When you wish to hire RPA developers, it’s important to know the intricate roles they play. Harnessing the power of robotics and AI in implementing RPA solutions can lead to great business advantages, but first, you must discover what RPA specialists can do for you.
The general consensus is that if we could assign our repetitive tasks to a robot, we would work better. Studies confirm this. A McKinsey survey across 16 business cases revealed that return on investment varied from 30 to 200% within the first year of implementing RPA. Some other business benefits include heightened flexibility, quality improvement, and faster service deliveries. That said, every successful RPA implementation begins with hiring right. In this guide, you will discover what an RPA developer does, and what roles they play across the many phases of RPA development. You will also explore insights on hiring RPA developers with skills matching your automation project.
What is an RPA Developer?
The entire process of building, designing, developing, implementing, deploying, integrating, and supporting RPA workflows begins with RPA developers. They hold expertise in software development, but not just any software.
Their robots talk to websites, apps, and digital systems like humans, not like typical software. They focus on creating software that imitates human actions to automate repetitive tasks.
Still, the process of RPA development isn’t as simple as creating software bots. RPA developers must tailor every bot and automation solution to its unique business environment.
What Does an RPA Developer Do?
Every RPA project is different and comprises diverse activities and responsibilities. Here we consider the five principal tasks that RPA developers undergo every day.
1. Identify and assess processes for automation
RPA developers begin their work by interacting with actual employees, teams, and other business users. They aim to identify how these individuals work and to determine the actual repetitive processes they carry out every day. Besides identifying these manual processes, they determine which and how these tasks can be automated.
2. Design and Develop RPA Solutions
Now that processes to automate have been identified, it is time to move to the next phase. Now developers will build or develop RPA solutions. One core aspect is developing workflows that the bot will follow, and identifying data and applications that the bot will need to access. Every RPA bot requires a strict sequence of actions for automation. Developers will set up a control panel where they will build that process flow. Currently, there are also thousands of out-of-the-box bot solutions in the RPA industry, so another important part of their task would be to determine whether existing bots fit your business tasks.
3. Developing RPA Bots and Ecosystems
Your RPA developers may need to design or code automation software from scratch. Using their programming knowledge and experience with diverse automation software, they will build bots that are tailored to unique business environments.
Beyond that, they also need to design RPA ecosystems. These ecosystems will include process flow control platforms where human users can control, deploy, or manage the virtual workforce created.
4. Test and Deploy RPA Solutions
After developing RPA solutions, it’s vital to test that they are working correctly. Beyond testing, they will deploy the RPA solutions and make them available to users. Your RPA developers may also be called upon to train business users on how to use them.
5. Supervising RPA Development
You also need an RPA specialist to serve as the manager or tech lead. Their goal is to be the connection point between you, the client, and members of your RPA development team. They will ensure that the solutions meet all requirements, and manage all aspects, including the implementation of your RPA solutions.
You may need RPA developers to maintain and update RPA solutions and provide support to your employees and teams.
RPA Developer Skill Sets: How to Hire an RPA Developer with the Right Skills
You can choose to hire a cross-functional expert, or build an RPA development team. Your budget, project demands, and the size of your business will determine your options. With that said, these are some hard and soft skills you would want to look for when picking the best RPA experts:
Programming Skills
RPA developers must know several programming languages. The most popular choices are Python, Java, Ruby, VB Script, and C/C#, which are used in creating scripts and automation processes. Entry-level RPA developers focus on languages such as C# and Python. C/C# is used for creating desktop RPA software. Besides these programming languages, they also need to know other coding languages, such as JavaScript and HTML. These are beneficial for creating web-based RPAs.
That said, some RPA experts do not have programming skills. These specialists usually focus on working with no-code automation tools like UiPath and Blue Prism.
Cloud Computing and Automation Knowledge
RPA developers must have experience in integrating out-of-the-box automation tools and technologies. UiPath, UI Automation, Blue Prism, and Automation Anywhere are famous selections. They should also be familiar with popular cloud services like AWS and Azure, which are necessary for deploying RPA software in the cloud.
Hands-on Practical Experience
You must hire an RPA developer with practical, hands-on experience with RPA projects. Entry-level RPA experts often gain these experiences through their own projects or internship positions. The best experts understand diverse business domains and use cases.
Certifications
Certifications help RPA developers validate their knowledge and skills. Popular RPA certifications include Automation Anywhere Certified RPA Professional, UiPath RPA Developer, and Blue Prism Developer Certifications, among others.
Data and Databases
Your RPA engineers must be able to retrieve past data from the company’s databases. They must also know how to evaluate data to have a better understanding of different internal business operations. Hence, they must be familiar with database languages, such as NoSQL and SQL.
Soft Skills
Knowledge and proficiency in a variety of RPA development tools aren’t enough. You also have to look out for RPA developers with the following soft skills:
- Problem-solving skills: Automation software must solve real business challenges. Because they are not just any bot solutions, your RPA expert must be dedicated to solving challenges that are specific to your business.
- Change management: Developers need to know how to manage modifications to automated processes. This means they must understand how updates affect your systems. That way, you can prioritize upgrades to your RPA bots that prepare for upcoming modifications.
- Process mining proficiency: The best RPA experts know how to determine the critical processes that need automation. They also know how to identify the best strategies for implementation. They can also track those processes using data and map flowcharts of decision logic for the RPA software.
Conclusion
Every business can enjoy tremendous benefits from automating their mind-numbing activities. But to hire the best RPA developers, you must first consider what comes to mind when you ask yourself “What is an RPA developer?” It offers a snapshot of their expertise, and experience.
Then, you can determine the skills your ideal RPA expert should bring to the table. In the end, you can choose between building an RPA team or hiring a cross-functional expert to harness automation and scale your business to new heights.
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