Every skilled professional has their own toolbox – real or virtual – comprising their go-to tools for everything they need to do on a normal work-day. Professionals who work with technology need to keep revamping and updating their toolboxes regularly, to stay in tune with the rapid pace of change and development. Professionals who work with automation are no exception to this rule.
Today, automation is like a big tent, encompassing a very diverse set of technologies. Here’s a quick look at the handy tools that are immensely useful for automation professionals.
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Data prep and analysis tools
These tools help automatically extract and integrate data from a range of different sources, and are extremely useful for professionals. For instance, one had to combine a spreadsheet and data from ERP for analysis, these data preparation and analysis tools would help them achieve the same.
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Robotic Process Automation
Robotic Process Automation or RPA helps one automate repetitive activities across multiple systems using software robots. These robots generally replicate the workflow to automate repetitive tasks and prove to be super useful for automation professionals.
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Machine Learning
Training a machine to perform specific tasks or respond in a particular way to specific stimuli using detailed algorithms for making decisions as part of an automated workflow, is machine learning. This is an immensely helpful technology for bringing about automation of processes and workflows, and needs to be a part of every automation expert’s toolbox.
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Software macros
Software macros help automate rule-based activities within a single application. These are useful for tasks such as performing spreadsheet calculations.
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Natural Language Processing
Natural Language Processing or NLP are algorithms that process textual or speech inputs. These are useful for automating various processes, such as, creating chatbots for interpreting customer queries.
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Robotic Desktop Automation
Robotic Desktop Automation or RDA helps automate repetitive tasks, in a similar way as RPA, but for desktop applications, like validating client data in a CRM. It is an essential tool for every automation professional’s toolbox.
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Computer vision
This tool helps one automate the process of capturing images or document information, for instance, reading forms. It helps immensely for imaging-based automation and analysis, especially for automatic inspection, process control, robot guidance, etc.
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Workflow automation software
The workflow automation software, as the name suggests, help automate workflows. They often enable this by providing a drag-and-drop user interface. A good example for the usage of this tool is automation of managing the IT support tickets.
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Intelligent process automation platforms
The intelligent process automation platforms help identify patterns and help systems learn to optimize automated workflows over time. This tool combines fundamental process re-design with robotic process automation and machine learning, and prove to be a very useful tool in the automation toolbox.
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Intelligent business process management systems
This tool helps orchestrate work allocation between humans and machines, across a range of many automation technologies. These systems enhance business process management with enhanced capabilities, such as, artificial intelligence, cloud computing, etc.
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Rule engines
Rule engines define the specific business rules that govern the tasks and processes. They help express solutions to difficult problems and have those solutions verified. They are immensely useful when there is no satisfactory traditional programming approach to solve a particular problem.
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Automation-enabled enterprise platforms
This amazing tool from the automation toolbox helps one extend processes using built-in robotic process automation and artificial intelligence capabilities. It helps transform the processes, making them more intelligent and ensuring highly available systems and processes.
These twelve tools are an indispensable part of every automation professional’s toolbox. Cultivating expertise of working with these tools will help individuals grow their career and be better at their work in the field of automation. Cognixia’s comprehensive training programs help individuals and corporate workforce sharpen up their skills for using these tools effectively and efficiently, enabling them to bring about smarter automation for their organizations. To know more about the wide range of training programs we offer, and how we contribute to transform the world, one skilled person at a time, reach out to us today!
