java, SAP, Exchange, custom apps, Citrix, thick client, thin client, web services, etc.
Highly Secure
A software robot securely logs into an application and manipulates the presentation layer in the same manner a person would, but in a controlled, non-invasive environment, ensuring that it never affects the application's integrity.
On-Premises or in the Cloud
On-premises or hybrid enterprise deployment, provisioned in a public or private cloud.
The robots are existing and running. You can conduct any operation set in Blue Prism on any number of robots in the virtual workforce.
Scalability
Blue prism is object-oriented, allowing for rapid scalability by utilizing reusable items and libraries.
Analytics and Reporting
Blue Prism provides high-quality data that can produce relevant BI and MI reporting and provide inline process statistics and real-time operational insights by capturing each step.
Work Queues
Work Queues provides a queue-centric approach for dynamically controlling the number of Resources, or Robots, operating against a given queue, allowing for the flexibility in adjusting the number of resources assigned to work items in the queue on business demands collaboratively.
4. What is Process Studio?
- Process Studio allows the company or IT to design, build, edit, and test processes made of reusable Blue Prism elements. As the library of business objects grows, actions can be scheduled and controlled in the Process layer, the top tier of the Blue Prism architecture.
- Process Studio provides a similar interface to Object Studio and allows you to sequence and test business logic, control loops, variables, and object calls in a visible business flow.
- Processes in Blue Prism are comparable to software procedures in that they can invoke objects and operations to run applications, automate rules-based processes and business logic.
5. What is Object Studio?
- Object Studio allows business users or IT professionals to construct reusable Blue Prism Objects as the building blocks for the business process by modeling current applications and training Blue Prism as a robotic user.
- Object Studio is the design canvas on which you program the Blue Prism robot to conduct the fundamental system activities that serve as the foundation of processes. The presentation layer provides a library of operating elements, quickly models, and validates the target desktop application.
6. What is the control room?
- Control Rooms allow businesses or IT services to schedule, perform, and control processes. Blue Prism platform administrators use the Control Room interface to monitor and review the status of the connected runtime resources in the production environment.
- The interface also allows for manual process start and stop, automated process schedule setting, and extensive management information and dig downs into Blue Prism task queues.
- In a production environment, it runs processes from the control room. From here, processes do not run on a version of Blue Prism that is local to your desktop but run on external resources known as digital workers, which can be found in the resources area.
7. What is the environment variable?
The environment variable is a type of exposure in data items in which it easily changes the data item value without using the processor object. It is available in the system tab under the process section.
8. Which are the data types available in Blue Prism?
- Data items can store a range of data types, where each data item within a process must be assigned a specific data type to store.
- The data types available in the Blue Prism are Number, Text, Flag, Date, Password, DateTime, Time, Timespan, Image, and Binary.
9. Explain Wait Stage
- The use of a Wait Stage enables business objects to pause and wait for an application to load or a condition to be met before continuing.
- Wait conditions can apply to Wait Stages, to evaluate whether a condition exists within a specified period.
- The wait condition produces a flag value, determining which of the two branches the logic will flow down. It is best to include a conditional Wait Stage at the start of every object diagram that interacts with an application.
- It is possible to set multiple wait conditions for a Wait Stage by adding additional rows into the actions area of the Wait Stage properties window.
- The Wait Stage simultaneously checks each wait condition. It doesn’t require all wait conditions to be met ‑ they met once one condition, the path will be determined. If none of the wait conditions is met, the action will timeout.
10. Explain the benefits of Blue Prism
Automation Speed
Days and weeks to automate processes in a blue prism that would take months and years to automate using standard automation methodologies.
Less Expense
Robots are programmed with the business rules of repetitive clerical duties and deployed to drive existing applications, eliminating the requirement for costly integration and process re-design expertise.
Improved Performance
A small specialist ability within the IT department collaborates with the robotic workforce to train them, manage referrals, and continuously enhance their operational performance.
Secure
The robotic automation platform is secure, audited, and governed within the governance IT corridor. The usage of software robots invariably increases compliance with applicable data standards, confidentiality, and the speed and accuracy of record keeping.
Scalable
Because the software robots operate in a virtualized environment, they can rapidly scale them up and down based on demand.
11. What is exception handling in Blue Prism?
Exception management is an important component of any blue prism solution. An exception is a problem that occurs while a process or object is being executed. When mistakes occur in the blue prism, it generates exceptions.
You define the management of exceptions in unattended automation as exception handling. It ensures that faults can be automatically fixed if possible, or that system administrators easily identify them and repairable, or that it can forward them for human completion if necessary. Exception handling's success is determined by how well it is implemented throughout development.
12. Explain the different stages of exception handling
You can achieve exception handling by following stages:
Recovery: Begins a block for handling exceptions.
Resume: Ends a block for handling exceptions.
Exception: Explicitly raises an exception in the execution of a process or object.
13. Explain the applications of Blue Prism
Blue Prism’s RPA software is used in the following process types.
- Rules-based processing using structured digital inputs, such as credit card activation or fraud detection
- Transactional processing that is repeated, such as SIM swaps or invoicing processing
- High transaction quantities, such as billing or new handset order processing
- Issues with process adherence/quality, such as policy renewals or policy migrations
- Complex/mission-critical procedures such as pension redemptions and financial reconciliation
- Changes in demand or backlogs, such as new product launches
- Used in HR onboarding or introducing a new online product, where no integration exists
Intermediate Level Blue Prism Interview Questions and Answers
After seeing the beginner level Blue Prism Interview questions, Now let us look at the Intermediate level Blue Prism Interview Questions.
14. What is an Application Modeller? Which are the different types of spying modes present in it?
A Business Object aims to integrate with an application to make the application accessible for use by a Blue Prism Process. To create the integration, you must connect the Business Object to the application by creating an Application Model. The Application Modeller can achieve this within Object Studio. This can create a logical representation of an application by identifying and capturing Elements from the application’s user interface. This is called Spying.
There are four different types of spying modes, namely:
- Win32 Mode
- HTML Mode
- Accessibility Mode
- Region Mode
15. Explain Circular Paths in Blue Prism?
Blue Prism automates repetitive work, and the inclusion of Circular Paths looping process diagrams enables some steps to be repeated. Components that are essential for building a Circular Path, which will allow a process flow to loop through, then they meet progress to the end once the loop limit, are as follows:
- Data Item to set loop limit.
- Data Item to store current loop count.
- Calculation Stage to keep count of loops.
- Decision Stage to control flow.
- Most Stages have only one outbound link, but there is no limit to the number of inbound links a stage can have.
16. Describe the different types of exceptions in Blue Prism
In Blue Prism, there are three types of exceptions, namely:
Internal Exceptions: Internal exceptions occur as a result of missing mandatory data in stages.
System Exceptions: System exceptions will occur if the internet is down, or if our bot requires internet, or if the system fails.
Business Exceptions: Business exceptions are not exactly exceptions. Instead, based on the business rules, you create the exceptions. You need to fire manually through the bot.
17. What are work queues?
- A work queue is a list that is configured internally to help a process manage its workload. A process may use many work queues, and multiple processes may share a work queue if necessary.
- Work Queues are created and configured in the Workflow Area of System Manager. This is where Work Queues can be provided with a Name and a Key Name.
- The Key Name directly correlates to a column name in the Collection Stage used to add new items to a Work Queue.
- The column value for each new item will appear in the Item Key column in the Queue Management Area of the Control Room.
18. Explain the stages in process studio
Some stages used in process studio are as follows:
Decision Stages
Decision stages have two branches coming out of them, enabling a process to split into two separate paths. They are used to evaluate an expression’s result as either Yes (True) or No (False).
In Blue Prism, you know these outcomes as Flags. The decision stage can use information from other stages, such as data items, to form part of the decision logic.
Calculation Stages
It uses expressions to calculate values. These can be numerical or made using values such as text, dates, etc. They are dependent on data items to store results. They can work with data items to perform calculations.
Data Items
Act as placeholders for values such as numbers, text, and dates. Can be given meaningful names like “Username” and employed around the process diagram. Data Item is like a variable.
19. Explain Process Validation
- The Validation button opens the Process Validation window for diagnosing issues. The Validation window categorizes issues as Error, Warning or Advice, identifies the type of action that should be taken to resolve them and whether they are repairable by Blue Prism.
- Validation checks the basic construction of a Process Diagram but is not capable of analyzing the logic. This responsibility always sits with the user.
- The go-to stage button highlights the exact stage that causes the issue. The help button is for troubleshooting issues. It is best practice to Validate Process Diagrams at regular intervals, including every time they’re saved and closed.
20. Explain collections and loops in Blue Prism
- A Collection Stage can be used when process diagrams benefit from the ability to hold many values together.
- The values stored within a Collection Stage are accessed one row at a time, using a Loop Stage to move forward through the rows.
- Collections are referenced in expressions using dot notation - Collection name and Field name, and Loop Stages have two parts: Loop Start and Loop End.
21. Explain Business Objects
- The purpose of a Business Object is to provide an interface to capture the functionality of an application. Business Objects are used as part of a process solution and can be thought of as a separate process layer.
- The tasks within a Business Object are separated into different pages - known as Actions, which sit in a flat structure not built around any specific hierarchy.
- Each Action relates to a particular interaction with an application, and a Process will use whichever of these Actions it requires, in any order, to perform a specific task within the application.
22. Explain the difference between Process and Object Studio
Process Studio
- It is created as a diagram that looks like a flow diagram by the development tool
- Stages: You have an Alert stage in Process Studio
- You have the Main Page
- Process interacts with object studio and control room
- Launch and Application Modeller is not available
Object Studio
- Create Objects graphically by the development tool
- Stages: Read, Write, Navigate, Code, and Wait
- You have the initialize page and clean up the page
- Object Studio interacts with external applications
- Launch and Application Modeller is available
23. Explain Throttles and Unconditional Waits in Blue Prism
Wait Stages can be used with no conditions, with timeout serving as a pause to delay the flow through the diagram ‑ this is known as Throttling. This allows some extra time to accommodate the variable performance speed of an application. It is good practice to include Throttling at the beginning of every action page interacting with an application.
A global data item can be used to store the timeout duration for all the action pages within a business object, making it easier to reconfigure Wait times in response to application performance. It is the best practice to create a dedicated Global Throttle Data Item.
Advanced Level Blue Prism Interview Questions and Answers
So those were all Intermediate level Blue Prism Interview Questions, Now let us look at the Advanced level Blue Prism Interview Questions.
24. What is a scheduler and how to configure it?
- Blue Prism tool allows execution of processes at specified times and repeats their execution at various intervals. This process is termed a Scheduler.
- To configure the scheduler in the System tab, you have the Scheduler option. After you configure the scheduler, you need to click on the check box to activate the scheduler.
- If the resource is offline, you have a retry option under resilience in the scheduler. You can choose to retry in terms of seconds and the number of times.
25. Explain Release Manager in Blue Prism
Blue Prism Release Manager enables users to compile all of the Blue Prism Solution components into a Package. This includes Processes, Business Objects and Work Queues, and Schedules, Calendars, Tiles, and Dashboards.
An individual Process or Business Object can be exported from Blue Prism as an XML file, and these exported files can be imported back into Blue Prism. This can be useful for backing up, sharing, and moving distinct components of a Blue Prism Solution between databases.
A Blue Prism Solution is a compilation of interconnected Processes, Business Objects, and Work Queues and, as a result, should always be migrated as a Package or Release.
o export a Solution Package, you must create a Release by right-clicking Package Overview and selecting New Package. A Release is a snapshot of the state of each of the components within a package at a particular moment in time. During a Blue Prism Solution development cycle, Releases are exported and imported across databases at various stages.
26. How to create an object in object studio?
The steps to create an object in object studio are as follows:
- Launch the Blue Prism software and open the studio tab
- Right-click on objects and select create an object
- Enter a name for a new business object
- Enter the description (optional)
- It will create an object in the objects list
27. How to Import VBO in Blue Prism?
The steps to import VBO in Blue Prism are as follows:
- From Blue Prism Studio, click File | Import.
- The Import Release dialogue opens. Click Browse to look for the file to be imported.
- Navigate to C:\Program Files\Blue Prism Limited\Blue Prism Automate\VBO.
- Look for the file named BPA Object and double-click on it to open it.
- The file gets imported to the database.
28. Explain the Concept of Exception Bubbling
Exceptions can occur at any point throughout a Process Solution. Wherever an Exception occurs, it will always move up towards the Main Page of the Process to the highest layer of the Process Solution.
An Exception will continue to Bubble up from an Action in a Business Object and then through the hierarchy of the Pages within the calling Process until it reaches a Page that contains Recovery logic. At which point the Exception will be handled.
If the main page of the highest layer of the process solution does not have logic to handle the error, an error message window will appear when running in the process studio. If the same occurs when running a process in the control room, the process will terminate.
29. Explain Input and Output Parameters in Blue Prism
- Input and Output Parameters are used to transmit values between the Process Diagram and the Business Object Action.
- Business Objects do not store any values. Any value needed to input into the Elements of an application should instead be passed down from a Process via an Input Parameter. The Business Object should only retain the information passed down to it for as long as it takes to complete the interaction.
- The Page Reference Stage on the upper page must be set up to receive the value from the end stage of the lower Page. An end-stage on a lower page can use output parameters to transmit a value up to a page reference stage on an upper page.
30. Demonstrate working of email automation in Blue Prism
Step1: Open Blue Prism Studio, click File | Import. Navigate to BPA Objects and Import Email - POP3_SMTP.
Step2: Go to Studio, Right-click on the process, and create a new process
Step3: On the Process, the main page, drag and drop an action stage and set it up for email configuration. Fill in the following details:
Username: (Select the data item in which your email address is stored)
Password :(Select the data item in which your password is Stored)
POP3 Server : “pop.gmail.com”
SMTP Server: “smtp.gmail.com”
POP3 Port: 995
SMTP Port: 587
POP3 UseSSL: True
SMTP UseSSL: True
Step4: Drag and drop another action to enter the subject and body of the email. Select the action as send a message in the action properties pop up.
Step5: To attach any attachments in the email, Drag and drop a collection stage. In the collection stage, click on the import button and perform the steps shown in the below image.
Step6: Then, in the collection stage, go to the initial values and enter the attachment URL you want to send over an email.
Step 7: Once the collection stage is complete, go back to the sending message action created in step-4 and in the attachments section, drag and drop the created collection.
Step8: Save the process and click on the run. Go to the email inbox and check for email received.
Next Steps
In this article, we have seen Beginner Blue Prism Interview Questions, Intermediate Blue Prism Interview Questions, and advanced level Blue Prism interview questions. Hope that this article has helped you understand the types of Blue Prism interview questions asked and how to respond to them. However, if you want to learn Blue Prism and possibly make a career out of it, certification will be helpful.
Simplilearn's Post Graduate Program in Full Stack Web Development course will help you increase your knowledge of advanced intelligent applications, and it will put you on the fast track. RPA is a popular and fast-growing technology for improving real-time corporate operations and processes. This course will give you an overview of RPA ideas as well as a basic understanding of Blue Prism. Relevant business use cases and tool comprehension are examples of value-add.
Do you have any specific questions you'd want to ask us? If you have any suggestions or doubts regarding Blue Prism Interview Questions, please leave them in the comments section. Our experts will get back to you as soon as possible!
