What is our primary use case?
We have applied AA to our customers. KPMG another solution they use.
Streams like HR, payroll are reasons that AA may have been chosen in an environment.
Use cases like report extractions, SAP interactions, HR data, and many payroll automations have been put into use.
We used UiPath and Automic before AA and I feel the difference very clearly and I am sure there's a long way ahead.
Sensitive data handling departments are usually not allowed or exposed to automation but I do not see such limitations when it comes to AA.
How has it helped my organization?
AA definitely did improve the scope of our organization but tools like Automic and UiPath still take a slightly upper hand in terms of business and market.
We have been trying our best to sell AA as our best tool and we are getting projects one by one eventually.
Not all tools give us the clear utilization of the infrastructure in place but this does and trust me, this has been proved far better than other RPA tools and that is why I see AA booming day by day.
We are pretty positive about AA.
What is most valuable?
Live executions on the prod machine with the player options is good.
I have been using tools like Automic and UiPath that has either an engine to run for Automic and Orchestrator for UiPath.
The versioning concept is pretty nice and increases the security and tracking mechanism.
Instead of packages like other RPA tools, I think the repo check-in and check-out feature enables the same in AA.
Although it does the same, the ease of usage is fantastic in AA from my experience.
The line compare feature is another feature that I personally like the most but there is an anomaly as well.
What needs improvement?
Maybe not improved but I heard that the 2019 version is going to look more like UiPath, which is not ideal for a typical/classic developer.
The feel of parsing at the code is different from viewing object images for sure.
When comparing the code under version checks, although there is a change done, it doesn't say so because the change is done at the variable level and not in the line of code.
This is logically wrong, a line would contain n number of variables including object clonings, screen images, variables, etc so any change to any of these has to be captured and shown as a change done in the version history.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using and working with AA for 1.5 years.
I started with initial training, they gave me a project and then a certification as well.
I am AA Master certified, I did it around the start of 2020. Ever since I got certified I am working on the solution building for major clients, client proposals and enhancements for the existing bots on production.
Not all developers use a full fledged tool and that is where I am being considered to propose better solutions.
We took new clients since April 2020 where AA is the only prime RPA tool being used and we have been enriching it since then day in day out.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I am sure AA is pretty stable.
Now that it's on its own framework, I am positive about the stability. At any point in time, I would preferably suggest sticking to the initial platform and framework that people like the most providing an overall package.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Scalability is always a sensitive topic when it comes to RPA.
For me, I look at it as availability in simple terms. The scalability factor has to be stretched to an extent where availability is never compromised.
How are customer service and technical support?
I have personally had interaction only twice along with my onshore peers.
1st was with Mae Chang about v11 environment setup &
2nd was with one of the support engineers who helped solve the control room blank screen error.
So far so good.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I used ITPA tools like Automic (CA Technologies product, now Broadcom product) & RPA tools like UiPath and BluePrism.
For a classical and typical developer, we like code to be seen, written, and parsed but not objects. More importantly, security features like parsing, code versioning, ease of use, live executions, etc made us chose AA.
We haven't moved completely to AA for now but talks are in place with customers.
So, for multiple valid reasons, AA takes the first place when it comes to automation.
How was the initial setup?
The setup was good. I wouldn't say straightforward but the process and steps were laid down clean so for us, it seemed to be cool.
What about the implementation team?
It was in-house for the POC project and the customer himself for the account we hold.
Our setup was pretty clean and neat.
I would rate the customer level a 70/100. They haven't defined the scope, networks, security properly, and there is too much of JUST red tape. The process definitely takes priority but not at the cost of providing solutions. The optimal path has to be chosen.
What was our ROI?
I shouldn't be projecting this out but would say there is a grace ROI with our current clients.
I am not 100% sure. Revenue is nominal as of now. The business model defines it more in order to sustain a customer but I am sure it's doing well.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
So far so good.
When it comes to 2019 and the AA cloud I think many are skeptical about the pricing and support model.
For example, we are already on our own cloud, AWS and azure so as a cost-effective solution we would obviously want to choose our own platform for hosting. Be it IAAS, PAAS, SAAS etc.
Now that AA is proposing a cloud as well, we are still in the thinking phase of the costing model to see if this fits us better in terms of revenue and margins.
We are looking forward to experiencing the AA cloud soon.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
Like mentioned, we have been using Automic, UiPath, and BluePrism to a pretty good extent for about 2+yrs and it was good until we realized there is a better product in the market and who doesn't want the best.
It was not a one day's decision to chose AA. A big set of people, the cream of the project, were deployed to learn and explore AA to the maximum extent possible.
I lead the operations part of the existing automation project and so was I leading this POC project under AA as well. So all possible test cases, comparisons, ease of use, security, and many other factors were considered before we opted for AA and so is the product now.
What other advice do I have?
My request would be to keep a little lower pricing for services like on call support, cloud, and other key services. Otherwise, the rest all seems to be very much feasible in AA.
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.