Robotic process automation (RPA) has significantly benefitted the companies trying to ride the wave of artificial intelligence (AI) powered applications. UiPath is one of the widely used RPA tools. UiPath allows IT departments to set up software robots that collect and interpret data in various applications to automate routine tasks. If you’re wondering what UiPath is, then you’re in the right place.
What Is UiPath?
UiPath is a robotic process automation tool for large-scale end-to-end automation. For an accelerated business change, it provides solutions for businesses to automate routine office activities. It uses a variety of methods to transform tedious tasks into automated processes.
Features of UiPath
Now that you have understood what UiPath is, this tutorial will now look at the key features of UiPath.
Drag and Drop Workflow
The UiPath user will develop visual process steps by dragging and dropping related tasks onto the graphical workspace. Then, with user interface properties, they can transform those process steps into a visual workflow. Users may also use the recorder wizard in the UiPath tool to build web-based or application workflows.
Record and Playback
The user can use this function to record actions and transform them into an automated process series. UiPath has the following types of recording options:
Basic recording- It focuses on automating single tasks and is commonly used to develop each activity's complete selector.
Desktop recording- It can be used for a variety of actions as well as application development.
Web recording- Web recording is a common tool for viewing and recording web page activities.
Citrix recording- It is very widely used for recording stuff like pictures and virtualized environment automation.
Inbuilt activities in UiPath
UiPath comes with over 300 built-in activities covering a wide range of process automation and application integration design tasks. You can find these activities in the Activities pane, which covers most design tasks such as data extraction, data entry, and automation.
Advanced Scraping Options
Scraping data from web pages and applications is easier with UiPath Screen Scraping. Furthermore, the data scraping wizard helps in the scraping of data with a repetitive structure. Scraping solution works flawlessly with any program, including .Net, Java, Flash, PDF, Legacy, and SAP.
High Security and Robustness
You can create super-smart, durable robots with UiPath. With a simple visual canvas, everyone in the company can use these bots. UiPath offers high-security auto-login functionality to run the bots and operates with a locked screen, allowing automated processes to run in complete privacy.
UiPath Components
- UiPath studio- UiPath studio is a user-friendly interface that allows users to visually plan and design various automation processes through diagrams, using the drag-and-drop functionality. These diagrams are merely a structural reflection of specific tasks that must be completed.
- UiPath robot- After you've built your process, the next move is to put it into action in the UiPath studio. UiPath Robots are used to translate the strategies into tasks, which are then executed. These robots are used to assign various tasks and carry them out in the same manner as humans but without human interference. When a given operation occurs on the computer, they program UiPath robots to begin executing tasks automatically.
- UiPath Orchestrator-The Orchestrator is a web-based application in UiPath. It has features for deploying, monitoring, scheduling, and controlling automated bots and processes. It's a centralized forum for managing and maintaining all software bots
UiPath Architecture
Now that you have understood what UiPath is, and what its components are, it’s time to understand the UiPath architecture.
It consists of 2 sections.
- The Client and Server Side
- The three layers
The Client and Server Side
- Client-side UiPath components are those that the user or developer can communicate with directly. UiPath Studio, Robot, Browser, and UiPath Agent are usually included.
- UiPath's backend operations are considered server-side. It saves the tasks and workflows that a user produces in the databases.
- The UiPath Orchestrator chooses the necessary functions and software robots to carry out the code's tasks.
- The robots' logs and statistics are stored in the backend. The records are useful for analyzing robot performance and detecting errors.
- UiPath robot comprises of two elements, namely-
Agent Support for UiPath:
This service in UiPath serves as a mediator between the client-side and the server-side of UiPath. All of the information and data are conveyed via the handler. It also logs messages in the Orchestrator before being moved to the SQL server. The service can be used to search all the currently available tasks in the device tray. It also can change device settings and start/stop current tasks.
Executor Service for UiPath:
Software robots use this service to carry out the tasks specified in a Windows session.
The Three Layers
1. Presentation Layer
- The UiPath components that are open to users make up the client layer. It includes UiPath Studio, Robots, Browsers, UiPath Agent, and Executors.
- A user or a developer may use these components to design and create different tasks that can be automated. Computer robots are commonly used to complete these tasks. The client layer is another name for this layer.
2. Server Layer
- The server layer is the UiPath architecture's significant sheet. The cloud layer shows all server information. The Orchestrator is the most crucial part of the server layer. When the robots perform the tasks, it periodically uploads the entire project to the server.
- The Orchestrator is in charge of the whole band. It keeps track of project development, schedules software robots for execution, and produces summary reports based on filtered parameters.
- The server layer helps synchronize software and software robots so that they can continue to perform routine tasks. It helps the project meet its project requirements, service levels, and deadlines, thanks to its web-based management system.
3. Persistence layer
- Database servers make up the bulk of this sheet. In this layer, all the robots' configuration information is saved. Users insert data, robots, assigned tasks, logging info, and asset details, among other items, into the Orchestrator's configuration details.
- Furthermore, the persistence layer is in charge of keeping the log information updated by the UiPath agent services. Elastic search is used to store these logs. The logs are primarily useful for locating and correcting errors.
- Process-level data is usually saved in relational database management systems such as SQL Server. This makes processing logs from the vast volume of data a lot simpler. Hence, the queues’ tasks are often taken care of by the persistence layer.
Applications of UiPath
Here are some of the examples of UiPath in different fields
1. Sales
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Invoice Development and Delivery
This is an example of data replication in action. Both CRM and accounting systems must have the exact sales details. Bots can update accounting records, prepare and send invoices from the appropriate email addresses instead of manually replicating data.
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CRM Updating
A new class of solutions is evolving to incorporate email, call, and other contact data into CRM. A simple bot could be written to update your CRM records with customer contact information if you can't find a suitable solution for using the CRM system.
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Keeping Scorecards Up to Date
Companies that do not have HR and CRM systems integrated can use RPA bots to ensure that CRM adjustments are submitted to scorecards in real-time, allowing sales reps to track their progress.
2. Banking
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Check KYC
Though dedicated KYC solutions are evolving, RPA bots can be used to automate portions of the KYC process if your organization does not want to use one. A case may be referred to an employee in the event of an edge case that requires human involvement.
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Sanction of Loans
Like most document processing activities, this method is appropriate to RPA automation because complex business logic can be embedded in bots, which can partially automate loan decisions and the manual processes that follow.
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Execution of Trade
RPA bots may be useful in situations where legacy systems are incapable of storing complex limit orders. However, this is more of a band-aid solution; in the long run, switching to a sophisticated and competent trading system will certainly be a smart investment, considering how it could increase trading and minimize trader workload.
3. Healthcare
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Appointment Scheduling For Patients
The RPA bot makes appointments for patients based on their diagnoses, doctor availability, location, and other factors such as financial statements and insurance details.
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Supporting Analytics to Improve Patient Treatment
RPA bots may collect a variety of medical information. RPA bots, for example, can send patient data to a third-party healthcare analytics provider to provide more reliable diagnoses and better patient care without violating any confidentiality regulations.
Benefits of UiPath
Increased Productivity
UiPath automates with quick speed and accessibility. Consider an RPA bot that allows a worker to produce a monthly report in 20 minutes. When done manually, it would take four hours. The company's productivity would increase as a result of process automation.
High Efficiency
RPA software does not need a break; it can operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. It also does not take a break or become ill. In most cases, a single RPA robot may replace two to five full-time workers, if not more. Robots can do the same amount of work in less time, or more work than humans at the same time.
Customer Experience
In an RPA-adopted business, routine, repetitive, and boring tasks are assigned to robots, allowing employees to focus more on customer service. Companies may meet consumer needs with the help of professional and knowledgeable employees.
Highly Secure
There is no risk of information leakage from one component to another because it only performs single tasks. As a result, data access is strictly monitored and reported.
Cost-Effective
UiPath has minimal operating costs and more efficient use of IT resources.
Companies Hiring UiPath Developers
Many top-tier companies, such as Infosys, Tata, Tech Mahindra, KPMG, and others readily deploy UiPath.
Salary Trends for UiPath Developers
According to Glassdoor, the salary trends for UiPath Developers in India and the USA are as follows:
In India
- The average pay scale for a UiPath developer is ₹545K
- Uipath Developer salaries range from ₹362K - ₹1M
In the USA
- Uipath developer’s salary ranges from $58K - $107K.
- Average salary - $76K
Demo - Creating Automation to Merge Two Excel Files
Now that you have seen what UiPath is, and have understood its architecture, it’s time to see a demo. You will have two excel files CSVfile1 and CSVfile2 with ten rows of data in each file. You will create a bot to merge the data of both files in a single excel file named as output file.
Step 1: Open the UiPath Studio and select a new project or existing project stored locally on version control systems. Enter the project name and create the new project. To get started, click on the ‘create workflow’ button. Press Ctrl+N to start a new sequence.
Step 2: Drag and drop the ‘Two Read CSV’ activity from the activities section in the project pane. Read CSV activity has two sections.
Read from file - In this, select the location of the Excel file
Output to - Right-click and create a variable. Name it as SL_file1.
Repeat the step for another Read CSV activity with another Excel file location and name the variable as SL_file2
Step 3: Drag and drop an Assign activity. It has two parameters.
To - In this, create a variable and name it as mergedSL. Change the variable type from generic to the system.Data.DataTable
Enter an expression - Enter the expression as sl_file1.Clone()
The clone function creates a new data table with the same structure. But does not copy the data.
Step 4: Drag and drop two different merge data table activities.
Enter the destination and source for each merge data table separately.
1. Destination – mergedSL
Source -sl_file1
2. Destination – mergedSL
Source -sl_file2
Step 5: Drag and drop a write CSV file.
Create an output file in which you want to merge the two files.
Write from – mergedSL
Step 6: Drag and drop a Get password activity.
Get password is used to store the Gmail account password. There is a prerequisite to receiving an email. Go to your Google account - security - less secure app access - turn on.
Then in the properties pane, enter your password.
As a result: create a variable and name it sss.
Step 7: Drag and drop a send SMTP mail message.
In the Properties pane under the host in the server section, enter SMTP.gmail.com and enter the port value as 587.
Under the Login section, enter your email and password as sss
In the send SMTP mail message, enter the email and enter the subject as a merged file
In the body section, enter the text you want to display in the mail within double codes.
Run the workflow, and the output file is created with both files. Data is merged and is received in the mail.
Learn RPA using the advanced UiPath platform with the Robotic Process Automation certification training course
Next Steps
This tutorial on ‘What is UiPath’ covers its features, components, and architecture. Apart from what UiPath is, it also includes the applications and benefits of UiPath. You also explored the companies hiring UiPath developers and the salary trends. At last, you saw the demo. If you wish to prepare for the UiPath interview you can refer to our tutorial on UiPath interview questions and answers.
Simplilearn’s Introduction to RPA will help you expand your expertise in advanced intelligent applications, and this course will put you on the fast track. RPA is one of the hottest and fastest-growing technologies for improving real-time business operations and processes. This course will give you an overview of RPA concepts and help you understand what UiPath is. The value-add brings with relevant business use cases and tools understanding.
If you have any questions or feedback regarding what is UiPath or any other questions, let us know in the comments section, and our experts will get back to you as soon as possible.
