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Intro

RPA, AI or a combination? The decision guide.

The most common question before an automation is not whether but how: is classic RPA enough, do you need AI, or is the combination right? This decision guide leads you to a clear recommendation with a few questions, without sales pressure and without jargon. It does not replace an assessment, but in a few minutes it gives you a solid direction to think through internally.

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What comes in: PDF invoices, E-mail requests, Orders, Forms, Excel sheets, Onboarding. AI + RPA. Where it lands: SAP, CRM, DATEV, Approval.

Interactive tool

RPA, AI or a combination?

A few questions lead to a clear recommendation: classic RPA, process automation with AI or the combination.

01 What do the inputs look like?
02 How stable are the rules?
03 How often do exceptions occur that a human decides today?
04 Are there real APIs to the target systems (SAP, CRM, DATEV)?
05 How high is the volume?
06 How critical are errors?

Recommendation

0 of 6 questions answered

Answer all questions and your evaluation appears here.

Possible results

  • Classic RPA
  • Process automation with AI
  • Combination RPA plus AI

ComparisonProcess automation with AIRPA

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The recommendation is an orientation. The assessment makes the final decision on the real process.

The calculation runs only in your browser, nothing is transmitted or stored.

How the tool calculates
  • Each answer a scores 0 points, b scores 1 point, c scores 2 points. The sum over all six questions gives a value from 0 to 12.
  • Question 1 and question 2 are the guiding axes and are also evaluated separately.
  • Classic RPA: total 0 to 3 and question 1 is a and question 2 is a.
  • Process automation with AI: question 1 is c or question 3 is c, regardless of the total.
  • Combination RPA plus AI: all remaining cases, especially total 4 to 9 or mixed answers.
  • Integration note: if question 4 is c, it is added to every recommendation.
  • Robustness note: if question 6 is c, it is added.

Assumptions

  • If the conditions for AI and for classic RPA both apply (question 3 is c with an otherwise fixed flow), the AI recommendation applies, because it holds "regardless of the total".

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How the decision guide thinks

The core of the decision has two axes: how structured are the inputs, and how stable are the rules? If inputs are always the same and rules are fixed, pure RPA is often the leanest choice. If inputs are unstructured or change often, AI pays off. If both come together, the combination is right. Added to that are questions on exceptions, integration and volume that sharpen the recommendation.

Questions

  1. What do the inputs look like?

    (a) Always the same, fixed format. (b) Mostly structured, occasional deviations. (c) Often unstructured, such as PDFs with changing layouts or free text.

  2. How stable are the rules?

    (a) Fixed and rarely changed. (b) Mostly stable, with exceptions. (c) Frequently changing or many special cases.

  3. How often do exceptions occur that a human decides today?

    (a) Rarely. (b) Regularly. (c) Often, they make up a large share.

  4. Are there real APIs to the target systems (SAP, CRM, DATEV)?

    (a) Yes, for most steps. (b) Partly. (c) Hardly, much runs via interfaces.

  5. How high is the volume?

    (a) High and uniform. (b) Medium. (c) Fluctuating or growing.

  6. How critical are errors?

    (a) Low. (b) Noticeable. (c) High, errors are expensive.

Recommendation logic

  1. Each answer a scores 0 points, b scores 1 point, c scores 2 points. The sum over all six questions gives a value from 0 to 12.

  2. Question 1 and question 2 are the guiding axes and are also evaluated separately.

  3. Recommendation classic RPA

    total 0 to 3 and question 1 is a and question 2 is a. Rationale: fixed formats, stable rules, few exceptions. RPA is the leanest solution.

  4. Recommendation process automation with AI

    question 1 is c or question 3 is c, regardless of the total. Rationale: unstructured inputs or many exceptions require an understanding that pure rules cannot provide.

  5. Recommendation combination RPA plus AI

    all remaining cases, especially total 4 to 9 or mixed answers. Rationale: a structured base with deviations benefits from RPA for the straight cases and AI for the exceptions.

  6. Integration note

    if question 4 is c, add to every recommendation the note that RPA may be needed for interfaces, but real APIs take precedence as soon as available.

  7. Robustness note

    if question 6 is c, add the note on human approvals for critical cases and logged steps per the EU AI Act.

  8. Output always with the addition that this is an orientation and the assessment makes the final decision on the real process.

Output

The decision guide clearly shows one of the three recommendations: classic RPA, process automation with AI or the combination. Plus a plain-text rationale, for example "Because your inputs are often unstructured and exceptions frequent, process automation with AI pays off." Additionally the integration and robustness notes appear when they apply. One sentence makes clear that the recommendation is an orientation and does not replace an assessment.

From result to pilot

Once the recommendation stands, we map the process more closely in the assessment, check systems, exceptions and integration and propose a pilot. So a direction turns into a proven ROI. More on Process automation with AI vs, Process Automation with AI and RPA explained simply.

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FAQ

Does the decision guide replace an assessment?
No. It gives you a solid direction in a few minutes on whether RPA, AI or the combination fits. We make the final decision on the real process, because exceptions and integration only become visible there. The guide helps you enter the conversation well prepared.
What if my result is borderline?
Then the combination is usually the safe choice, because it covers the straight cases with RPA and the exceptions with AI. When in doubt, we check in the assessment whether AI justifies the effort or rules suffice. A borderline case is not a problem but a good starting point.
Why are inputs and rules the guiding axes?
Because they decide most strongly whether pure rules are enough. Fixed inputs and stable rules are RPA's home. Unstructured inputs or changing rules require an understanding only AI provides. Exceptions, integration and volume further sharpen the recommendation.
Are my inputs in the decision guide safe?
The guide only evaluates your answers for the recommendation and needs no personal data. For a real assessment we work with servers and data in Germany and the EU and clarify beforehand which data is needed at all.