Tag: Automation Tool Evaluation

Robotic Process Automation (RPA) has transformed how businesses automate repetitive manual tasks, enhance productivity, and optimize various operations. These compelling factors have driven many company leaders to hire more RPA developers in recent years.

A study by Precedence Research predicts Robotics Process Automation Investments are expected to reach USD 23.9 billion by 2030. ⁽¹⁾

With a plethora of RPA tools available in the market, the onus of choosing the right tool lies with organizations. So, how do you choose the right one to streamline your process automation services? Let us take a look at Gartner’s Magic Quadrant landscape for Robotic Process Automation to help you make more informed decisions around RPA vendors.

Leaders

Gartner’s Magic Quadrant provides a qualitative analysis of RPA vendors based on their ability to execute and completeness of vision. The four quadrants of this landscape are-

• They have strong execution capabilities and vision and are well established in the market. They have a successful record of accomplishment in terms of implementations and customer satisfaction.
• NICE, Microsoft, Automation Anywhere, UiPath and SSC & Blue Prism are key leaders who have been successful in their RPA executions.

Challengers

• Challengers are vendors who may possess strong execution capabilities but fall short in delivering a comprehensive vision for the future or innovation in their offerings.
• WorkFusion is one such vendor that has been lingering on the border between Leaders and Visionaries for the last three years.

Visionaries

• Visionaries are innovative and forward thinkers, who may experience discrepancies during execution. They have minimal RPA market presence.
• Pegasystems, SAP, Appian and Salesforce are a few RPA vendors who fall under the “visionaries” category as per Gartner.

Niche Players

• Niche players have a narrow vision and focus, minimal market presence or may still be in the initial stages of development.
• Samsung SDS, Cyclone Robotics, Nintex, IBM and Laiye are among the niche players with limited presence in the Robotics Process Automation market.

Despite these factors, we would advise you to consider the unique needs and requirements of your organization when using the Magic Quadrant to choose RPA vendors. To help you in this quest, we will take you through a list of pros and cons of these RPA tools to make your selection process simple.

Let us delve into UiPath first:

• UiPath is a renowned tool in the RPA industry and boasts a robust set of features that makes it a favourite among all organizations. 
• It is a tool for end-to-end automation. It provides augmented governance capabilities, developer-friendly user experience, improved computer vision and cloud-orchestrated RPA as a service. 

PROS:

1. User-Friendly Interface– UiPath provides an intuitive user interface, making it accessible to technical and non-technical users. Its user-friendly interface speeds up the automation implementation process in cloud and on-premises architecture. 

2. Product Strategy– UiPath is renowned among RPA clients. It gives way to an integrated low-code platform with enhanced capabilities like IDO, process mining, cloud delivery and PaaS. It caters to a broad range of roles within the process automation lifecycle including IT staff, business techs and integrated teams.

4. Process Mining– UiPath is a powerful tool worth its price. It independently operates to identify the best automation candidates and provides extensive discovery results. 

CONS:

1. Price Point– Its powerful capabilities come with a higher price tag, making it less accessible for smaller businesses with limited budgets. However, UiPath provides a simplified starter package for new customers, which may reduce the cost of entry for customers.

2. Automation Capabilities– Although UiPath has numerous capabilities, many competitors are entering the current market that exceeds or matches these features, especially in complex orchestration, decision automation and case management.

Now let us take a look at Power Automate- 

• Power Automate is Microsoft’s entry into the RPA landscape. As part of the Microsoft Power Platform, it integrates seamlessly with other Microsoft products and services, such as Office 365 and SharePoint.
• After being listed in the “Visionaire” category in 2020, the demand for Power Automate has rapidly gained momentum, promising accelerated growth. 

PROS:

1. Native Integration: If your organization relies heavily on Microsoft tools and applications, Power Automate can be an ideal choice due to its seamless integration with the Microsoft ecosystem.

2. Pricing Flexibility: Power Automate offers various pricing plans, including a free tier , which makes it more attractive for smaller businesses and those looking to start their automation journey without a significant financial commitment.

3. AI Capabilities: Power Automate leverages Microsoft’s AI capabilities, such as AI Builder, to enable more advanced automation scenarios with natural language processing, image recognition, and more.

Microsoft Power Automate Process Mining with integrated generative AI aims to boost productivity with greater process insights, minimized complexity of processes and consistent process improvement with automation and low code applications.

CONS :

1. UX Factor– Businesses and IT users may find it tedious and perplexing to constantly navigate between Teams, PAD and Power Automate. 

2. Learning Curve for Non-Microsoft Users: Users unfamiliar with the Microsoft ecosystem might have difficulty adapting to its interface and functionalities.

What To Choose?

• The choice between UiPath and Power Automate depends on the organization’s specific requirements and priorities. 
• If a business requires high-level automation with complex processes and has the budget to invest, UiPath is the better option. 
• On the other hand, if businesses work extensively with Microsoft products, and require a cost-effective solution, with moderate automation capabilities, Power Automate might be the right fit.

Lastly, UiPath and Power Automate are powerful RPA tools with a unique set of strengths. It is essential to assess the organizational needs, conduct a thorough evaluation, and even consider running a proof-of-concept to determine which one of these tools aligns best with the business automation goals. 

For more insights on Power Platform functionality, please refer to our detailed white paper on Power Platform Automation.