As we head into the home stretch for the IBM Build-A-Bot Challenge, which opened on June 15 and closes for all submissions on July 15, 2021 at 11:59 PM, my thoughts these days are on RPA use cases.
By the way, if the IBM Build-A-Bot Challenge is new to you, visit the
Build-A-Bot Entry Page to read more about it and sign up. There’s still time (but you better hurry!)
Though I have toiled in hi-tech for more than 30 years, I have a secret to confess: I don’t care about bits or bytes. When people start talking about CPU’s, XML or NFT’s, I tune out. However, when I hear the “story” of a technology – what it does for a user, how it benefits an organization, or what the experience is like for a customer, then “light dawns in the rock garden,” as we used to say back in my old neighborhood.
This is especially true of RPA (Robotic Process Automation). You can tell me all day that RPA enables organizations to automate basic, repetitive tasks, including launching and operating software applications… (low snoring sound). But when you tell me how an organization applies RPA to their business problems, I’m as alert as a dog when you’re waving a stick.
IBM acquired WDG Automation nearly a year ago and launched IBM Robotic Processing Automation at the end of 2020. As I read some of the case studies that have been emerging, I began to appreciate just what a valuable tool we added to the Cloud Pak portfolio.
For example,
Gam, a pharmaceutical distributor, needs to quickly respond to requests with competitive price quotes. When the process was manual, an employee might take hours to research the supply network and obtain the best pricing. With IBM RPA, robots monitor the supply network continuously and update all products and prices so a competitive quote can be generated in real time. Boom! I get it. Read more
here.
Insurance is a business where customer engagement can make a massive difference to the bottom line. Using IBM RPA,
Lojacorr, an independent broker, can automatically notify customers if they are at risk of losing coverage because of late payments. That’s just one of scores of RPA applications the team dreamed up. Read more
here.
With online ordering now a regular habit for the civilized world, we all understand the importance of tracking. We are often trying to have the perfect item for a family event or we need a part to finish a job. Apply that same need to a global shipping company like Inter Aduaneira and you can see the value in using IBM RPA to track global shipments. Read more here.
For more case studies, visit the IBM RPA page: https://www.ibm.com/products/robotic-process-automation.
The IBM Build-A-Bot Challenge is all about creating new use cases that will make a difference in the workplace and in society. Part of the thrill is seeing what new use cases will emerge from the competition. We have about a week to go!
This week, we’ll have Open Office Hours at 8 AM ET on Thursday, July 8 for at least 30 minutes (longer if you need). Just drop by to say hello, ask a question or ask for help. https://ibm.webex.com/meet/djenness
And finally, when you’re ready to submit your IBM RPA solution for either Improved Workplace or to Address a Social Challenge, remember to visit the Build-A-Bot Submission page, where you can enter team contact info and submit your Problem Description, Solution Description and YouTube video link. Remember to enter Yes in the field allowing us to view your code, which we can do from the server (you don’t have to do anything except say Yes).
When you need help, want to learn more, or have a question, there is a lot of great material in the IBM Automation Community.
You have until the very end of the day July 15, 2021 at 11:59 PM ET. Good luck!
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