RPA Vs Traditional Automation Tools

Question

I am Test Automation engineer and recently got opportunity to explore RPA tool blueprism. After exploring I found it similar to UI automation tools supporting various technologi

Answer 1

The main difference between the two very similar techniques Test (Process) Automation and Robotic Process Automation is the Goal. Almost all the points contained in the previous posts are, in my modest opinion, consequences of the goal of both techniques:

• With a Test (Process) Automation tool you want to test an application or system under test. I.e.: Want to find bugs or to prove that the quality of the application has reached a certain level. The Test Process Automation will in general run in a test environment. If something goes wrong with your test automation code or tool breaking completely down the test environment, it is not that bad: You can reset the environment and have not hurt anyone.
• With a RPA tool you want to implement a real life business process. The robot works in a productive environment. If something goes wrong you may really hurt someone, i.e. damage productive data or environment. The robot does the work of a user, not just simulates it. Therefore, the robot must be "save". It must also be possible to understand what the robot exactly did with the job it got.

I hope, this help to clarify.

PS: I include the word "Process" in the context of testing, because initializing or resetting a test environment, providing secondary data, booting a system under test, running a test, collecting results, comparing actual with expected results, creating reports for test management or DevOps is usually a process you automate using some kind of "Test Process Automation" not just Test Automation.