{"id":15086,"date":"2021-06-16T10:09:45","date_gmt":"2021-06-16T04:39:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/coforge.site\/cigniti\/blog\/?p=15086"},"modified":"2021-06-16T17:32:27","modified_gmt":"2021-06-16T12:02:27","slug":"rpa-testing-logistics-supply-chain","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/coforge.site\/cigniti\/blog\/rpa-testing-logistics-supply-chain\/","title":{"rendered":"The importance of RPA testing in Logistics and Supply Chain"},"content":{"rendered":"

As per the latest Gartner\u00a0<\/span>forecast<\/span><\/a>, global Robotic Process Automation (RPA) software revenue is projected to reach $1.89 billion in 2021, which is 19.5% higher than in 2020.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Fabrizio Biscotti<\/span><\/i><\/b>, Research Vice President at\u00a0<\/span>Gartner<\/span><\/i><\/b>, says, \u201c<\/span>The key driver for RPA projects is their ability to improve process quality, speed, and productivity, each of which is increasingly important as organizations try to meet the demands of cost reduction during COVID-19. Enterprises can quickly make headway on their digital optimization initiatives by investing in RPA software, and the trend isn\u2019t going away anytime soon<\/span><\/i><\/b>.\u201d\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

RPA or Robotic Process Automation has now evolved from non-intuitive software bots used for iterative processes to smart and cognitive automation bots that improve efficiency and productivity.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In an increasingly digital world, RPA bots are turning out to be the key components that take care of the groundwork so that the human workforce can address the high-level needs.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

It is not feasible to have a completely digital, automated world, whereas end-to-end manual processes are time-consuming and prone to errors.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Therefore, a mix of manual and automation with the help of RPA bot deployment is an ideal model for achieving the desired outcomes, especially in an industry like Logistics and Supply Chain.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Logistics and Supply Chain Management<\/span><\/a>\u00a0involves highly complex processes, which are traditionally carried out manually.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Being labor-intensive and time-consuming, the processes themselves become a major roadblock to achieving operational scalability.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

RPA, as an enabler of a digital logistics and supply chain network, can bring along the benefits of greater accuracy, productivity, and scalability.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The main areas in the Logistics and Supply Chain management that RPA can augment are<\/span><\/b>:\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h4>\n

Inventory Management<\/span><\/b>: As one of the most crucial aspects of a seamless\u00a0digital\u00a0supply chain network, inventory management demands the involvement of a high number of resources and time. Maintenance of the right levels of inventory, keeping a track of the changing market demand, and stocking the inventory at the best prices are some of the tedious activities involved in inventory management that RPA can automate.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Freight Management<\/span><\/b>: Freight management involves keeping a real-time track of a freight from the origin till the point of destination, across the entire network consisting of various modes of transportation and checkpoints. All the processes between all the involved parties of carriers, distributors, vendors, and shippers need to be coordinated for an unobstructed and timely preparation, shipping, storage, and receival of freight. Automation of freight management enables real-time tracking and coordination throughout the freight network, while reducing the risk of gaps and anomalies.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Invoice Management<\/span><\/b>: Any supply chain and logistics\u00a0companies\u00a0deal with a large number of shipments on a daily basis. This also requires preparation, printing, and inclusion of respective invoices along with\u00a0the concerned shipments. The extensive amount of data entry, integration, and validation in invoice management necessitate high precision and accuracy, as incorrect invoicing may hinder processing of a shipment.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Evidently, implementation of RPA in logistics and supply chain can result in increased operational efficiency, productivity, and scalability.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

However, as the processes are highly complex, traditional RPA is not capable of handling them alone and requires involvement of manual resources.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The manual-automation model is better than all-manual processes, but the industry needs something smarter and cognitive.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

This is where next-gen Robotic Process Automation\u00a0aka\u00a0hyperautomation\u00a0comes in.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Next-gen Robotic Process Automation for Logistics and Supply Chain\u00a0<\/strong><\/h4>\n

By leveraging\u00a0Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning\u00a0(ML), and Natural Language Processing\u00a0(NLP), RPA becomes intelligent and capable of taking care of even complex processes without any manual intervention.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

According to\u00a0<\/span>UiPath<\/span><\/i><\/b>, \u201c<\/span>Hyperautomation\u00a0validates automation but elevates it to show how the combination of RPA and disruptive technologies such as AI,\u00a0ML, process mining, decision management, and NLP, and more can be used together in an end-to-end automation solution.\u00a0Hyperautomation\u00a0will continually use new tools and technologies, touch even more employees, and accelerate the automation of the next generation of business processes<\/span><\/i><\/b>.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

RPA bots that leverage these next-gen technologies offer higher automation coverage than those that do not. Some of these technologies are:\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n