11 Apr, 2021 | Blogs
The Robotic Process Automation (RPA) market is likely to reach USD 2,467.0 million by 2022, growing at a CAGR of 30.14% between 2017 and 2022 (MarketsandMarkets). The double-digit growth comes on the back of rapidly expanding business functions such as contact center outsourcing, banking, financial services & insurance (BFSI), business process outsourcing (BPO), procurement, and IT. Therefore, there is a huge potential for RPA, which can automate repetitive, rule-based tasks. The demand for automation has also created new job roles, including that of an RPA developer. Often referred to as RPA engineers or robotics engineers, these developers design automation tasks and have hands-on experience using leading RPA tools.
The Role of an RPA Developer
As mentioned before, the main responsibility of an RPA developer is to design, build and implement RPA bots to help humans improve business process efficiency. These bots work alongside humans and assist them by completing manual, repetitive tasks. An RPA developer needs to have interpersonal skills since they interact with people from different departments and domains to understand the challenge in their processes and come up with the best solution.
Therefore, the role requires an understanding of different processes, the ability to probe positive/negative scenarios, set service-level agreements, etc. Additionally, RPA developers also need to maintain bots by supporting and monitoring them to ensure that the bots work as desired by the business owners and there are no glitches.
RPA developers usually have three major roles in any industry they work in. These include Process Designer, Automation Architect, and Production Manager. All these roles are different from each other and require slightly different skillsets.
Process Designer – The main responsibility of a Process Designer is to understand the as-is scenario of a process and monitor all the changes that happen once the bots are implemented with the feedback provided during the development or testing phase.
Automation Architect – As an Automation Architect, your key area of expertise is to bring to life the RPA project using leading tools such as UiPath and AutomationAnywhere.
Production Manager – The main responsibility of a Production Manager is to ensure that all exceptions are handled, and all tasks are triggered as per the automation of workflows.
Skills Needed to Be an RPA Developer
The top four skills that every RPA developer must have, include: Strategic Planning skills: Planning is an integral part of this role since it allows for easier mapping of workflow and implementation of RPA projects. To be a successful RPA developer, you also need basic logical reasonings such as variables, loops, and if/else statements.
Strong Analytical Skills: As an RPA developer, you need to have strong analytical skills to analyze the business process and offer recommendations to improve workflow and efficiency.
Problem Solving Skills: RPA bot development, like any other software development, isn’t easy. There is a lot of testing and problem solving required to fix bugs that pop up now and then. The ability to debug a bot is a handy skill that can save time and reduce stress during any crisis.
Knowledge of Programming Languages: Programming knowledge such as C/C++, Python, Ruby, and software development background is highly desirable for becoming an RPA developer.
In a nutshell, the minimum required hard and soft skills are
- Technical knowledge on leading RPA tools, such as Automation Anywhere and UiPath
- Strong software development background, like C#, C++, Java, .NET
- Knowledge of programming on HTML, JavaScript, etc.
- Experience with Agile development methodology
- Experience with Databases like SQL or NoSQL
- Knowledge of AI and Machine Learning often preferred
- Understanding of workflow-based logic
- Strong attention to detail and analytical skills
- Excellent communication skill
- Ability to explain technical details
Top Six RPA Skills Every Developer Should Have
Salary
RPA developer is one of the most sought-after jobs since they have a handsome remuneration. According to various job portals, an RPA developer can make anything between $85,000 to $130,000 annually. However, these numbers are based on the total years of experience, certification levels, and, of course, your location.
How to Become an RPA Developer?
For starters, RPA developers have a technical background with a degree in IT, such as Computer Science, Management Information Systems, Engineering, Mathematics, etc. However, this is not always required. When it comes down to hiring the right candidate, most companies look at the practical knowledge and your ability to use RPA technology and tools.
Key RPA technology providers such as Automation Anywhere and UiPath provide certifications and learning material on their website. You can sign up for these certifications and get up to speed with the required skills.
So, whether your hiring an RPA developer or planning to become one, it is important to keep these important points in mind.