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Senior Testing Consultant at dhdigital
Real User
Increases productivity, reduces errors, and frees up resources for more valuable tasks
Pros and Cons
  • "OCR, Image Recognition, Object Cloning, and PDF integration help us a lot."
  • "The Image Recognition functionality should be enhanced to improve the accuracy of checkboxes."

What is our primary use case?

We are using Automation Anywhere to automate manual processes and make the organization digital. We have replaced most of the human resources and we are utilizing them for more valued tasks. Now, the other business users are attracted by the output of it and are approaching us to automate their processes in their respective lines of businesses.

We started at version 10 and moved to version 11x. It is more powerful than the previous one, but the new cloud-based RPA has attracted us more and we are migrating to A2019.

How has it helped my organization?

We have increased our productivity by five times as of now, and we are still growing.

Now, most of the processes are automated and even free from an audit perspective, as they are completely automated without human intervention. This is getting better and better.

The user is experiencing much higher outputs without error, rather than using humans who are prone to errors. As this works 24 by 7, they are preferring to automate the task and get it processed using the bot. Multiple business lines are adopting this.

What is most valuable?

OCR, Image Recognition, Object Cloning, and PDF integration help us a lot. We have used these mostly, as our system is legacy. We automate primarily with image recognition and MetaBots, which are mostly accurate. 

Metabots are a useful feature that helps us overcome the issues that we face using image recognition. The reading of data from Excel is much easier and is getting even better in A2019.

The bot store helps us to download most of the reusable utilities and overcome our issues. We also earn at the same time.

What needs improvement?

It can be improved in a few areas where the legacy system can be read through object cloning.

The Image Recognition functionality should be enhanced to improve the accuracy of checkboxes. In A2019, the bot agent will be deployed on the local machine when we run the bot runner, but to download it takes too long, and the user will lose patience. My advice is to improve on this.

Sometimes, the files are getting corrupted and this causes us a lot of trouble. This is an issue that is still pending.

Buyer's Guide
Automation Anywhere
October 2024
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For how long have I used the solution?

We have been using Automation Anywhere for three and a half years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Automation Anywhere is very stable.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The scalability is very good and we have had a pretty good impression from the beginning. It has not changed yet.

How are customer service and support?

The technical support is very good. Whenever we raise any ticket with the support team, they respond immediately. Our issues have been resolved on our schedule after they determine the root cause of the problem.

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

We did not use another RPA solution prior to this one.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup was straightforward. The technical team from Automation Anywhere has helped us in installing. They were able to answer our questions wherever required.

What about the implementation team?

The vendor assisted us and they were very good. They are very responsive and reliable.

What was our ROI?

Not sure as it is from higher management. As of now we cannot share it.

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

The price is very reasonable.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

We did not evaluate other options.

What other advice do I have?

Overall, this product seems pretty good as of now.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises

If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?

Other
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Senior RPA Developer at VIS Networks
Real User
One of the best, popular and user friendly RPA platform/tool provider compare to other RPA providers.
Pros and Cons
  • "Sometimes the customer will not provide any data. Using Automation Anywhere, we can easily automate to capture the customer data. Then, we can use that customer data inside the Cisco Unified Wire Voice Portal."
  • "Our current version needs drag and drop, but that should be in the next release."

What is our primary use case?

From started working on Automation Anywhere platform, primarily worked on contact center and telecommunication sectors. Now exploring our RPA solution/expertise towards different different sectors such as insurance, medical, transport, education and so on.

How has it helped my organization?

With the help of automation anywhere platforms/tools we have done few projects for our existing clients and internal as well. Overall it is a good product which we can use to automation many repetitive tasks or known tasks. Also it has capability to automate complex and unstructured or semi structured datas. 

What is most valuable?

It has IQ Bot, Meta  bot and bot insight features/products which are a good advantages over all other RPA platforms. Also AA is providing self learning platform where we can up our RPA skills and do develop/hands on practice on the both community (on premise and cloud) editions.

What needs improvement?

Currently I am using AAEC 11.3.4 and A2019 version. Both are stable and have all the required features. If I will find anything which has to be focus on definitely recommend to AA team.

For how long have I used the solution?

From 2018, I am working on automation anywhere platforms.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Same I would give 8 out of 10 scale rate.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

I will give 8 out of 10 scale rate.

How are customer service and technical support?

Yes, we had a good experience with customer/technical support team but few more improvement requirements from AA team.

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

I started with Automation anywhere platform only later I tried other RPA platforms such as UiPath, Nice, Workfusion. But compare to Automation Anywhere I didn't find any other RPA platforms as a competitor. It's a best and easy to learn.

How was the initial setup?

It was very easy and anyone can do it. If they are doing for lab or personal setup. For the client AA teams are helping.

What about the implementation team?

We have implemented through vendor and in-house team.

What was our ROI?

ROI is good and impressive after using automation anywhere RPA platform.

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

Pricing is average and less than blue prism. But one thing I would like to add that post 1+ years completion only we can expect ROI because after taking license and putting RPA solutions into production will take lots of efforts and time. Thus in one or below one year time period we can't expect good ROI.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

Having said that I found few bugs in the 11.3.1.2 version and later upgraded into 11.3.4 version we didn't find any issue and for other suggested parts they already resolve/added features in the A2019 cloud edition. 

What other advice do I have?

In the A2019 community edition, while running its taking time to run RPA bots and having few bugs related to IQ Bot server connectivity and other things. But they will solve it soon as expected. 

Also in A2019 they should make one separate page or redirected into separate page where we can easily develop RPA bots because in CR webpage my bot section we are not getting enough space to develop resulting its taking time to create bot. Because many developers working on system with screen resolution 1366*768. It will be better if they can add one separate windows/page for RPA bot development in the CR webpage.

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
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
Automation Anywhere
October 2024
Learn what your peers think about Automation Anywhere. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: October 2024.
814,528 professionals have used our research since 2012.
it_user1205016 - PeerSpot reviewer
RPA Development Lead at Intellect Design Arena Ltd
Video Review
Real User
When I raise a ticket to technical support, they call me back asking relevant questions which helps resolve issues quickly
Pros and Cons
  • "When I compare it with other RPA tools, Automation Anywhere seems pretty good. It's a user-friendly tool. Anyone can easily understand it. If there is an error, you can easily debug it from the developer level. In Automation Anywhere, the error handling happens in the easiest way. In case of an error, we send an email. It's not too difficult code to understand. There's only beginning and ending error handling, which is easy to understand."
  • "What I am suggesting, when using A2019, if there are any additional features to exclude those antivirus scans until after my task is completed, then the antivirus can start scheduling. Then, I can easily tell the client that the priority are running and the Automation Anywhere scans can wait until after the release."

What is our primary use case?

I have overall 10 to 12 years of experience in RPA. I started RPA doing VBA. That seemed like I needed coding, and for coding alone, I wasted more time. I came to know Automation Anywhere, which is a product that automates RPA processes in an easy manner. 

I was interested to learn it. I had an opportunity to attend training for Automation Anywhere for almost one month. I started with version 10.5. It was really interesting.

From the beginning, before I interacted with Automation Anywhere, I thought that I would also need to code something using the details, then it will take more time. That is not the case. If I want to automate something, I can easily drag and drop. There is any function that I need for a business case or some critical thing that I need to automate, then we can create a condition, have a API, use Excel automation, or do everything together. 

How has it helped my organization?

Most companies in the industry are facing the task of automating unstructured data or repetitive tasks. It's too difficult to use some of the other RPA tools, VBA, Java, .NET, etc. So, when I try to automate something using Automation Anywhere and I want to consolidate something when there are a hundred Excels in the folder, I can easily use my files and folder option. I can put in a condition without a need to code. I can just drag and drop. I can open Excel, select all those things, and put it altogether, then send it to my client. So, it's very easy to interact with Automation Anywhere.

What is most valuable?

The most valuable feature of Automation Anywhere is the value of feature lessons, like I had a session for A2019. I attended a session for 2019, which is very impressive. It's weightless. There isn't another system that I have found like this in version 11.3. Every system is busy. With the new version, I can easily open my browser and navigate. I can automate it wherever it is, and that's really interesting.

What needs improvement?

I face little challenges when I move code to production. In Automation Anywhere 11.3, when the bot is running until it loops 24/7 in my development and UAT environment, we don't have our antivirus on it. When it comes over to production, there is an antivirus running on it. However, we don't know what time it will be scheduled. My client is taking care of that. So, when I raise a ticket with Automation Anywhere, they share some suggested documents to exclude those lists from antivirus. When I approach my client, they want to exclude those things because they are treating them as maybe not secure.

What I am suggesting, when using A2019, if there are any additional features to exclude those antivirus scans until after my task is completed, then the antivirus can start scheduling. Then, I can easily tell the client that the priority are running and the Automation Anywhere scans can wait until after the release.

I had a chance in Intellect Design Arena to go from installation to deployment. This was the first process with RPA in Intellect Design Arena, so people were thinking it's the first project that we have with Automation Anywhere. However, we are very experienced and can automate nearly anything.

For how long have I used the solution?

I started my journey with Automation Anywhere seven years ago with version 10.5. Now. I am currently working with version 11.3.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

It's obviously reliable. It has a reusable component. If you compare some of the other RPA tool, they are more difficult to explain. We need to create one solution design with a low level and high level each for everything. When it comes to Automation Anywhere, and someone has joined, they can easily understand the way of the coding. When you see the code of the structure that we do, it's really impressive and anyone can easily understand it.

How are customer service and technical support?

Their guys will take maximum only two hours to solve the biggest problems. If I need any clarification, I will raise a ticket. However, their people won't message me when replying back, "Are you checking this setting?" Their people will call me and ask, "How can I help you? This is the issue. Have you followed the steps by testing or calling it something different." Instead of sending a mail and wasting time, their people will directly call me and ask, which is the best thing with the Automation Anywhere.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is easy. As a first step, it will ask for the location. As a second step, if you want to add an SSL certificate or database. There are just four steps of installation. It's very usable. Anybody can easily install Automation Anywhere, if they want.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

I have used UiPath and a basic version of Blue Prism. 

When I compare it with other RPA tools, Automation Anywhere seems pretty good. It's a user-friendly tool. Anyone can easily understand it. If there is an error, you can easily debug it from the developer level. In Automation Anywhere, the error handling happens in the easiest way. In case of an error, we send an email. It's not too difficult code to understand. There's only beginning and ending error handling, which is easy to understand. 

What other advice do I have?

I would rate it an eight (out of 10).

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
Consultant at Deloitte
Real User
Easy to use and helps us to reduce multiple and repetitive steps in processes
Pros and Cons
  • "The most valuable feature is the object cloning."
  • "While we have been developing over time, there have been issues with stability."

What is our primary use case?

We use this solution to automate tasks for which multiple steps have to be done.

We do it a very large number of times in a day.

How has it helped my organization?

We have been able to automate tasks that have a lot of repetitiveness.

What is most valuable?

The most valuable feature is the object cloning.

The user interface is easy to use.

What needs improvement?

While we have been developing over time, there have been issues with stability.

The speed of automation needs to be improved.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

This solution is not that stable.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

We have been able to scale ok.

What about the implementation team?

I implemented this solution for my company.

What other advice do I have?

This is a solution that I recommend.

We are looking forward to trying the IQ Bot to help with reading, scanning, and querying of files.

This solution has a wonderful concept, but the stability needs to be improved.

I would rate this solution an eight out of ten.

Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner.
PeerSpot user
Site Operations Coordinator at a retailer with 5,001-10,000 employees
Real User
Increased productivity and efficiency by reducing our setup time
Pros and Cons
  • "Efficiency is something that has increased a lot. Productivity has increased a lot too."
  • "Object cloning is one of the main features that are using. We are very happy with it. as It has enabled us to capture a lot of things on screen and use them."
  • "We want it to work with more APIs. It needs to integrate with multiple APIs. That would be something that I would like going forward."
  • "It is a bit wonky with HTML when I'm working with it. There are times when it's not able to detect the technology that we are using. I don't know whether it's an Automation Anywhere issue or an internal issue. I want it to work smoothly with more technologies."

What is our primary use case?

We are trying to automate a few of the processes that we did manually. Product setup is an important aspect, as we are using bots to do the setup for us. We used to do the setup manually about three to four months back. 

How has it helped my organization?

We used to set up 150 to 250 products in a week. That has come down to a day. 

I initiate the bot, then I go home. So, it's working 24 hours. I am restricted to working nine hours. Time is something that we are saving. We are becoming more efficient and our partners are happy. They can send us workloads. Then, we can just kick it off, go home, and by the time we are back, it is done. I send an e-mail saying, "Whatever you've sent over is done." 

Efficiency is something that has increased a lot. Productivity has increased a lot too.

What is most valuable?

Object cloning is one of the main features that are using. We are very happy with it. as It has enabled us to capture a lot of things on screen and use them. 

What needs improvement?

We want it to work with more APIs. It needs to integrate with multiple APIs. That would be something that I would like going forward.

Currently, it does not work that well with legacy tools.

It is a bit wonky with HTML when I'm working with it. There are times when it's not able to detect the technology that we are using. I don't know whether it's an Automation Anywhere issue or an internal issue. I want it to work smoothly with more technologies.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Our tool is a bit slow, as it's a legacy tool. Automation Anywhere is having a some issues when running back. This is one of the things that we are not happy with. We need to upgrade our systems for Automation Anywhere to work better.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

As of now, we have it limited to one process. However, we can scale the solution. It can cascade onto multiple processes, so that is a positive note for scalability.

We are just in the initial phases. I personally have created about three to four bots. 

How are customer service and technical support?

We have not contacted the technical support because we have not had issues.

My manager works our customer success manager.

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

Automation Anywhere is our first introduction to automation. I'm pretty happy with it. I did ask people who had come from Automation Anywhere about UiPath to get a clear idea about it. I think UX is one of the strongest points for Automation Anywhere which can attract competence to your workbench and work. That's what we have been told. 

What was our ROI?

I still need to experiment a lot with it. Whatever I've done so far. it's been at an 80 to 85 percent success rate.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

I've not had the chance to work with UiPath.

What other advice do I have?

We want to do more Automation Anywhere certifications and learn more about them. We did not get that information from our account team, which could be improved.

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.
PeerSpot user
it_user1180314 - PeerSpot reviewer
Automation Officer at a financial services firm with 51-200 employees
Real User
Process recording saves implementation time, and the scheduler lets us automate outside of business hours
Pros and Cons
  • "The recording feature accelerates the timeline of your implementation."
  • "I would like to leverage the AI component without the requirement to know a coding language, such as Python."

What is our primary use case?

We use this solution for updating manual tasks such as downloading, processing, and uploading.

An example of this is manual posting, where the customer is asking for money to be posted. For example, let's say that some extra money is posted by mistake. That has to be reconciled and be pushed back to the actual owner.

Another example is bank transfer, where the customer is requesting money to be transferred from one bank to our bank. We generally interact with the customer and the bank, and there are several transactions that need to be completed. We now have this as a Complete Conditional Automation, where depending on the status, one of several sub-processes will be triggered and completed.

How has it helped my organization?

This solution has helped us in several ways, the first of which is scheduling processes.

There are many processes that need to be run during office hours, which is fine, but there are many that can be run outside of office hours. By taking care of these processes outside of office hours, it improves our efficiency. Also, if the bot were only being used for eight hours out of a possible twenty-four hours then the cost-per-hour is higher.

The recording feature accelerates the timeline of your implementation. It means that it takes you less time with lesser investment. The resource cost becomes less and brings your break-even point closer.

What is most valuable?

The most valuable feature is the recording feature. If you compare to a solution like Blue Prism, in that case, you need to build everything from scratch. Here, you record everything and then it is easy for you to build the automation. There is a skeleton in place, and you just have to build from there.

The scheduler is a really helpful feature for us because there was a time when people used to do attended automation, and they needed to run the software. This lets us schedule it to run at any time.

What needs improvement?

I would like to leverage the AI component without the requirement to know a coding language, such as Python.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

This solution is pretty stable. We only had issues with the previous version.  We don't have any malfunctions so far, although, with the older version, we faced some object de-capturing issues. We had captured where it was supposed to hit, and it was hitting elsewhere. With the new version, so far so good.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Considering the automation that we have done, we have not been required to scale.

How are customer service and technical support?

Technical support for this solution is excellent. They organize video chats and were able to guide us initially when it was installed. They gave good training to people and helped with some development activities. They are also fast in responding to issues.

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

We have used Blue Prism and there are some differences between the two solutions. The first is that Automation Anywhere provides you free training, and Blue Prism does not. You have to take the time to attend class, and you have to pay for the software to do some hands-on. Even then, you don't know if you will get the latest version. On the other hand, with Automation Anywhere, you have the Community Edition. This is good enough for a beginner to learn on.

The recording feature in Automation Anywhere helps a lot because you don't have to build everything from scratch, brick-by-brick.

Finally, Automation Anywhere is evolving faster than Blue Prism.

How was the initial setup?

I was not there when the solution was initially set up, but I assisted with the upgrade.

There was a misunderstanding between the infrastructure team, our team, and the Automation Anywhere team, which was a major issue. It was unclear how the servers were going to be set up and who was going to install. Nobody knew what the requirements were, and as a result, things took longer than they should have.

What other advice do I have?

We recently upgraded versions from 10.5 to 11.3.2, and the newer version is better. The major issue we used to face is an auto-login failure. It caused a lot of havoc with the customers because some process that had to run in the morning before we came into the office had not run. However, with this new version, that problem has been solved. There were also a few applications that were not previously compatible, and we were told that they would be with this new version. So far, the ones we have checked are now compatible. 

One example of these is Phoebus. There are some legacy banking applications that we are moving to Phoebus, so this has to be compatible because our future automation depends on that.

I am looking forward to using the AI in this new version. I want to see how user-friendly it is, without much knowledge of Python or another coding language. I saw a video and it seems to have become very user-friendly, with a step-by-step guide. I want to see how easy it is to leverage that power without needing to know how to code.

For anybody who is researching RPA solutions, I would definitely tell them to go with the top players in the market. These are UiPath, Blue Prism, and Automation Anywhere. Then, you do your cost analysis and figure out who is giving you the best price. Then you analyze the service to figure out who is providing the best service. Finally, you can compare.

I recommend Automation Anywhere considering my experience with their service. Once you buy the product, the product may be good. But, if the service is not good then you may suffer. If you have a problem and you do not have service for three days, then how much business have you lost in that time? So, service matters a lot after you purchase the product. That is how you choose the solution, rather than by cost alone.

In our experience, Automation Anywhere is great, but I am expecting more in the AI and with the IQ Bot.

I would rate this solution a nine out of ten.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Advisory at a financial services firm with 10,001+ employees
Real User
The IQ Bot is the most valuable feature and a significant market differentiator
Pros and Cons
  • "The setup is straightforward. Automation Anywhere provides customer success managers to help with the setup."
  • "We would like Automation Anywhere to have a way to run a capacity check on machines and show us what is available."

What is most valuable?

The IQ Bot is the most valuable feature and a significant market differentiator. 

What needs improvement?

While you don't a coding skill set as a business user, you do need to have some knowledge before using the product.

We would like Automation Anywhere to have a way to run a capacity check on machines and show us what is available.

For how long have I used the solution?

We have been using this solution for a year now.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

In the past, the solution has been unreliable. Now, it has become reliable in terms of the issues that we are seeing. Now, it is stable with no major issues.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Scalability has been a pain point. The scalability is there, but there are ongoing operational issues with it.

How are customer service and technical support?

The technical support needs to do a better job of triaging tickets and updating critical people at companies.

How was the initial setup?

The setup is straightforward. Automation Anywhere provides customer success managers to help with the setup.

What about the implementation team?

I am an RPA consultant who does deployments.

What other advice do I have?

Whatever you automate, it is important to identify what you want to do after your journey.

Attended automation is okay.

Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner.
PeerSpot user
Developer at Normandy Insurance
Real User
I build a lot of processes which have saved a lot of time for my company using this solution
Pros and Cons
  • "It is very easy to use and learn compared to a programming language, where you have to have a background in coding. Anyone can learn it. Learning the software is easy."
  • "Sometimes, the recorder from Automation Anywhere does not work well and is inaccurate. This should be improved."

What is our primary use case?

The primary use case is to automate processes internally for my company.

How has it helped my organization?

I build a lot of processes which have saved a lot of time for my company using this solution. 

In my previous company, a payroll employee would close a payroll, which resulted in him receiving six to seven reports. He managed 15 companies. Each report took him 30 to 40 minutes per company. With Automation Anywhere, I was able to save this work time for him. He was then able to focus on other value-added tasks. The bot now pulls the report for him, sending it directly to the client.

What is most valuable?

It is very easy to use and learn compared to a programming language, where you have to have a background in coding. Anyone can learn it. Learning the software is easy.

As a developer, the product is easy to use. It has a lot of commands that I can select from, such as folders, organizing files, and going to websites. It saves time from what a human would be doing.

What needs improvement?

The only challenge is knowing the process of using the software.

I would like to have Git implemented with the version control system.

Sometimes, the recorder from Automation Anywhere does not work well and is inaccurate. This should be improved.

How are customer service and technical support?

I haven't had experience with the technical support. I never call them.

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

I would like them to have better license management.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

Automation Anywhere is a very friendly tool compared to other RPA tools.

What other advice do I have?

Look into the usefulness of RPA robotic process automation. As a solution, Automation Anywhere is complete for business users and developers.

The bot creation is easy if you have one or two TaskBots. However, if the process is complex, you will need to split the process into modules.  

The solution integrates very well with other applications. Though, it only works with Internet Explorer right now, but you can run other applications with an open program. Object clone captures the objects very well from the software. It code APIs, run stuff from the back-end (like SQL queries), and executing procedures. Everything is in one package.

While I am registered to take courses with Automation Anywhere University, I don't feel that I need to take them. I learn from hands-on training.

I am new to learning about IQ Bot, but I think it is really useful for an insurance company because they scan documents all the time.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
Download our free Automation Anywhere Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.
Updated: October 2024
Buyer's Guide
Download our free Automation Anywhere Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.