As the unsung hero of the COVID-19 pandemic, robotic process automation has been taking care of business behind the scenes. Robots are helping bankers process loans and hospitals handle coronavirus tests, proving that RPA can help solve the world’s problems without the need for headlines or acclaim. Not surprisingly, adoption is on the rise.

“The awareness that we have to automate has increased 10 times compared to pre-COVID days,” said Daniel Dines (pictured), founder and chief executive officer of UiPath Inc., one of the leaders in the fast-growing RPA market. The term refers to a subset of artificial intelligence in which software “robots:”observe workflows in common business applications and then deduce ways to automate repetitive tasks.

Dines spoke with Dave Vellante, host of theCUBE, SiliconANGLE Media’s livestreaming studio, for a digital CUBE Conversation on trends in RPA.

RPA helps hospitals process COVID tests faster, gives staff more time with patients

Designed for a hybrid world from day one, UiPath was able to transition to remote operations without blinking. “COVID in itself didn’t affect the way we work,” Dines stated. “We are able to keep and beat the targets that we set.”

Instead of focusing on its own transition, UiPath has helped others “navigate the murky waters’”of the pandemic. By implementing RPA in hospitals, UiPath accelerated turnaround times for COVID testing and reduced the workload of hospital staff, allowing them to focus on patients instead of paperwork. “In one case, we were able to save two hours a day for every nurse,” Dines said.

Automation hasn’t been embraced as fast as some other less costly technological advances. But that is changing as executives understand how RPA can help recoup losses incurred during the pandemic, according to Dines.

“We’re seeing an adoption that is more top-down, an adoption that is starting from the C-level suite,” he said. “I believe that while automation is slower to adopt and it requires a lot more investment to adopt, it’s going to dominate the agenda post-COVID.”

Data shows the stickiness of RPA

Data from tech market analyst Enterprise Technology Research supports the potential for RPA post-COVID. “If a customer has tasted the benefits of RPA and automation and realizes what it can do for their business, they’re going to maybe double down on it, especially in a time when revenues might be under pressure,” Vellante said.

In July, UiPath raised $225 million in late stage funding, raising its valuation to more than $10 billion. The company has more than 60 customers at the million-plus spending level, 800-plus spending more than $100,000, and a consistent net expansion rate of topping 140% for “many quarters,” according to Dines.

“We are seeing huge interest and way bigger deals,” he said. “It shows that our technology is very well suitable for large-case automation, deployments enterprise wide.”

Now 15 years old, the company has grown from offering products to a more complete platform. “The power of the platform, in this particular instance, comes from the integration of all pieces,” Dines said. “Put yourself in the shoes of a big enterprise: Instead of buying 20 different products, different licensing agreement, different maintainers staff, different teams to support them, you just have one. And you have the guarantee [all the pieces] work very well together.”

Five years from now, hiring people to “mindlessly move data from one screen to the other” will be an obsolete concept, Dines predicted. “I think this is a thing of the past,” he said. “As much as ploughing the fields is a thing of the past.”

Here’s the complete video interview, one of many editorial CUBE Conversations from SiliconANGLE and theCUBE:  

Photo: SiliconANGLE