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Process Automation & RPA: Automating Workflows Using Software Bots

Process automation & RPA helps organizations reduce manual work, improve accuracy, and speed up operations by automating workflows using software bots. SHAPE designs and implements automation that fits real operations—integrating systems, handling exceptions, and creating visibility—so automation keeps working after launch (not just in a demo).

Talk to SHAPE about process automation & RPA

Great process automation & RPA is built for reality: integrations, exception paths, and monitoring—not only “happy path” clicks.

Table of contents

What SHAPE’s process automation & RPA service includes

SHAPE delivers process automation & RPA as a production engineering engagement focused on one outcome: automating workflows using software bots in a way that is stable, auditable, and measurable. We map processes end-to-end, choose the right automation approach (not always pure RPA), then implement orchestration, monitoring, and exception handling so operations can trust the system daily.

Typical deliverables

 
If automation moves money, customer data, or compliance-sensitive records, process automation & RPA must include audit logs, monitoring, and safe rollback—not just a bot script.

Related services (internal links)

Process automation & RPA works best when integrations, data, and operational tooling are aligned. Teams commonly pair automating workflows using software bots with:

What is process automation & RPA?

Process automation & RPA is the practice of designing systems that reduce manual work by automating repeatable business tasks end-to-end. RPA (Robotic Process Automation) is one approach within that category—using software bots to mimic human actions in user interfaces (clicking, copying, downloading, entering data).

In real operations, automating workflows using software bots often includes more than UI clicks: APIs, events, scheduled jobs, document processing, approvals, and reconciliation. SHAPE chooses the smallest, most reliable automation approach that meets the business goal.

What gets automated (practically)

Benefits of automating workflows using software bots

Organizations invest in process automation & RPA to eliminate repetitive tasks, increase throughput, and reduce operational errors. The goal of automating workflows using software bots is not “less people”—it’s better operations: faster cycle times, fewer handoffs, and more consistent outcomes.

Business outcomes you can measure

When RPA is a great fit (and when it isn’t)

Practical takeaway: SHAPE uses RPA when it’s the right tool—but we often reduce bot fragility by shifting to APIs and integrations (see API development (REST, GraphQL) and Third-party service integrations).

Automation types and patterns

Effective process automation & RPA uses the right pattern for the job. When automating workflows using software bots, the best result often comes from a hybrid: APIs for reliability, RPA for UI-only systems, and orchestration to manage steps and exceptions.

Rule-based workflow automation (orchestration)

Best for: multi-step business processes with clear decision points (approvals, routing, checks). Orchestration turns “tribal knowledge” into repeatable flows and creates auditability.

RPA (UI automation)

Best for: legacy tools or third-party platforms where APIs are limited. RPA excels at automating workflows using software bots when the UI is stable and steps are consistent.

API-first automation

Best for: reliability and scale. API automation is more resilient than UI automation because contracts change less often than screens. It also supports better error handling and observability.

Event-driven automation

Best for: reacting to events (new order created, payment received, ticket escalated) without polling. This pattern often pairs with Microservices & serverless systems for scalable triggers and processing.

Human-in-the-loop automation

Best for: high-risk decisions. The bot prepares work (collects data, validates, drafts updates), then a human approves. This is often the safest way to start process automation & RPA for regulated or high-impact workflows.

 
Use RPA for UI-only gaps, APIs for reliability, and orchestration for end-to-end control—so automating workflows using software bots stays stable as systems evolve.

Governance, security, and reliability

Automation fails when trust fails. SHAPE designs process automation & RPA so automating workflows using software bots is secure, observable, and correct—even when systems are slow, data is messy, or upstream tools change.

Reliability controls we implement

Security basics for software bots

Operational visibility (so teams can trust it)

For structured measurement and reporting, teams often pair automation with Data pipelines & analytics dashboards.

Use case explanations

1) Invoice processing and accounts payable (AP)

AP workflows often include email attachments, PDFs, approvals, and ERP updates. SHAPE implements process automation & RPA to extract key fields, validate rules, route approvals, and update systems—automating workflows using software bots while keeping auditability intact.

2) Employee onboarding and access provisioning

Onboarding requires repeatable steps across HR tools, IT systems, and internal trackers. Automation reduces delays by triggering tasks, creating accounts, and tracking completion—while still supporting approvals when needed.

3) Customer support triage and routing

Support teams lose time on manual categorization and status updates. We automate routing, tagging, and SLA checks, and surface exceptions in a queue (often via Custom internal tools & dashboards).

4) Data reconciliation across systems

When CRM, ERP, billing, and spreadsheets disagree, operations slows down. Process automation & RPA can compare records, flag mismatches, and trigger remediation workflows—automating workflows using software bots so finance and ops aren’t doing weekly “data hunts.”

5) Legacy system automation when APIs aren’t available

Some legacy tools can’t be integrated cleanly. In those cases, RPA provides a pragmatic bridge. SHAPE reduces fragility by isolating UI interactions, adding monitoring, and pairing with longer-term modernization (see Legacy system modernization).

Step-by-step tutorial: build a production-ready process automation & RPA workflow

This playbook mirrors how SHAPE ships process automation & RPA that lasts—automating workflows using software bots with reliability, security, and measurable impact.

 
The most common failure in automating workflows using software bots is treating automation as a “script.” Treat it like a product system: version it, monitor it, and operate it.