RPA or API integration: which solution should you choose?
A company tells us it needs a robot. Orders from its online store are entered into the accounting system manually, and there are many of them. A robot could do this: it would open the online store, open the accounting system, and transfer the data. But the online store has an interface through which orders can be downloaded directly, and the accounting system can accept a batch import. In that case, the robot is not the solution. It is an unnecessary workaround when a direct integration is available.
Common problem: a robot is used even when a direct connection exists
A software robot controls a computer as a person would. It clicks a button, completes a field, and downloads a file. It works through the screen—through what the system shows to people.
Integration through an application programming interface (API) works directly with data. The systems exchange information without clicking through screens. A supported file export or import can fulfil a similar role; we use direct database access only when it is safe and supported by the vendor.
The difference between the two solutions lies in what they depend on. A robot may be affected by a change to a screen or sign-in process. An API is intended for machine communication, but it also has versions, authentication, limits, and changes that need to be monitored.
How to choose the right solution
First, we check for a supported API or export. If it covers the required data and the costs make sense, it tends to be the more stable choice. A robot is suitable when a direct interface is unavailable, does not cover the complete process, or would be disproportionately expensive to make available.
A robot built on top of a system with a suitable interface adds a dependency on the user interface. It needs to wait for pages to load, and changes to controls may require an update. A direct connection therefore tends to be more stable, although an API also has versions, limits, and operating costs.
For every project, we therefore begin by asking whether the data can be accessed another way. We look at your system’s documentation, ask the vendor, and check whether an export exists that nobody uses because nobody knows about it. This happens surprisingly often.
When a robot genuinely makes sense
An interface may not be available or may not cover the required process. A robot can make sense, for example, in these situations:
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An older internal or ERP system has no API, and modifying it would be disproportionately expensive.
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A government or institutional portal offers only a user interface.
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A vendor makes an interface available only in a package that is not worthwhile at the given volume.
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Data arrives in email attachments or PDFs and is not available through a supported interface. A typical example is automated invoice processing.
The answer is often a combination of both options. We solve one side of the process through an interface and the other with a robot because no alternative exists there. It is not necessarily either-or.
What the right choice gives you
A solution with proportionate maintenance and a clear reason for the choice. We connect systems directly where this is supported and use a robot for steps that cannot reasonably be automated another way.
You also know the operational risks in advance. A robot may require an update after a change to an external interface; an integration needs its API versions, credentials, and limits monitored. A combined solution may be the most practical.
Next step
Contact us with the systems you need to connect. We will check whether a simpler route than a robot exists—and tell you if it does, even when that means a smaller engagement for us.