Demystifying MuleSoft RPA for Beginners
Introduction
In today’s landscape, businesses constantly seek ways to streamline operations, optimize processes, and boost productivity. We now live in an era where we can leverage machines to help us eliminate redundancy.
MuleSoft RPA is a game-changer in the space of automating redundant tasks, enabling organizations to reduce manual errors, and get value for their buck!
MuleSoft, which everybody knows is a leading integration platform, has recently embraced RPA by bringing together the power of integration and automation. However, it can sometimes be confusing for beginners to understand the technical jargon of RPA.
In this blog, I will demystify RPA for beginners in hopes that this will be the only resource they need to get started with MuleSoft RPA.
Definition of RPA
RPA stands for Robotic Process Automation. In layperson’s terms, it is a machine that helps users perform repetitive tasks automatically. In technical terms, it is a software technology that combines robotics and automation to perform actions. This technology uses an application or ‘bot’ that mimics human actions, interacting with applications, web services, and APIs to execute complex processes autonomously.
Now that we know what RPA stands for let us look at what components MuleSoft RPA comes with!
MuleSoft RPA components
MuleSoft RPA has four main components
- RPA Manager
- RPA Builder
- RPA Recorder
- RPA Bot Instances
RPA Manager
Consider RPA Manager as a server, control plane, or RPA brain that organizes and manages the RPA process throughout its life cycle. The complete life cycle can be tracked via the RPA manager. As shown in the image below, there are a bunch of modules on the left that help you track each part of the process: Evaluate, Design, Build, Test, and Production.
RPA Builder
RPA builder is your kitchen where you cook your RPA process. It’s an application installed on your computer that connects to RPA Manager to import any approved design projects. This on-prem application enables you to build automation by specifying tasks and steps of the process.
RPA Recorder
RPA Recorder is similar to the paparazzi, recording everything on your screen but with an actual start, stop, and pause button. It resides on-prem, and you can automatically create the graphical representation for your RPA process by recording yourself performing the steps you would like the RPA bot to perform. It also auto-generates documents for the recorded tasks.
RPA Bot Instances
RPA Bot Instance is an actual bot application that helps to connect the bot with the RPA manager. This is helpful because it provides near real-time snapshots of executing the RPA process, which allows the RPA Manager to create monitoring views. As shown in the image below, you can easily connect a bot instance to RPA Manager by providing the URL and API keys that you set up in your RPA Manager.
Conclusion
MuleSoft RPA brings the power of automation to the realm of integration. It opens up a world of possibilities for organizations to unlock their automation potential and remove manual redundancy by seamlessly integrating automation into their workflows.
