24 Oct No code RPA tools
One of the hot topics in the automation world is No-code RPA tools. As the name indicates, no-code means that you can configure and create automation processes without code. This idea is intuitively appealing for many reasons. It means you remove one of the biggest buttons necks in RPA, which means the ability to make the software that runs your automation in your business. The analogy was the same as with website development 20 years ago. Back then, you needed to be able to code HTML and other programming languages. The content management systems such a WordPress, Sitecore, and others came along. They made it possible for people with all backgrounds to create their websites without worrying about how to code IT. So, this article explores the ways it is also happening in the world of automation. We will look into what no code means as a concept and where you can expect to apply it in your business in an RPA context.
Two levels of no-code RPA
First of all, you need to understand what no-code means. There are ways of looking at the no-code perspective when it comes to RPA. The first no-code level is when you have built and implemented your RPA tool. Then it could be possible to implement new process automation in a way that does not require coding. So the no-code part refers to building processes.
The second element of no-code is referring to the actual configuration and implementation of your RPA tool. Here the no-code reference is on the implementation part.
Then there is another dimension, called low-code. Low code means that you configure your business logic to create rules and logic in a code-like manner without actually coding in a pure programming language. You will select this route if the complexity of the automation you are creating is too big to be expressed in a no-code manner.
So, the spectra of code, low code or no-code can be illustrated in the below table.
The six cases
As you can see, this leaves us with six different cases that we will no explore in more detail.
A: You code your processes. This is either where you find the first-generation RPA tools or where you end if the processes that you want to automate are complex.
B: The low case scenario is where a modern RPA enables you to create advanced processes in a way where you will have to specify some logic in a code-like manner.
C: This is the pure no-code manner. Here you will find the latest generation RPA tools that enable you to build processes in an online editor.
D: Most RPA tools require configuration and code to make the system integrations work. You need to do this to ensure that you are hooked into as many business flows as possible
E: Sometimes, the integrations can be made with an API configuration that can be done with little code.
F: Few RPA solutions manage to create integrations without code. However, some do. One such case is Cognifirm.
