What is our primary use case?
Mainly, we concentrate on RPA bots. However, we have a few demands where we needed RDA, their assisted bots. We need some assistance with the bot where some inputs are required from the business. 70% of the time, we concentrate on RPA bots. For the other 30%, there is also a requirement for RDA bots.
Mainly, we interact with Windows web and sometimes with mainframes. Currently, we are targeting APIs as well. We are working on a few of the API-related stuff and Excel-related work, Outlook, sending email, and tracking email.
In terms of third-party applications, we have multiple websites, which are web-based. Based on the client's requirement, we use it to interact with the applications.
What is most valuable?
As an RPA guy, every tool has its own advantage. That said, Pega has the best feature in terms of creating UIs. We can create the best UIs. Other tools, don't have a better UI for RDA.
Some go for RDA bots in the banking sector, and they prefer Pega Robotics.
We have centralized the monitoring. In Pega Robot Manager, we currently have multiple dashboards where we can track, schedule, and handle everything. That is the game changer in the last one-and-a-half years. It amended what the business expected.
The initial setup is pretty easy and quite fast.
It's stable.
You can scale the solution if you need to.
What needs improvement?
Excel connectors need to be improved as there are a few connectors in Excel areas.
The recording is not at best in Pega Robotics. They could look into it.
The interactions with some applications, like Windows and web applications, are a little slow. They need to improve their speed. It should be normal, to open it with other tools. However, right now, it's a little hard.
Users should feel they can develop easily. It will sometimes hang while interacting with third-party applications.
Instead of adapters, if we had direct interaction of the applications with API and had scripts, that would be better.
We have only CSharp supported right now. We'd like to have Python supported. If it was, it would be easier for us and make the solution more flexible.
Currently, we are adding three different configuration files, however, if I had the option, I'd prefer to make a single configuration file and then differentiate it in all three environments.
It can be difficult to create logic in automation. It's hard than if we used other RPA tools.
If they could add more toolbox options, that would be ideal.
They need to do what they can to help us reduce complexity in the automation and combine things under, for example, a single control.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been using the solution for five and a half years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Recently, when I compared all tools, looking at the preloaded applications and Windows-related applications, if you process end-to-end, and if you are releasing it to production without any bugs, it is running with 95% perfection with maybe some hiccups via network issues. Basically, it is stable.
Therefore, Windows is quite stable. However, Citrix gets 80%. It's still good, however, when choosing the tool, it's important to consider if Pega is a suitable tool to give the best results.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
100% it is scalable, however, if a person is not aware of everything the solution can do, they may see it is only 70% scalable, or a little less scalable in general. The more you understand about the tool, the more scalable it becomes. It becomes easier to scale too. It's just that Pega may be perceived as a bit more difficult, than Blue Prism, UiPath, or Automation Anywhere. It's not, though. You just need time to adapt.
I'm working for a sizable company that has hundreds of clients. In my client area, almost 150 to 200 bots are running. The other areas where my colleagues are working also have bots running.
How are customer service and support?
We are new to the tool and RPA, in general, was so new at the time for every organization around 2015 or 2016. At the initial stage, we used to contact support frequently due to functionalities issues. We need to raise the ticket if we want to talk with them. Then they will connect with us and help with resolving the issues or the bugs, and patching also.
They are helpful. If we communicate clearly what we need the process moves fast.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I use Pega Robotics and Blue Prism in my day-to-day life.
In the market, in India, other solutions are used as well. Some may use Blue Prism or UiPath. For example, if you have a 100% RPA area, maybe UiPath concentrates on 40%, Blue Prism 30%, Automation Anywhere is another 30%, and Pega is around 3%.
How was the initial setup?
It has a default platform from where Pega provides a PRPC. Inside that, we need to deploy Pega Robot Manager. From there, we can deploy to Pega Robot Manager. From there, we can assign it to multiple users for daily use.
It was easier to deploy before. In some newer versions of Windows, we used to face some of the update tree issues. Currently, we need to download the update tree separately, and we need to install it on our machines. Then, we need to install Pega. Normally, it is easier, however, with these newer versions in Windows - 10 and 11 - we are facing some issues.
There are Office versions that are not working perfectly. We need to uninstall and reinstall it, and for some Windows 11 versions, the toolbox icons are not visible. We have tried multiple times, uninstalling and installing.
Deployment times vary. Normally, it will take hardly less than half an hour. However, if the solution is ready and we have groups assigned, we can directly deploy it to our servers. From servers, we can directly deploy to the users as well from Robot Manager. In the user's machines are the VDAs that we are using. We need to configure all the settings, the run-time, the config files, and everything. That takes ten minutes to one hour at a maximum. Once the setup is done in every machine, we can easily deploy that that will be hardly five minutes.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The costs vary. In a previous organization, we used to take care of everything. It's a yearly fee they used to take. Recently, what I'm seeing is they have to categorize licenses. Some of the bots, they will run for some time, so they can get licensing costs and can pay quarterly. Typically, it is yearly.
I'm not sure of the exact costs. I haven't gone that deep into licensing.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
The company assessed three more tools and chose Blue Prism and Pega Robotics. They use Pega Robotics for doing RDA, and Blue Prism for scripting-related items as they are strong in their area. Out of the five tools they have evaluated, they have taken Blue Prism and Pega Robotics.
What other advice do I have?
We're a customer and end-user.
If a person wants to use this product, they need to know what is happening and how it runs. If the person is new and needs to run the solution, they need to follow the use case that the developers are giving to understand how the bot will run. With so many people, what they do is when the bot is running, they disturb some of the applications, and the bot will close or give exceptions.
If a person intends to use coding, they really do need a good grasp of what it is they want to build. Only them should they move into actual development. It will make it easier in the end if there's a good understanding at the outset.
In any case, after two or three months of using the solution, chances are you'll have enough knowledge to be able to help train others.
I'd rate the solution eight out of ten. If it was faster and had less complexity I would rate it higher.