RPA (Robotic Process Automation): What It Means for Your Business

In Simple Terms

Imagine you have an employee who spends two hours every day copying patient information from intake forms into your practice management software. They look at the form, type the name, tab to the next field, type the date of birth, tab again, type the address, and so on. Fifty patients a day, same process, no thinking required.

RPA creates a digital version of that employee. A software bot reads the form (or a digital version of it), identifies each field, and types the information into your practice management software exactly as a human would. Same screens, same clicks, same tabs. But it works at machine speed, makes zero typos, and never takes a break.

The key distinction: API-based automation connects tools at the data level, behind the scenes. RPA works at the user interface level, on the screen. This makes RPA uniquely useful for older software that was never designed to integrate with anything else.

When to Use RPA vs. API Automation

RPA Tools Accessible to SMBs

Getting Started with RPA

Identify the right candidate process. The best processes for RPA are high-volume, rule-based, and involve digital systems. Data entry, report generation, file management, and system-to-system data transfer are all strong candidates.

Document the steps precisely. Before building a bot, write down every click, keystroke, and decision point in the current manual process. RPA bots follow these steps exactly, so the documentation needs to be complete.

Start with Power Automate Desktop. If you run Windows, this is already on your computer at no extra cost. It handles desktop and browser automation with a visual drag-and-drop builder. Build your first bot, measure the time savings, and expand from there.