Points of View

When it comes to data integration and automation, there’s a series of complex decisions that business units and IT departments must tackle to determine the best course of action for both the short and long term. Application Programming Interface (API)-level integration, where systems are integrated beneath the user interfaces (UIs) to ensure a steady flow of data throughout interrelated systems, is one viable option.

One other major option to consider includes the popular emerging robotic process automation (RPA) software, where “robots” can be configured to capture and interpret existing applications for processing a transaction, manipulating data, triggering responses and communicating with other digital systems.

We’re often asked where RPA fits relative to APIs. Our view is that this is an “and” proposition, where RPA can help achieve desired process outcomes in situations where manual workarounds can be eliminated and costly development specialization can be avoided. This is in line with our view of integrated automation, where a “toolbox” approach is best to obtain the functionality needed to enable a digital business transformation. Find your balance, blend the right mix,.