Automation of assorted manual tasks is a new topic of discussion. No matter which domain your business belongs to, certain tasks are automated to save time.
Two types of tools- integration Platform as a Service (iPaaS) and Robotic Process Automation (RPA) can help you to integrate apps and automate repetitive tasks.
Best practices for developing web applications emphasize the importance of building user-friendly and scalable applications that seamlessly integrate with existing systems. In this context, iPaaS plays a crucial role by facilitating the connection between various applications and data sources.
iPaaS and RPA are crucial for businesses aiming to manage operations and improve efficiency. Both have their set of advantages and disadvantages. But they are significantly different from each other. Each of these tools is built to fulfill particular scenarios.
This composition delves into iPaaS vs RPA, and their key differences. In the end, you can determine which tool will best fit your business requirements.
Let’s dive in and explore more!
iPaaS- Overview
iPaaS is an API-first, cloud-based platform that helps businesses connect with different apps and data sources across a strong tech stack so they can easily share information and automate the processes across apps. Ultimately improving the app’s efficiency and reducing human intervention.
iPaaS is best used when big and complex logic is needed for your automation. For example, when you want to connect a project management system, and a message system to automatically build and allocate tasks and also notify the assignee whenever a particular CRM event happens.
Such complex automation logic can be achieved using iPaaS platforms; by using its pre-built connectors, data maps, business logic, and transformations that let complex automation become successful.
How does it work?
iPaaS is a cloud-based solution that helps integrate disparate apps and systems. It assists us with a unified platform to connect with different software/apps, whether on-premise or cloud-based.
It enables easy data flow between apps by providing varied services and tools for building, deploying, and managing integrations. They can be built using pre-built connectors, custom scripts, or APIs.
This platform includes capabilities like data mapping, transformation, real-time data sync, and workflow automation, and helps in ensuring that information shared across different systems is accurate and consistent.
One primary benefit of using iPaaS is its ability to simplify complex processes and minimize the requirement for manual data handling and extensive coding.
Businesses easily connect their ERP, CRM, and other essential systems using the suitable iPaaS tool, and enhance their operational efficiency and data consistency. iPaaS also supports flexibility and scalability that allow organizations to adapt their integrations to their requirements.
By providing a standardized process for integration, companies can respond easily to changing business needs with iPaaS; ultimately improving their competitiveness in the market.
RPA- Overview
Robotic Process Automation is a tool that helps to automate repetitive and routine tasks by using software bots. It includes common business tasks like processing orders, data entry, managing calendars and emails, and building reports. In general, RPA tools are used to automate tasks that have a well-defined set of rules.
RPA copies data from a page and also copies keyboard and mouse movements to perform automation tasks. For organizations needing automation activity in Excel or its legacy app, RPA has become a very useful tool.
How does it work?
RPA has bots that interact with the UI of apps by using techniques such as OCR- Optical Character Recognition, screen scraping, and integration with APIs. They have a predefined set of rules and instructions to follow to navigate projects, extract data and manipulate it, and carry out tasks with speed and accuracy.
The primary characteristics of RPA include- automation of monotonous tasks with minimal or no decision-making, automated integration without any infrastructure or significant system changes, better error detection, improved accuracy, and enhanced operational efficiency.
Advantages and Disadvantages of iPaaS and RPA
Let’s understand what are the pros and cons of both iPaaS and RPA:
iPaaS Benefits
The majority of iPaaS tools are user-friendly. They make integration simpler for non-coding professionals and developers. Hence, it reduces operational expenses regarding outsourcing, or hiring experts.
iPaaS is developed to build a seamless integration of different apps, software, and systems. It provides connectors & low-code development features. They make iPaaS an easy-to-use solution than RPA. Moreover, the ready-made connectors help in-app integration to develop faster systems.
iPaaS is an all-in-one platform for organizations to manage different integrations.
With the iPaaS platform, you get real-time visibility of all data and integrations.
It secures your data from being stolen by hackers and offers cutting-edge security through features like access control, advanced encryption, real-time monitoring, etc.
iPaaS Drawbacks
- Subscription commitment is a key drawback of iPaaS tools. iPaaS requires ongoing subscription expenses, which aren’t feasible every time for businesses that do not have the required resources.
For instance, if a small business only needs to use the feature of point-to-point integration, iPaaS isn’t the eBay choice for them as iPaaS is made to handle complex processes and projects. So, before they sign up for iPaaS, assessing their resources is necessary to check whether this tool will be a right fit for them or not.
RPA Benefits
RPA tool helps in automating manual tasks, and minimizing errors by improving the processing speed, productivity, and accuracy
It works easily with legacy systems that don’t have APIs and automates repetitive routine work.
RPA also works well with the current systems without making any major changes in the infrastructure
It is a cost-effective alternative as it reduces human intervention, minimizes labor costs, and enables resource allocation to needful tasks
RPA Drawbacks
RPA can automate Excel to run structured tasks. But it may grapple with managing unstructured data or struggle with decision-making in data that requires human judgment
Maintaining RPA bots can become complex and sometimes may require external resources
Businesses working with complex processes may need more time and effort to design, test, and use RPAs effectively
iPaaS vs RPA- Key differences between both platforms
After understanding each of these tools in detail, let’s understand which key factors make them different from each other. Further, we will also see their use cases, and when to use which tool.
1# Flexibility
Both iPaaS and RPA are flexible. The processes that have to be automated can be updated to adapt to ever-changing business environments and business. iPaaS platforms are more flexible when it comes to situations other than process automation. For example, iPaaS supports use cases like event streaming, data integration, and data loading for analytics.
2# Complexity
The flexibility and usability of iPaaS and RPA platforms are different based on the complexity factor of the processes that need automation. Moreover, factors like apps and systems to be integrated, the volume of data getting processed, etc., also matter.
While iPaaS and RPA both support complex automation, RPA wins as a good fit for processes involving the integration of spreadsheets or different legacy systems. However, more RPA commands or scripts are added, and it becomes difficult to manage them.
For automating and connecting processes across cloud apps, iPaaS connects API and digital orchestration and makes it easier to build and manage automation.
3# Integration
iPaaS platforms easily connect disparate systems and modern platforms offer hundreds of pre-built connectors. Meanwhile, the RPA platforms are limited in their integration capabilities and require more resources to connect to other systems.
RPA is made for integrating non-API-based, legacy apps or it scrapes documents, but it isn’t suitable for integrating apps having an API.
4# Maintenance
RPA requires more maintenance than iPaaS platforms. For instance, if you have an RPA process that is screen scraping a UI, and UI changes, then the RPA process breaks. Through iPaaS’s API-first integrations, it accurately connects the apps- using APIs. However, they do not break when UI changes and are managed and supported by the app vendor.
5# Cost
iPaaS platforms generally need a subscription or license fee for accessing, the expense of which depends on the integrations, number of users, automated workflows, and level of support. RPA platforms offer a one-time licensing fee or similar subscription-based pricing model with factors like usage frequency, number of bots, and environment influencing the final cost. Other than licensing costs, users may have to pay the cost of maintenance as well.
6# Training
Software should be easy to use by everyone. It should be the first factor to keep in mind while evaluating software. iPaaS platforms range from code-heavy and complex, suitable for experts to visually intuitive platforms requiring low code to integrate apps and make them secure.
RPAs need to maintain scripts that are often proprietary for the vendor and understand the UX of the apps. With particular requirements, it’s hard to search for people with people with required skills. In both cases, the suitable platform lies somewhere between power and usability, enabling both technical & non-technical users to automate their business processes.
7# Security
API integrated using iPaaS are comparatively safer as they are made, supported, and secured particularly for the integration, request, and process of the data essential for creating the connection. All this is done while providing structured logs of the data exchanged. Meanwhile, RPAs often have sensitive data hard-coded into the RPA script which creates a high amount of risk.
iPaaS vs RPA- Use Cases
iPaaS is essential for app integration, B2B integration with their trading partners, data migration, real-time data analysis, hybrid cloud integration, API management, and workflow automation.
On the other hand, RPA is often used for data validation and entry, inventory management, invoice processing, customer service automation, payroll and HR, customer/employee hiring and lay-offs, and other healthcare claims processing. In short, anything that needs data validation along with repetitive data entry is good with RPA.
Considerations for Choosing the Right Solution for Your Organization
iPaaS vs RPA are different business models and fulfill different user needs. When you need data integration, or real-time/batch data processing, iPaaS is a good alternative. An iPaaS excels at connecting data and systems. You can choose this technology if you have security concerns and a scalable solution is a must for fulfilling security loopholes.
On the other hand, if you want to automate repetitive tasks, RPA is a good alternative for the same. Also, while working with different legacy systems without APIs, RPA is the most suitable option to keep handy.
Which solution should you choose?
You should pick the accurate solution from iPaaS vs RPA, which is the secondary aim of this article, after learning their differences. So, here let’s see when to pick which one. If you choose an accurate option, it will bring success, or else, it might cause a resource loss or even bring failure.
You should choose the iPaaS alternative if you are working on a project that needs:
Easy integration and seamless connectivity between different systems
The integration workflows have varied applications and need customization
Data sharing and collaboration across the whole team are necessary to bring success
You should choose the RPA alternative if you are working on a project that needs:
Automation of multiple repetitive tasks that are rule-based and that are present across systems
The primary aim is to improve the overall operational efficiency
Reduction in human intervention
Looking for a cost-effective alternative
Unstructured data or complex decision-making isn’t a part of your automation needs
iPaaS vs RPA- Conclusion
iPaaS and RPA both platforms are very useful tools to provide automation for business processes that are done manually and are tedious. However, both of them have distinct differences in terms of complexity, cost, security, and functionality. If your tech stack has a lot of non-API-based, legacy systems, then you can choose the RPA tool that fulfills your business requirements.
However, if you are using API-based apps and databases, iPaaS is made for integrating those with other strong, manageable, API-first systems that are ready to integrate.
Many RPAs provide APIs, so you can use RPA scripts from the iPaaS tool to achieve the accurate benefits of both these tools. Many organizations use both iPaas and RPA platforms to make a strong and comprehensive automation process, referred to as hybrid integration.
If you are still confused, one thing is sure- automation is becoming an essential tactic for organizations who want to transform their human, and fragmented processes into strong business success.