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Senior project manager (APAC region) at FreeBalance
Real User
Top 10
Saves time and is easy to use
Pros and Cons
  • "Being able to implement automation is valuable. We take the business logic and provide a solution to the client. Defining the intelligence pipeline is the most interesting and challenging aspect for me."
  • "The approval process needs improvement."

What is our primary use case?

My business Analysis team describes the cases, and my architect team works based on that. I look into how this architect team is working to fulfill the requirements of my client.

Our use cases mainly are for the financial domain. We are working for an international organization. The automation that we are building is going to be utilized in various projects for tracking the expenditures of projects, managing the budget, and maintaining the planning. The information is then returned to the core finance providers. 

How has it helped my organization?

We have integrated it with TMX and the public finance model. Government Resource Planning or GRP is integrated. We have implemented a lot of triggers to give all the information to various points.

We have our own architecture. It is able to take the information from the core engine, API engine, or triggers from databases or data pipelines and execute the process based on the defined logic. It is able to give information to various process owners using the workflow.

In most places, the processes are scheduled automatically, so it saves time because we are not executing any process manually. For example, we are able to get information about the utilization of the funds given to a particular country for a specific purpose. It triggers an alert if the funds are being spent in a particular area that is not allowed based on the business logic.

What is most valuable?

Being able to implement automation is valuable. We take the business logic and provide a solution to the client. Defining the intelligence pipeline is the most interesting and challenging aspect for me.

For us, nothing is complicated. It is quite easy. We have a competency and learning team that gives training to clients. It does not seem very difficult for them.

What needs improvement?

The approval process needs improvement.

Buyer's Guide
Automation Anywhere
November 2024
Learn what your peers think about Automation Anywhere. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: November 2024.
816,636 professionals have used our research since 2012.

For how long have I used the solution?

We have been using this solution for approximately one and a half years. I do not directly use it, but my team uses it.

How was the initial setup?

It is a private server farm where we have implemented AWS because the governments do not allow hosting on the cloud in most countries. This is a restriction from the government side.

We have two teams. One is the technical team, which is involved in network security and the server side. I am from the functional team where we are involved in all the services, all the applications, and all the databases. The technical team takes care of the software installation, maintenance, patches, and upgrades. We are only working on the application side.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

I did not evaluate any other solution. I got the instructions from my company to use it.

What other advice do I have?

We have a full-fledged deployment of automation in our organization, and we have a number of projects in the pipeline. There are definitely a lot of possibilities inside the organization, not only for me but also for my team members.

The main challenge currently is that we do not have proper resources, and the requirement of the client is very specific. Apart from that, I have not felt any problem with my team in deploying any of the solutions at the client site, so at this point in time, I cannot say that a specific technology is the best technology or that Automation Anywhere is the best. We are facing some challenges, and we are working on that. We are getting references of some of the other solutions, and we are working. We are doing the research every day and providing the solution to the client. Every day, it is a new challenge, and we are implementing the solution on the client site and understanding how to overcome those challenges.

At the moment, a person like me who is only working on one particular technology cannot compare it with other available alternatives in the market.

I would rate it an eight out of ten.

Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Implementer
PeerSpot user
Ganesh Somasundaram - PeerSpot reviewer
Founder at CTD Techs
Video Review
Real User
User-friendly, seamlessly integrates, and uses a drag-and-drop GUI
Pros and Cons
  • "Co-Pilot is a valuable feature."
  • "Automation Anywhere needs to have more testing tools to improve the testing portion of the solution."

What is our primary use case?

We have many use cases for Automation Anywhere including HR and finance processes, and for the code in our production.

Before implementing Automation Anywhere we had complex data that was huge. For example, with the insurance, banking, and health sector domains. We were able to solve this problem with Automation Anywhere.

How has it helped my organization?

As a partner and system integrator, we have access to a vast database of applications. However, there is no direct connection between the upstream and downstream systems, resulting in scattered data across these applications. Automation Anywhere is effectively connecting all the applications, providing a seamless end-to-end workflow that has helped us.

Moving forward we see opportunities to operationalize AI within our organization. We support 15-plus industries and almost 182 clients across the globe. We have different use cases. One of which is for a client for criminal verification automation. This process is complex because we need to get the information from various systems to authenticate the staff. Another is in the healthcare sector where HIPAA compliance is present. So we ensure that we are not touching the customer data. We are using Automation Co-Pilot to solve some of the problems.

We are talking about a powerful tool in Automation Anywhere. They have been in the industry for 20 years and have learning systems such as IQ Bot, Document Automation, and CoE Manager. We are using this powerful tool and getting the best out of the generative AI. We have used the generative AI to solve complex problems for our clients. In one instance, a project that would have typically taken over a year to complete was successfully delivered within just three days using Automation Anywhere and generative AI. We can also extract data faster including clinical data and audio-enabled data for our clients. Our clients want everything as a package and immediately. Before Automation Anywhere and generative AI this was not possible. Now we can provide a solution to our clients within four to eight hours.

Automation Anywhere uses a GUI which is drag and drop. This means even a nontechnical person can use it. There is no need for a developer. With a subject matter expert, in a logistics or health care process, Automation Anywhere can perform miracles. Automation Anywhere is user-friendly and that has enabled us as a partner to help more customers with their digital transformation. A nontechnical person can be trained to use Automation Anywhere in just five days as long as they have an aptitude to learn.

We have used Co-Pilot to enable the digital gate for one of our banking clients with over 30,000 users.

We have used CoE Manager for one of our large clients which easily provides them with a ROI and allows them to see how the BOT is performing. The CEOs, CFOs, and CROs are all able to see how it is impacting their business much easier. CFOs and CROs are now recommending automation to their organizations for the ROI and the scalability it can offer.

Integrating Co-Pilot is a no-brainer. If we are talking about the day-to-day operations, the digital workforce, having a competitive advantage, and scalability, then we have to implement Co-Pilot. It is mandatory and not optional.

Automation Co-Pilot has saved our clients a lot of time. For example, one of our use cases involved a client with 20,000 users where they used to spend 20 to 30 minutes addressing each user's query. With Automation Co-Pilot that time is now fractions of a second. Having to put customers on hold to check information in multiple systems or not responding to emails can result in unnecessary escalation. With the implementation of Automation Co-Pilot the people that used to work on those things are now happy and no longer stressed out because they can now focus on more meaningful work. Automation Co-Pilot improves the employee and customer experience as well as the overall company benefits from it.

Automation Anywhere product catalog has APIs. The API can integrate with any system in the world. It can be SAP, Oracle, Workday, or any complex core banking application. In the cases where Automation Anywhere is deployed on-premises because the organization is regulated, we can go with Automation Co-Pilot which helps connect internal systems without compromising other aspects of data or privacy. The usage of Automation Anywhere is based on each client's needs and the nature of their business.

What is most valuable?

I have been an Automation Anywhere partner since 2018 and they are always surprising me. Automation Anywhere is customer-centric and on top of the market demand. Automation Anywhere's document automation solution has a 90 percent accuracy rate with handwritten documents. This is a challenge that no other solution has been able to effectively address.

Co-Pilot is a valuable feature. We have a large client with over 30,000 users. A project that size would normally take two to three years but with Co-Pilot we can solve it in two weeks. Not only is it unbelievable to us as a system integrator but also to our clients. 

Automation Anywhere is a powerful tool. The generative AI, hyper scaler with Google and Amazon gives us the power to solve complex problems.

We have learned a lot about how to leverage more of Automation Anywhere on the NLM side.

What needs improvement?

Automation Anywhere needs to have more testing tools to improve the testing portion of the solution. That would help us do a lot of testing and move on.

The Process Discovery, CoE Manager, and Data Analytics are only available on the enterprise edition. They should be made available for general use and the community edition as well.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Automation Anywhere for almost ten years.

How are customer service and support?

We have not required the use of technical support for Automation Anywhere yet. When we use new products such as Automation Co-Pilot, CoE Manager, and Process Discovery we use the support. They have a good concept of Orange and Gold support for the enterprise clients. We can get support in two hours with good response times. We can also find a lot of support from the Automation Anywhere Community.

What other advice do I have?

I would rate Automation Anywhere nine out of ten. As a heavy consumer of Automation Anywhere, I highly recommend the solution to many of our clients. The product catalog is simple and the technology upgrades are frequent.

Automation Anywhere is customer-centric and partner-friendly. As a system integrator, we have a hundred-plus resources across the globe to support almost 182 clients. We prefer Automation Anywhere because of what we get from their partner team,  pre-sales team, and customer support manager team. When we are stuck on something and give them a call, they immediately respond to us. This is why we promote Automation Anywhere the most. Automation Anywhere is coming out with new products every six months that are needed in the market. This also challenges us when we meet our clients to tell them we have something new and ask them to test it. Compared to the old version, the performance has phenomenally improved. Automation Anywhere is also helping with year-over-year return on investment. Product wise it is not overwhelming and it has tools such as Automation Co-Pilot, CoE Manager, and Document Automation. Those are the only tools we need and it is easy to understand, utilize, and integrate with any LLMs. With a click of a button, we can integrate with any tool that is available like ChatGPT, Google, or Azure.

Regarding maintenance, for instance, we automated the statutory complaints process for one of the largest organizations in India, which had 65,000 employees in 2020. They have not required any maintenance since then, except for when the government changed their portal and that process only took us three hours to complete. This is because the process we developed is still functioning effectively. The product is stable, so unless enhancements to the existing portal are necessary, there is no need for maintenance.

When upgrading from V11 to A360 we faced some hiccups initially, and after that, we never encountered any problems. We migrated almost 5,000 bots from V11 to A360. We initially estimated six months to complete the migration but we did it in two months. 99 percent of our clients are using A360 which helps us move faster. We initially had pushback from the clients not to migrate because they were happy with what they were doing. After we demonstrated the benefits of cloud-native architecture, including a 15-fold increase in performance, and conducted a successful proof-of-concept, they were happy to migrate to the cloud.

Migrating from other OEMs to Automation Anywhere is seamless. Two of our clients wanted to migrate from their OEMs to Automation Anywhere and we were able to migrate 1,500 bots in two weeks.

Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Reseller
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
Automation Anywhere
November 2024
Learn what your peers think about Automation Anywhere. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: November 2024.
816,636 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Boris Netzer - PeerSpot reviewer
VP Delivery at Bynet
Vendor
Top 10
The most user-friendly and developer-friendly solution that increases productivity and efficiency
Pros and Cons
  • "The solution is very easy to implement."
  • "Support is not very satisfactory."

What is our primary use case?

Our customers have a large variety of use cases. It varies from financial processes, R&D processes, IT processes, services, and service desks. Most customers implement the solution for business processes. From a vertical perspective, we have pharmaceuticals, transportation, logistics, the public, defense, and banking sectors.

How has it helped my organization?

Some of our customers see growth in sales. Some see streamlining of the processes or removing errors from the process or rework. For others, the tool provides better usage or upscaling for the employees. All the customers can see benefits from the product. We do not implement any platform without a clear ROI to the customers, especially for the customers in Israel who are very ROI-oriented.

What is most valuable?

The product’s ability to have everything in one place is valuable. It's a web-based application so, our customers do not have any overhead from the maintenance perspective. 

The solution is very easy to implement. Developing something on it is very easy because we don't need to work on different screens, applications, and clients. It's the most user-friendly and developer-friendly RPA application in the market. It’s very, very easy to understand.

What needs improvement?

The product is not really intended to integrate with web applications. However, almost all enterprises use web applications, low-code applications, or advanced applications that use webhooks to trigger events. The product falls behind in working with webhooks.

Automation Anywhere has invested in the service desk, however, the first tier of the service desk, especially chat, is not really helpful but the second tier is very knowledgeable and professional. The product can do better in the service desk area. The tool must also add some of the more innovative features. 

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using the solution for the last six years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The application is pretty stable. The on-premises system’s application doesn’t crash. It is stable as long as the infrastructure is stable.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

On the SaaS version, we do not have any scalability issues. It’s 100% perfect. Since 2019, I haven't experienced downtime with the cloud systems.

How are customer service and support?

The technical support depends on the tier. The first-tier support by chat is low quality. The whole process can take a long time for the customer. 

How would you rate customer service and support?

Neutral

How was the initial setup?

The initial deployment took us less than one hour. If everything is prepared, all infrastructures are in place, and all the relevant people, definitions, and Active Directory are available, it can be deployed in less than one hour.

Automation Anywhere’s implementation is a click-through process. Mostly, it's a decision process within the system. There is a built-in bot distribution system if we need to scale up. We define the servers, and the system fires out the add-ons to the servers. Since it's a web-based system, we don't need to install almost anything. Just install the control rooms, and then everything else is done through the browsers.

The defense sector customers prefer to deploy the product on-premises. Half of our customers are on the cloud, and half are on-premises. The customers do not care what cloud provider we use since it’s a SaaS application. It is very transparent for the customer.

What about the implementation team?

Usually, we need three people to deploy the solution. We need one person from our side and two from the customer’s side, including a system administrator and a DBA. The tool requires maintenance once it's on-premise and there is no connection to the cloud. However, if there is a connection to the cloud and the servers are intact, we don't need to maintain anything.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The pricing model can be a bit more flexible. It mostly has the option for bundles. There is almost no possibility of adding single licenses to the bundle. I rate the pricing a five on a scale of one to ten, where one is cheap, and ten is very expensive.

What other advice do I have?

Our customers are aware of automation. Most of the processes are implemented in the areas where regular business automation with integration will not apply. Where people are currently applying manual work, our customers would like to automate those processes fully, but there is no possibility of any integration. Our customers also use the product in service areas where they need someone to work in two teams, like integration and screen scraping.

Once business users who don’t have tech skills understand how to use the solution, it's relatively easy for them. It's easier than using an iPad. However, the tool is not filtered to enable the business user to see what they need to see. We need to educate and train the users to use it. On the flip side, this ability is not present in other applications or is more difficult for business users to understand. Automation Anywhere is an easy application to learn.

The time taken to train non-technical employees on Automation Anywhere depends on which level we train them. They would need one week of training to implement basic processes based on desktop applications or Excel files.

Some of our customers use Automation Co-Pilot at the service desk. Automation Co-Pilot is only on the front with the business user. In the back, the core product runs on the business applications. It's the same integration and the same screen scraping. It's like an extension of the capabilities and translation of the graphic interface to the business user. If someone clicks on the screen, both aspects run on the back end of the different applications.

Automation Co-Pilot increases productivity because everything done in 50 clicks before is done in one click now. Processes where a user must follow the instructions and run through the processes, including the decision metrics and decision junctions, Co-Pilot provides all the best practices within it. No one needs to open any applications and learn the processes. All the decisions are made on the application. It's a tremendous improvement in the time spent and efficiency achieved.

Automation Co-Pilot freed up some time for staff from a business perspective, but mostly, it improved the response time to the customers. Whatever someone needs to do on ten screens in five to ten minutes, it's done in one click in a few seconds.

Automation Anywhere’s ability to provide automation at scale is pretty good. It depends on the scale and how large the company is. It's very easy to see in an enterprise. The top three RPA platforms are not intended for SMB users. It's mostly for enterprise companies or at least for the companies with large operations, not necessarily from the headcount perspective but from the operation perspective. In such companies, it's very, very successful.

Automation Anywhere works well with API, but it lacks API management capabilities. Automation Anywhere could be better in integration. Integration between core Automation Anywhere applications with other core business applications can be better.

Automation Anywhere has helped all our customers to increase their automation consumption. Our largest customer in the pharmaceutical area had an exponential increase in their automation consumption, and they are still growing. We started in 2020. Now, they have hundreds of processes. Smaller companies are increasing on the center of excellence side. We implement at least 10 to 20 processes every year if companies have a small center of excellence. Some customers implement 40 to 50 processes a year. It's scaling up really quickly.

My advice to someone who wants to use API integration instead of robot process automation depends on the use case. There is an automation paradigm, and we need to know what to automate and how to automate it. Some processes are not intended to be automated with RPA. Some processes are intended to be automated only with RPA. So if a company doesn't have any API management tool, then automating with API can be very challenging because they can do it right but not manage it. Then, they would have a spaghetti of API connections that they cannot maintain or manage. However, if a company has an API management tool, API capabilities, and applications, it's probably better to automate using APIs and not screen scraping.

If a company with limited IT capabilities is keen to implement business processes that require RPA, I would suggest they configure Automation Anywhere because it's very easy to implement. It is user-friendly and developer-friendly. It is pretty business-user-friendly. It is very, very easy to maintain. It's a great application to implement.

Overall, I rate the product an eight out of ten.

Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner
PeerSpot user
SabrinaTrabelsi - PeerSpot reviewer
Developer at Inetum
Real User
Top 20
Has cloud capacity, can increase automation consumption, and is scalable
Pros and Cons
  • "The capacity to use Automation Anywhere in the cloud is the most valuable feature."
  • "We have a new feature share in Automation Anywhere, but it does not migrate automatically from the previous version to the new one."

What is our primary use case?

We use the solution to automate the financial process.

How has it helped my organization?

Automation Anywhere has helped improve our organization by automating many processes that used to take us a lot of time.

We see the benefits of Automation Anywhere within one year of launching a project.

Automation Anywhere has been helpful in scaling our organization's automation efforts.

The latest version of Automation Anywhere makes it easy to integrate RPA bots, APIs, business applications, and documents. However, we had a lot of problems migrating from the previous version.

Automation Anywhere has helped our organization increase automation consumption.

What is most valuable?

The capacity to use Automation Anywhere in the cloud is the most valuable feature.

What needs improvement?

We have a new feature share in Automation Anywhere, but it does not migrate automatically from the previous version to the new one. Therefore, we had to do a lot of work to adapt the records to the network, which was a problem.

I would like Automation Anywhere to have more integration with for example, with AI platforms.

The technical support response has room for improvement.

Automation Anywhere is not user-friendly and could be improved.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Automation Anywhere for four years.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Automation Anywhere is scalable. We have 100 end-users and the solution is deployed across multiple locations and departments.

How are customer service and support?

The technical support response time is slow. They are difficult to contact and I am not satisfied with their support.

How would you rate customer service and support?

Neutral

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

I previously used UiPath, which is more user-friendly than Automation Anywhere. UiPath has many more features, and a better platform, making it easier to learn.

How was the initial setup?

My manager completed the initial setup, but I believe it was complex. The deployment required one person from Automation Anywhere and four people from our technical office, including my manager.

What about the implementation team?

The implementation was completed in-house with the assistance of an Automation Anywhere tech.

What other advice do I have?

I give Automation Anywhere an eight out of ten.

Automation Anywhere requires users to have some technical skills to use it.

For someone who wants to use an API integration instead of a robust process automation solution, I would say that it depends on the API process. Performance is not the only factor to consider.

We have two people responsible for the maintenance of the solution.

We maintain our bots daily because our processes are complex and ever-changing. We spend around two hours each day maintaining bots.

Automation Anywhere has a steep learning curve and should not be learned on the job.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Senior RPA Developer at a financial services firm with 10,001+ employees
Real User
The UI is user-friendly and easy to use. You just have to drag and drop.
Pros and Cons
  • "The best part about Automation Anywhere is the easy to use UI. It's very user-friendly. You have everything that you want in front of your eyes. You just have to drag and drop, then build your logic accordingly."
  • "The older versions, like version 8 and 9, were not very stable."

What is our primary use case?

I have had an opportunity to work on Automation Anywhere a lot. I have worked from version 8 of Automation Anywhere through versions 9, 10, now 11, and they are going to launch a new platform A2019. I have also worked on other modules of Automation Anywhere, like IQ Bots, MetaBots, Bot Insights. 

How has it helped my organization?

There was a process that we built as a reusable process that can be reused. It was a use case used by multiple companies, which can be used by multiple companies. We built it to be reusable so it can be just plugged and played. If you are a vendor or want to purchase that product from us, we can configure that product very quickly and give it to you. That was the use case which started a big change. It was a finance and accounting process.

This helped my organization, because if I want to build that solution from scratch, it would take almost ten to twelve weeks for the development. But if I have a reusable solution for that part and a company needs it, I can just customize it and give to that company within two weeks time. So, I save ten weeks of development time. It only requires customization of two weeks so my company gets good profit and the end customer is satisfied with the work that we have given them. It's a win-win situation for both of us.

What is most valuable?

The best part about Automation Anywhere is the easy to use UI. It's very user-friendly. You have everything that you want in front of your eyes. You just have to drag and drop, then build your logic accordingly. That's the biggest changing factor compared to other tools.

What needs improvement?

I would like to have reading from a handwritten text, which they are bringing in the next version. That will be a good thing.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been in the IT industry for around five years. In these five years, I have been working on Automation Anywhere for four to four and a half years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The older versions, like version 8 and 9, were not very stable. With the changes that they have brought into the picture, it's now a very good tool and much stabler.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Scalability is easy with Automation Anywhere if you are on a cloud platform. 

They have a built-in feature for queuing so you can scale your product. It's a workload management feature so if you have fewer volumes than you can run on one or two bots. If you have a larger volume, then you can scale up to any number of bots. Scaling up or down works in real-time.

How are customer service and technical support?

Their support team is very good.

How was the initial setup?

It depends on how professional you are. If you are good, pro user, it will be easy for you. Even if you are a new user, there is an express version of installation that you can use and install it very quickly. If you are a pro user, you can always go with the custom mode and the installation is still very easy.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

I have worked on other tools as well. I have worked on UiPath, Blue Prism, and Pega Robotic Process Automation.

What other advice do I have?

I would like to give a nine (out of 10) to Automation Anywhere.

They are doing a great job. I don't think there is an area where they need to improve because they are doing a great job and improving themselves.

Disclosure: PeerSpot contacted the reviewer to collect the review and to validate authenticity. The reviewer was referred by the vendor, but the review is not subject to editing or approval by the vendor. The reviewer's company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner.
PeerSpot user
RohitShetty - PeerSpot reviewer
Product Owner at BHP
Real User
Top 20
Turnaround time for building bots is quick but the upgrade process needs revision as it is too costly
Pros and Cons
  • "The turnaround time of building bots is quick. We are deploying around four bots per month. The turnaround time to get a design, build, and deploy is very fast. This is very good for us. It has helped us out when scaling up in a better manner."
  • "The biggest challenge that I have with Automation Anywhere is the pace of upgrades that they do. We are not an IT company, we are a mining company. We are very conservative in doing our upgrades and moving from one platform to another. Upgrades are one of the challenges we are having with Automation Anywhere."

What is our primary use case?

Our primary use case is for our shared service center that is located in Kuala Lumpur and Manila. These are our key target areas.

How has it helped my organization?

For a finance process, we are able to initially do it at segment level. We handle one section, then automate that section. We will then move onto the payroll side and automate that part of it. At a higher level, we are able to merge both processes. Now, we are able to do end-to-end automation: 

  1. From creating a quotation.
  2. To creating a purchase order.
  3. To doing a payment to the vendor.
  4. To payment to our employees. 

We are able to visualize the areas of automation as well as do the automation in a fast manner. That's one of the immediate contributions that we are having.

What is most valuable?

The turnaround time of building bots is quick. We are deploying around four bots per month. The turnaround time to get a design, build, and deploy is very fast. This is very good for us. It has helped us out when scaling up in a better manner.

What needs improvement?

We want them to have a clear roadmap on what they want to do and follow it. If they are moving to version 11, we want them to stay with that version. Now, I hear that they have a new version out there. I have to plan out every upgrade or movement from one landscape to another. This is a cost for us. I have to get buy-in from my leadership. That becomes a challenge for me. I need assurances that wherever you are going, you are clear on what you want to do. You don't end up with doing multiple upgrades every now and then. It's not a sustainable solution for us.

One of the things that I see in the forums is they are planning to build an ML platform on it soon, whereby we can use RPA as a starting point and have leverage on all the machine learning services available across multiple vendors: Azure, Google, and Amazon. I'm really interested to see how that works because we are already using those entities but in a different manner. We want to see how all of them work together as a platform. That's one of the requirements we are looking for.

I would like them to have more collaboration with SAP and Oracle, as those are our key products. This would provide more value for us.

For how long have I used the solution?

We have been with Automation Anywhere for two years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The biggest challenge that I have with Automation Anywhere is the pace of upgrades that they do. We are not an IT company, we are a mining company. We are very conservative in doing our upgrades and moving from one platform to another. Upgrades are one of the challenges we are having with Automation Anywhere.

Stop upgrading, it's a pain for me. Or, make it easy. I would like a plan for it. Every time they upgrade, I have to upgrade my systems. I have to make sure that all the test bots are working fine, and this is a cost for us.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

We are now scaling it up on the operations side for people literally sitting in the mines. They want to use Automation Anywhere for their day-to-day operations. That's the next scalable area that we're looking at.

We have developed a competency within the team as well as with our partners but we are at a juncture where we want to scale up. We are figuring out how we want to do it. One of the discussions that happened in today's forum was the different operating models we can have: a COE, business unit, or federated model. Today, I'm having calls with couple of Automation Anywhere guys to understand the best fit for us. That's how we will decide how we can scale up. We have the potential but we need to do it in a manner that can be sustainable over a period of time. 

How are customer service and technical support?

The technical support is really good. The response time is good from the support team. When we reach out to them, it is only when we have a problem. Most of our team is a bit on the aggressive side if they feel the bots are not working well, but the language and communication that the operations team uses when dealing with us is very smooth. It helps us calm down and come to realistic expectations because we can't expect every problem to be solved in the first day. Their communication and interaction are really smooth. 

Our customer success manager has been really good at her job.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

This was our first RPA solution.

How was the initial setup?

When we started out initially out, we were told that the infrastructure we had would be supported by RPA. We were going to use Amazon as one of our platforms, but it did not happen, so we had an initial challenge. We were behind our schedule by around seven months because of this mistake. Both of us learnt from our mistakes. We now have a sustainable RPA. But, at the start, this was one of the big challenges, selecting the right infrastructure.

What was our ROI?

We have already seen ROI. We show ROI in terms of productivity. We are already clocking in around 7000 hours of savings per month

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

IQ Bots are very costly. It's not a sustainable bot for us as of now. We will look for better, alternate options for that.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

We had two options: UiPath and Automation Anywhere. UiPath was the cheaper option for us but the cyber security standards of Automation Anywhere were better compared to UiPath. UiPath got rejected because of that. Automation Anywhere has passed our cybersecurity standards, and that is why it was our preferred option.

SAP is also launching its own RPA tool. Therefore, it will be tough to convince my management why I should stick with Automation Anywhere until they provide the intelligence part. Though, I think they are on the right track.

What other advice do I have?

Learn from our mistakes. Choose the right RPA product and partner. The initial mistake that we did was that we wanted to do it on our own. If you are not an IT company, don't get into that. Learn from partners and use them. Use the right partner and learn from Automation Anywhere too, as they have done their own mistakes. Learn from them. Instead of assuming that you know everything and getting into the RPA world. That's the wrong choice.

Automation Anywhere is doing well compared to the market.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
reviewer2395185 - PeerSpot reviewer
Senior Account Executive at a manufacturing company with 1,001-5,000 employees
Real User
Reasonable price, easy to use, and helps to improve productivity and accuracy
Pros and Cons
  • "It is easy to learn and easy to deploy. That is the best part compared to the other RPA solutions available in the market. Automation Anywhere is easier than UiPath and Blue Prism."
  • "There is a limitation with Automation Anywhere where if you want to build your own packages and deploy them, it is very difficult."

What is our primary use case?

I have built multiple solutions. Many times we have used Automation Anywhere for data entry. At times, we have used it for Excel Automation tasks. We have also used it to create a virtual assistant agent to improve employee productivity and remove manual tasks.

How has it helped my organization?

We built a solution for an airline client where they had to scrub more than 5,000 PNRs on a daily basis, which was not possible with manual tasks, so we deployed a bot there. The bot is doing the scrubbing on behalf of the agent and sending the report at an interval of one hour. Because of this, we could achieve 100% more productivity. Previously, such tasks were done manually. After automation, there is no need for any person to sit for this task.

We are not only using it to automate manual tasks. We are also using it to overcome other challenges.

We are using Automation Anywhere with other applications. We have Python scripts and Java scripts. We do face multiple challenges while automating. Sometimes, Automation Anywhere does not have the required compatibility, so we have to go with another application. For example, if we want to do some kind of highlighting in an Excel file, it is not possible with Automation Anywhere. In such cases, we have to go with some third-party tools, VBA script, PowerShell script, etc.

Automation Anywhere has been helpful for tasks that are repetitive or do not require human intervention. If human intervention or decision-making is required, that task is not possible with Automation Anywhere. Also, if a task is using multiple applications, it becomes complex for Automation Anywhere or any RPA solution.

Automation Anywhere is not very hard to learn for business users. Like any tool, it requires some learning. It takes one to three months for a business user to use Automation Anywhere. There are many learning resources available at Automation Anywhere University. There are complete or end-to-end courses available about Automation Anywhere. You can also do certification in Automation Anywhere.

Automation Co-pilot has been helpful when any human intervention is required in the RPA process. If I need human intervention, I can use Automation Co-pilot where a human can intervene and make a decision on the basis of the data. Based on the decision, we can go ahead with the remaining processes. This is now possible. It is a very useful feature.

It improves productivity. Previously, there were many manual tasks that people had to do on a daily basis. Those tasks are now taken care of by bots, and people can focus on other tasks. It has improved productivity by 30%. We have deployed Automation Co-pilot for 700 users, and there is about a 30% increase in productivity.

We have more accuracy. Bots are more accurate than humans. Previously, there were high chances of human errors. With automation, errors have been reduced. There is more productivity and accuracy.

We have integrated Automation Anywhere with multiple applications. We have integrated it with Salesforce. We have integrated it with Windows services for Windows-based automation. We have also integrated it with other applications based on the requirements.

We have seen time savings, but it is hard to measure time savings. The time savings vary from process to process. For example, it takes a person three to four hours on a daily basis to download the reports, do the scrubbing, and generate the report. With automation, such repetitive tasks can be performed by a bot, and the person can do more productive tasks.

Similarly, the cost savings also vary. Sometimes, we are able to save more. It depends on the data and volume.

What is most valuable?

It is easy to learn and easy to deploy. That is the best part compared to the other RPA solutions available in the market. Automation Anywhere is easier than UiPath and Blue Prism.

In terms of cost, Automation Anywhere is cheaper than UiPath and Blue Prism. These are the advantages of Automation Anywhere, but other solutions have their own advantages.

What needs improvement?

There is a limitation with Automation Anywhere where if you want to build your own packages and deploy them, it is very difficult.

Integration with other applications can also be difficult at times.

Except for Automation Anywhere University, there are not a lot of education resources available for Automation Anywhere. They need to build a strong community for Automation Anywhere where any user or developer can post questions and get answers. That would make things very easy for us.

Its stability and support also need improvement.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Automation Anywhere for close to five years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Since the last two updates, we are having issues with Automation Anywhere. Our automation is not working properly on the Chrome application. They are saying that it is because of Chrome. From the stability point of view, I have a little bit of doubt.

I would rate Automation Anywhere an eight out of ten for stability.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

It is scalable. I would rate it a nine out of ten for scalability.

We have about 26 people in our RPA team. In my organization, there are about a thousand people who are impacted by Automation Anywhere's automation on a daily basis.

How are customer service and support?

We have raised multiple tickets with Automation Anywhere, but we were not able to find a proper solution from them. I am not very satisfied with their support.

Their support needs improvement. They do not have a proper answer or justification about why we are facing certain issues. When we raise a ticket, we want an RCA so that we do not face the same issue the next time. They are not able to provide an RCA. That is the main issue. I would rate their support a seven out of ten.

How would you rate customer service and support?

Neutral

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

I have a lot of exposure to UiPath and Blue Prism. As compared to UiPath, Automation Anywhere has many limitations. Queue-based workload is not very feasible with Automation Anywhere. It is very difficult to use for that. I do not see many users using queue-based automation. That is a limitation that we have right now. UiPath and Blue Prism are good in this aspect. The queue implementation is very easy, and there are multiple things that we can achieve from the queue.

How was the initial setup?

It took about four weeks to deploy Automation Anywhere on-prem, do the basic settings, and do all kinds of installation.

Currently, we have to upgrade our license. Previously, we had the enterprise version with a limited license. We are now expanding the license. 

What about the implementation team?

For deploying it on-prem and doing the installation, we have our IT team with about seven people.

We also have seven people to support us if there is any issue with the Automation Anywhere service or any difficulty with the VM on which we have deployed Automation Anywhere.

What was our ROI?

Over the five years, we have seen 50% to 60% ROI.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

Automation Anywhere is cheaper than UiPath and Blue Prism. From a market point of view, Automation Anywhere is reasonable. Any organization can adopt Automation Anywhere.

What other advice do I have?

If you are looking for an RPA solution and have cost restrictions, I would recommend Automation Anywhere. It is easy to use.

We are still evolving in terms of RPA. We have a roadmap. We have not yet used the AI capabilities of Automation Anywhere. With the help of AI and other technologies, we will be able to achieve more productivity. We are looking into GenAI and RPA AI. There are so many things where we can implement AI, but as of now, we do not have the right project for that. We have to figure out where we can use it.

Overall, I would rate Automation Anywhere an eight out of ten. There is a lot of scope for improvement.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner
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PeerSpot user
Suresh Polisetty - PeerSpot reviewer
Software Engineer at a tech services company with 51-200 employees
Reseller
It saves us time by replicating manual processes so our users can focus on other areas and perform meaningful work
Pros and Cons
  • "I like Automation Anywhere's document automation. It can distill or scan documents and convert the information into a structured format."
  • "Automation Anywhere's stability could improve. It isn't completely stable, but it's getting better daily."

What is our primary use case?

I use Automation Anywhere for SAP, email, Excel, and web automation. We first try to understand the process and check whether it can be automated. Some processes require human intelligence and a human touch. If it's a completely goal-based process, you can consider it as a potential use case. After that, we conduct a complete analysis, based on which we set up the modules and proceed to development. 

How has it helped my organization?

Automation Anywhere helps us save time by replicating manual processes so our users can focus on other areas and perform meaningful work. It helps us automate repetitive tasks. We started with version 11. After that, they upgraded to 2019, and now there is Automation 360. Clients were frustrated with version 11, but 360 has a lot of good features. When 360 came out, the clients needed to spend money on the migration because they had to do some testing. 

It has saved the clients time. I would say reduces the time spent on these processes by about 30 percent. I can't say how much they save because I'm a developer and not involved in the business side of things. I don't even know what the license costs.

In one of our client's use cases, the user needed to log in at 6 a.m. because there is a trigger in Salesforce that happens around 9 a.m. Before 9, they have to do all the manipulations and place the files into a particular location. She had to start early in the morning to get all this work done. Now, with Automation Anywhere the bot handles all of this. Her job is so much easier.

What is most valuable?

I like Automation Anywhere's document automation. It can distill or scan documents and convert the information into a structured format. The solution doesn't require much of a technical background. I'm from a mechanical engineering background and don't have any prior experience with coding. I only know the basics of SQL. Even a business user who is willing to put in some hard work can learn and do some small things. The learning curve depends on the complexity of what you're trying to do. For me, one month was enough to understand the solution. 

We have begun exploring Automation Anywhere's AI features, but we have some limitations. We need to adopt rule-based automation, and there are still some use cases we cannot do. With AI, we can do some more use cases. We have done some POCs, but haven't done any projects where we integrated ChatGPT because we cannot put some of the things as a rule. 

It's easy to integrate automation into workflows and APIs. We just need to know where to pass the parameters or the details. If you have that knowledge, it will be easy.

What needs improvement?

Automation Anywhere's stability could improve. It isn't completely stable, but it's getting better daily. 

For how long have I used the solution?

I have used Automation Anywhere for four years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

I rate Automation Anywhere seven out of 10 for stability. 

How are customer service and support?

I rate Automation Anywhere support nine out of 10. I have raised multiple tickets with Automation Anywhere, and they usually respond within hours.

How would you rate customer service and support?

Positive

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

I previously worked with AutoIQ and Blue Prism, but it was a while ago. 

How was the initial setup?

The deployment time depends on the process. If the processes don't have any dependencies, we just need to move the code to public and schedule it with the necessary configuration. The configuration is related to the process, not to automation anywhere. The processes require some maintenance after deployment. The number necessary to maintain them depends on the client. 

What other advice do I have?

I rate Automation Anywhere nine out of 10. It only requires scripting for complicated jobs, but non-technical users can handle simple processes or those that are moderately difficult. 

Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer:
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
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Updated: November 2024
Buyer's Guide
Download our free Automation Anywhere Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.