What is APA?
While RPA automates repetitive, rule-based tasks in the background, APA focuses on tasks that require contextual judgment or human approval. An attended bot might fill out a form, fetch data from multiple systems, or suggest next steps - but the human decides when to start, stop, or confirm the action.
APA is widely used in customer support, claims processing, IT service desks, and financial operations, where speed and accuracy matter but compliance still demands a person’s review. Modern APA platforms embed automation widgets, sidebars, or “copilot” panels directly into business applications, allowing employees to invoke automations without leaving the interface they’re using.
APA brings Robotic Process Automation (RPA) to the user’s desktop or browser, letting employees trigger, guide, or collaborate with bots directly inside their daily workflows. It’s sometimes called human-in-the-loop automation - a bridge between fully manual work and fully autonomous processes.
How APA Works
- Trigger: The user clicks a button, presses a hotkey, or completes a form field that activates the bot.
- Context Capture: The APA engine reads on-screen data (like customer ID or case number).
- Bot Execution: The bot performs rule-based steps -fetching records, copying values, updating systems.
- User Validation: The human reviews or modifies results before final submission.
- Logging & Analytics: Every action is captured for compliance and process-improvement analysis.
