In a highly regulated industry such as pharmaceuticals there is high repeatability of the many business processes where there is a need for error elimination.
Robotic Process Automation tools help in the automation of procedures in the laboratory for clinical trials, in targeted marketing, in administration and wherever there are repetitive processes to be automated.
RPA is of great value for rule-based repetitive processes, such as those employed in drug development. A practical example is the regulatory submission process. A fundamental process that requires time and important human resources to track the status of documents and fill in records. RPA can increase consistency in data entry and quality control, potentially saving several million dollars annually for clinical trials. EY estimates that using RPA in this process can reduce processing times by 65 percent.
RPA systems improve sales operations by aggregating data to allow sellers to focus on high customer engagement. They record sales processes and activities, retrieve sales data on time and accurately, and manage orders and inventory. Robotic process automation enables improved sales efficiency on the go and on the spot. Studies suggest that sales reps spend up to 71% of their time entering data. The RPA will perform these activities in a fraction of the time it takes a human operator.
In the healthcare and pharmaceutical industries, chatbots and RPA can create a connecting mechanism between business and customers. In this regard, the RPA can be used to provide personalized advice to the client and act as a virtual "doctor" by improving response times and patient experience, making marketing highly individual and precise.