What is our primary use case?
I am in consulting, and I implement UiPath for my clients across various use cases.
How has it helped my organization?
Immediate benefits include faster operation and the ability to run overnight, which clients value since the work is already completed when they start their day.
What is most valuable?
From my point of view, it is visual, making it easy to learn. It is super easy for me to learn and handle the automation, then replicate it, rather than using traditional code.
Everything is embedded. It is not only automation. It also includes document understanding and communications mining, with all add-ons in the same organization.
We use Agentic automation. It's very good at automating processes. We're still at an early stage. We have access to the alpha version. I like what it is doing, however, it is not production-ready yet. I see its potential. Initially, I started playing with it via demos only. I've built a few things I have shown to clients, although I have yet to use it.
We had a few use cases for Agentic. One use case was as an HR assistant, including providing invitations to candidates to say they are a fit for "x" roles and to set up interview times. Another use case was as a document extractor. I created an agent that could extract information from documents and provide a stable output and learn for itself. The third use case was for account payables, which is the one I've been demoing. I've created an agent that can read an invoice and provide recommendations, such as approving payments.
I have experience with UiPath's communication mining features. It can be used in real-time if you link it to a mailbox, for example. I don't see the power of linking to a mailbox. However, I see the power of using them to send an email and then get in return what the tool understands. I'm able to automate actions and responses. I have a demo on that. For example, I have an automation that scans the email, and it can tell what documentation the email is about. I can understand, for example, if the email or document is about a policy claim and then ask further questions or make further recommendations based on that.
It's fairly easy to build automation. I'd rate it overall a seven out of ten. It can get super-complex, however, it's fairly easy.
We can handle end-to-end automation for the most part. Now, with Agentic, it's easier, since you can connect automation. You just need to keep in mind there's a different approach.
I do use the UiPath forum. If I don't know something or if I'm facing an issue. Maybe someone has already faced it. 90% of the time, someone already has. I can ask questions and try to solve problems.
UiPath helps the team have less work. People, initially, when they use automation, fear they will lose their jobs. However, that's not the case. Now, people see that they can properly focus on other stuff. Their job isn't taken. They can focus elsewhere. Depending on the use case, UiPath has freed up 50% to 90% of a person's time.
The Academy is free, and there is a lot of content. For new joiners, they have to be certified, so for the first two to three weeks, we put them in full training mode.
What needs improvement?
Licensing needs improvement. Licensing in UiPath is a bit confusing. They are already working on that, however, from my perspective, it is what I feel least safe discussing because the product changes two or three times a year.
Additionally, it is confusing to understand the packages available, the number of packages, and updates with new versions. Therefore, from my perspective, licensing is an area for improvement.
The Agentic tool has a lot of noise. However, we have to get hands on to understand what the tool is capable of and what the tool is not capable of. That's one of the things that I am spending time with.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have used all the platforms for five and a half years overall.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I have personally never experienced downtime. I'd rate stability nine out of ten.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Sclability is quite good, perhaps an eight out of ten. It depends on how the development is executed. If done properly, scaling is straightforward; otherwise, it can be challenging. However, the issue lies with the implementation, not the platform.
How are customer service and support?
Every time I work with the official UiPath support, they are slow and might not have read my request thoroughly before responding, leading to incorrect answers.
If you know the right person, partner support can be good. I tend to not ask anything when I am trouble. The support in Australia is better for partners.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I have used Blue Prism at a beginner level and Automation Anywhere at a beginner level. As of now, I would not consider them competition. Blue Prism, for example, has not kept up with changes, and Automation Anywhere is making efforts, however, I am biased and would naturally choose UiPath. The main competitor would be Microsoft Power Automate.
How was the initial setup?
Cloud deployment took me 15 minutes. A few years ago, most deployments were on-prem. Overall, the safe answer to fully deploy would be weeks, however, depending on the use case, it could be longer. The largest deployments I have done took four months due to complex automation. Typically, it takes three to four weeks, maximum.
We have around 500 UiPath specialists. Our clients are medium to enterprise.
The solution absolutely needs maintenance. If the applications change of something becomes unstable, you need to have maintenance to make changes. The same is true if a website updates, for example. It can affect an automation.
What about the implementation team?
We are already undertaking this at the regional level, so if UiPath has any activity in Australia, they will reach out to me.
What was our ROI?
I do not have the numbers at hand, however, there is clearly a return on investment when the automations are done properly, which is hopefully every time we develop anything for production.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
From my discussions with clients, they normally find it expensive. This expense is generally not in terms of the bot or developer license. It's rather when it comes to AI units. Enabling document understanding, communications mining, or agents is considered expensive.
I'd rate pricing seven out of ten, with ten being the most expensive.
What other advice do I have?
We are UiPath partners.
The tool is already proven, so starting a proof of concept is a good idea. Users should create a POC that can scale. Automate steps one and two, for instance, so that you trust the tool and see what it can do. Then, quickly transition to phase one if phase zero was the initial step to see its scalability and impact on previously good information.
I'd provide an overall product rating of seven out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Public Cloud
If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?
Other
Disclosure: PeerSpot contacted the reviewer to collect the review and to validate authenticity. The reviewer was referred by the vendor, but the review is not subject to editing or approval by the vendor. The reviewer's company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner