What RPA is
RPA explained simply, and when adding AI pays off.
RPA stands for robotic process automation. A software robot operates existing programs the way a human would, it opens applications, clicks fields, copies values and enters them elsewhere. The appeal is that RPA needs no deep interface. Where no API exists, the robot works on the surface and connects systems that otherwise would not talk to each other. For strictly rule-based, always-identical workflows, that is a fast and pragmatic solution.
What comes in: PDF invoices, E-mail requests, Orders, Forms, Excel sheets, Onboarding. AI + RPA. Where it lands: SAP, CRM, DATEV, Approval.
Recognize your own workflow here? Talk to us directly via our booking calendar, or write to info@prozessautomatisierung.co.
How RPA works
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An RPA bot follows a recorded or configured flow.
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It logs in, navigates screens, reads defined fields and writes results back.
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As long as inputs are structured and interfaces do not change, it runs reliably around the clock.
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But that is also its limit.
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If a field changes, a button moves or an input arrives in free text, the bot stops.
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Pure RPA is only as strong as the stability of the systems it operates.
Where RPA hits limits
Daily work is rarely cleanly structured. A supplier invoice looks different for every supplier. A customer request arrives in free text. A document comes as a PDF one time and as a photo the next. Classic RPA is poorly built for such cases because it needs fixed rules. You can try to rule every variant individually, but that gets expensive to maintain and breaks on the next exception. This is where AI pays off.
When adding AI pays off
AI enters as soon as something must be read, understood or classified. It recognizes line items on an invoice regardless of layout, assigns an email to the right case or extracts the relevant data from free text. The RPA layer then executes the clicks and postings, AI provides the understanding beforehand. Rule of thumb: if the process is rigid and structured, RPA alone is often enough. Once unstructured inputs, exceptions or decisions appear, the combination of RPA and AI pays off. We make exactly this decision together in the assessment.
RPA plus AI in practice
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A typical example is invoice processing.
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RPA alone could post a structured file into the system but fails on the PDF with a changing structure.
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With AI in front, the invoice is read, the line items are extracted, RPA and integration bring the prepared posting to DATEV, and a human approves.
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That turns a rigid bot into a process that handles messy reality too.
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Integration into SAP, CRM and DATEV ensures nothing has to be retyped in the end.
From guide to implementation
This page explains RPA, but we do not stop there. We implement it. If you want to know whether pure RPA pays off for a specific process or whether combining it with AI is the better path, we map the workflow in the process assessment, estimate the ROI and bring the first pilot live. Tool-agnostic, with the RPA platform that fits, plus n8n or Make and our own AI. More on the offer on Services for process automation and the flow on How a project runs.
RPA vs. process automation with AI
| Criterion | Classic RPA | RPA plus AI |
|---|---|---|
| Process type | rule-based only | also unstructured |
| Documents | structured needed | PDF, free text, photo |
| Maintenance | high on changes | more robust |
| Integration | point-to-point | SAP, CRM, DATEV |
| ROI evidence | hard | proven on the pilot |
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