MuleSoft RPA Lifecycle

The MuleSoft RPA lifecycle is a structured approach to ensuring that RPA processes are not only designed and deployed effectively but also continue to deliver value long-term. By meticulously following each phase and considering the broader implications of RPA deployment, businesses can achieve significant efficiency gains, cost savings, and an overall enhancement of their operational landscape. With the right strategy, RPA can become a transformative force, enabling organizations to navigate the complexities of digital transformation with confidence and agility.

Software Installation and Setup

This would typically happen post-build phase and before the test phase, or it could be part of the deployment phase. The software installation phase involves:

• Installation: Setting up the RPA environment, which includes installing MuleSoft RPA Manager and Builder on appropriate systems.
• Configuration: Configuring the software to align with organizational infrastructure, such as integrating with existing databases, applications, and network configurations.
• Provisioning: Ensuring the necessary resources are provisioned for the RPA bots to run efficiently, such as server space, memory, and network access.

Access and User Management

This process runs parallel to several phases but is most critical during the deployment and production phases. It includes:

• Role Definition: Assigning roles and responsibilities for the RPA process, defining who is responsible for monitoring, who can initiate bots, and who can modify processes.
• Access Control: Setting up access permissions for various roles to ensure that only authorized personnel can make changes to the RPA processes or initiate bots.
• Credential Management: Managing credentials securely, especially for bots that access sensitive systems or data.
• User Training: Providing training for users who will interact with the RPA system, ensuring they understand their roles and how to perform necessary tasks.

The Create Phase

The journey begins when a business user logs into MuleSoft RPA Manager to propose a new RPA process. Here, they define a clear name and a detailed description to assist in the subsequent evaluation phase. This detail is crucial as it lays the groundwork for assessing the feasibility and potential value of the RPA process.

In create phase a business user logs in to MuleSoft RPA Manager and creates a new RPA process proposal, which consists of a new RPA process name, and a description. The description should be detailed enough to aid in the evaluation of the RPA process proposal by business analysts.

The Evaluate Phase

Not every process is a good candidate for automation. The evaluate phase is critical in determining the suitability of the process for an RPA bot. Factors such as complexity, variability, frequency, and duration play pivotal roles in this assessment. MuleSoft’s RPA Manager simplifies this process with an in-built evaluation tool, ensuring that only the processes with high automation potential move forward to the design phase.

If a process is very complex and variable, or perhaps infrequently performed and quick to complete, it may not be cost-effective to use an RPA bot to automate it. The first phase of the RPA lifecycle is to determine whether the process in question is suitable for being handled by an RPA bot. MuleSoft RPA Manager has a built-in evaluation tool that enables you (acting in the role of a business analyst or other job role with financial responsibility for the project) to quickly assess the potential of an RPA process. If the RPA process is accepted, MuleSoft RPA Manager automatically moves the RPA process to the Design phase.

Note: In the later lifecycle phases, the evaluation information can still be viewed, but cannot be edited unless the RPA process is returned to the Evaluate phase.

The Design Phase

The design phase is where the conceptual takes shape. Business Process Model and Notation (BPMN) is created, outlining the flow of the RPA process. This visual representation, crafted using the RPA BPMN editor, includes various flow elements such as tasks, events, and gateways. The BPMN diagram not only serves as a blueprint but also specifies the data variables and documentation necessary for development.

In the design phase, you break down RPA process into a flow chart that corresponds to what actions will be performed under what conditions. You can create this flow chart (called the Business Process Model and Notation or BPMN) in the RPA BPMN editor in MuleSoft RPA Manager. The BPMN can be generated either manually using a simple drag and drop interface or can be automatically generated using a tool called the MuleSoft RPA Recorder, which includes an RPA BPMN editor that is very similar to the RPA BPMN editor in MuleSoft RPA Manager.

The BPMN flow chart that you build connects together various flow elements, including a Start Event that is always the first element of a BPMN diagram flow, RPA Bot Tasks that automatically carry out a sequence of automated activities, manual User Tasks that stop the RPA process until a user manually signals to continue executing the RPA process, External Tasks that like a User Task will stop the RPA process execution until a response is received on an external REST endpoint, as well as Gateways that can conditionally route the flow to various other flow element choices.

The BPMN diagram file can specify include Activity Parameters that act as variables in the actual implementation to share data between flow elements.

In addition, you can annotate any other documentation to the BPMN diagram to give instructions to RPA developers. In a similar way, the MuleSoft RPA Recorder automatically annotates documentation for an individual RPA Bot Task, which is all the user actions carried out while the MuleSoft RPA Recorder is actively recording. The MuleSoft RPA Recorder annotations are highly structured and can be used by MuleSoft RPA Builder to convert the annotations into detailed code blocks that can be executed to replay all the capture user actions.

The Build Phase

With a BPMN in hand, developers transition to MuleSoft RPA Builder to translate the design into executable logic. Here, they craft workflows and actions that the RPA bot will perform. This phase is about precision and adaptability, as developers often refine autogenerated code to enhance robustness and flexibility.

After you have the process fully mapped out, you are ready to build the logic behind the process. For this task, you must transition from working online to working locally in MuleSoft RPA Builder. To simplify the design process, you can directly download your BPMN from MuleSoft RPA Manager into MuleSoft RPA Builder by browsing for it in the MuleSoft RPA Manager repository. Once an RPA BPMN file is loaded in to MuleSoft RPA Builder, any detailed documentation captured by the MuleSoft RPA Recorder is converted into blocks of executable code. At a high level, each BPMN symbol is converted to a flow element that is connected. These flow elements can use variables (called Activity Parameters) that were specified in the BPMN diagram to shared data with each other across the RPA flow. The RPA BPMN diagram then acts as the skeleton of your RPA process.

In the autogenerated code, the Start Event and RPA Bot Tasks are the most complex. Each of these elements has their BPMN documentation converted into detailed blocks of code called workflows that combine code blocks from a Toolbox library that can execute the capture user actions to replay all the steps. MuleSoft RPA Recorder usually literally captures the exact mouse actions and keyboard actions using absolute coordinates within either the application or in the Windows desktop. This is a good way to capture specific typed values and to track the user’s navigation through the Windows system, but these literal recordings are often not the most stable (robust) or flexible representations of the user’s actions. For this reason, during the Build phase, an RPA developer will usually replace most of the autogenerated Action Step elements with other options from the Toolbox.

Within MuleSoft RPA Builder, you then build out each of the steps in the BPMN either by using a drag and drop coding procedure or through a combination of drag and drop coding and recording of key operations. In the autogenerated implementation, In addition to creating actual elements for each BPMN element and connecting them together into flows, the documentation generated by the MuleSoft RPA Recorder contains instructions that are converted into actual executable components. For RPA Bot Task components and Start Event components, each component contains a workflow with detailed action steps to execute the captured user actions to exactly replay and automate the user actions. However, in practice, it is very common to replace most of the autogenerated action step elements with other options that are more robust and flexible.

The Test Phase

After the build phase, testing is crucial to ensure the RPA process operates as intended. The MuleSoft RPA Manager plays a significant role here, enabling the creation of detailed test plans. Each test plan aims to simulate different operational conditions to validate the process comprehensively. Should any issues arise, the process logic may need refinement, or in some cases, a return to the design phase for more fundamental changes.

When you have finished building your RPA process, you upload it back to the MuleSoft RPA Manager. However, it is incredibly important that you do not immediately publish your process to a production MuleSoft RPA Bot without further testing. Due to the complex nature of the tasks being performed by the MuleSoft RPA Bot, it is critical that you thoroughly test the process to ensure it operates properly under all anticipated conditions. Fortunately, MuleSoft RPA Manager allows you to quickly create a series of Test Plan configurations. Each Test Plan should test the process under a different condition. If a MuleSoft RPA Bot successfully passes each of the test plans, then you can be confident that it is ready to be deployed. Otherwise, you likely need to modify your process logic or potentially even the BPMN itself.

The Deploy Phase

Once the RPA process has been rigorously tested and refined, it is ready for deployment. Within the MuleSoft RPA Manager, deployment configurations, known as Execution Plans, are created. These plans detail the scheduling of the RPA process, aligning it with the operational hours of external systems and the availability of users for any manual tasks. The careful organization of these configurations ensures that the RPA process is triggered appropriately, marking the transition to the production phase.

Once your process has passed all your tests, it can be deployed to one or more MuleSoft RPA Bots. Just like the test phase, this task can be done directly from MuleSoft RPA Manager. To deploy your process, you organize all the required configuration into a deployment configuration called an Execution Plan. The steps to configure an Execution Plan are nearly identical to creating a Test Plan with one difference: an Execution plan contains Schedulers to decide when and how often to trigger the RPA process. A Scheduler is often configured to coincide with the availability of external systems that will be accessed by the RPA process, or availability of users who are expected to carry out User Tasks in the RPA process in a timely manner. Once an Execution Plan is run, the RPA process automatically advances to the final Production phase.

Post-Deployment

After the RPA solution is deployed, continuous monitoring of the access and user management framework is essential. This includes:

• Audit Trails: Keeping detailed logs of who accesses the system and when, for security and compliance purposes.
• Regular Reviews: Periodically reviewing access levels and permissions to ensure they still align with the user’s current role and responsibilities.
• Updates and Patches: Regularly updating the RPA software to patch any security vulnerabilities and add new features.

The Production Phase (Manage and Monitor)

The production phase is where the RPA process starts delivering value, but it also marks the beginning of ongoing management and monitoring. In this phase, the MuleSoft RPA Manager’s built-in monitoring capabilities become vital. They provide real-time insights into the RPA bot’s performance and can trigger alerts in case of errors. This proactive monitoring is key to ensuring the RPA process continues to operate smoothly and efficiently.

After deploying your RPA process to a bot, you are likely incredibly excited. Because of the well-thought-out design, the bot immediately starts saving countless work hours. However, just like any code, it is important that you monitor the RPA process and respond to any issues as they arise. Fortunately, MuleSoft RPA Manager has built-in monitoring capabilities. These features allow you to quickly assess the performance of the bot. MuleSoft RPA Manager can even send out automated alerts should errors arise.

Integration into the RPA Lifecycle

While not explicitly named in the lifecycle, here’s how these considerations integrate into the established phases:

• Evaluate Phase: Determining the infrastructure requirements for the RPA process and assessing the security implications.
• Design Phase: Planning for the access levels needed for each part of the process.
• Build Phase: Ensuring the RPA bot is built with features that support access control and user management.
• Test Phase: Verifying that the software installation is correct and that access controls are functioning as intended.
• Deploy Phase: Finalizing the installation, access, and user management setup as the bots are deployed to the production environment.
• Production Phase: Ongoing management of access and user credentials, as well as regular updates to the software as needed.

Additional Considerations

As you embark on the MuleSoft RPA lifecycle, here are some additional points to consider:

• Change Management: RPA implementation is not just a technical change but an organizational one. Prepare your team for the transition through training and communication.
• Scalability: Design your RPA processes with scalability in mind. As business demands grow, your RPA solutions should be able to adapt and expand.
• Security and Compliance: Ensure that your RPA bots comply with industry regulations and security policies, especially when handling sensitive data.
• Continuous Improvement: Adopt a mindset of continuous improvement. Regularly review and refine RPA processes to harness evolving technologies and accommodate changing business needs.
• Vendor Support: Leverage MuleSoft’s expertise and support services. A strong partnership can ease the RPA journey, providing guidance and best practices.
• Integration with Existing Systems: Consider how the RPA process will integrate with current systems. Ensure that it complements and enhances the existing IT infrastructure without causing disruptions.
• Exception Handling: Plan for exceptions and errors. Determine how the RPA process will handle unexpected situations and integrate these rules into the build and test phases.
• Maintenance Plan: Develop a maintenance plan for post-deployment. RPA processes will require updates and optimizations as the business environment and systems evolve.
• Analytics and Reporting: Implement analytics and reporting mechanisms to measure the RPA process’s performance against KPIs and ROI expectations.
• User Acceptance: Don’t underestimate the importance of user acceptance. Ensure that the end-users who interact with the RPA process are on board and understand its benefits and use.