RPA Workflow Test Execution for Bot Stability Under Application Changes
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Solution Overview
Problem
Robotic process automation (RPA) systems face challenges in maintaining stability due to application and environment changes, lacking effective maintenance and exception handling, leading to frequent bot failures.
Innovation Solution
A computer-implemented method for creating and executing test cases for existing workflows to identify environmental and automation issues, reporting failed tests, and reducing manual effort through data-driven workflow test cases.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If RPA bots are deployed to automate processes quickly, then productivity increases, but stability deteriorates due to application changes and environment changes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements test case execution before deploying RPA bots to production environments. This preliminary testing action identifies potential stability issues related to application changes and environment changes before they affect actual bot operations, thereby maintaining both productivity and stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent establishes a feedback mechanism where test execution results are analyzed and used to update and improve RPA bot designs. This continuous feedback loop allows the system to adapt to application and environment changes, maintaining bot stability while preserving productivity gains from automation.
2Ease of operation
If RPA implementations focus on happy paths to achieve quick deployment, then ease of operation improves, but reliability deteriorates due to lack of exception handling
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary test case execution that specifically targets exception scenarios and edge cases before production deployment. This preliminary action ensures that exception handling paths are validated without complicating the main deployment process, maintaining ease of operation while improving reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces test cases as an intermediary mechanism between the simple happy-path implementation and the need for robust exception handling. These test cases validate exception scenarios without requiring complex exception handling code in the main bot workflow, thus maintaining deployment simplicity while ensuring reliability.
3Reliability
If comprehensive test cases are created to ensure bot stability, then reliability improves, but device complexity increases due to additional testing infrastructure
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates simplified test case models that replicate the essential workflows and exception scenarios without requiring full copies of the production environment. This copying approach ensures reliable testing while minimizing the complexity of the testing infrastructure needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent designs test cases with multi-functionality, where a single test case framework can validate multiple workflows and exception scenarios. This universal approach improves reliability across different bot implementations without proportionally increasing testing system complexity, as the same infrastructure serves multiple testing purposes.
Data Source
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AI summary
Test cases for existing workflows (or workflows under test) may be created and executed. A test case may be created for a workflow in production or one or more parts of the workflow, and the created test case for the workflow, or the one or more parts of the workflow, may be executed to identify environmental and/or automation issues for the workflow. A failed workflow test may be reported when the environmental and/or automation issues are identified.