Announcement
Jan 30, 2026
RPA + iPaaS: Why Workato’s Hybrid Automation Model Wins
Workato’s approach to automation is integration-led, which means it connects modern SaaS and legacy systems using APIs wherever possible. However, many systems still don’t expose APIs. That's where the RPA By Workato connector comes in.
Why Hybrid Wins
Traditional RPA tools focus on task automation through UI. They’re good for short-term wins but brittle long term. Workato’s hybrid automation model lets organizations automate entire business processes end-to-end using APIs where available and RPA bots only where needed.
This avoids the common “RPA fatigue” issue caused by maintaining fragile UI scripts.
Key Benefits
Holistic Automation: Combine APIs and RPA bots to automate entire workflows
Lower Cost of Ownership: Avoid costly bot licenses and infrastructure with usage-based pricing
More Resilient: APIs are less prone to breaking compared to UI changes
Unified Governance: Manage RPA and API integrations in one platform
Faster Innovation: One platform, one UI, no code switching between systems
Use Case Example
A claims processing flow might involve:
API integration with CRM and email
RPA bot to scrape claims from a legacy portal
OCR to extract data from scanned documents
Recipe logic to validate and send approval back to finance
Instead of multiple vendors, Workato handles it all through its hybrid automation framework.
Strategic Automation at Scale
Gartner and Forrester both highlight integration-led automation as more sustainable and scalable than RPA alone. By using Workato:
Enterprises reduce tech sprawl
Automation becomes easier to govern
Developers and business users collaborate in one environment
External References:
Gartner RPA vs iPaaS Analysis: https://www.gartner.com/en/documents/3980963
Workato Automation Overview:https://www.workato.com/solutions/enterprise-automation
RPA By Workato Tutorials: RPA BY WORKATO Tutorial - Part 0 - Installing Robot Software
FAQs
1. What is integration-led automation?
It’s the practice of building automation around APIs, using RPA only where APIs aren’t available.
2. Is RPA By Workato good for scaling automation across teams?
Yes. It supports user roles, centralized governance, and low-code collaboration.
3. Can we use AI and OCR in this model?
Yes. Workato integrates with third-party AI/ML and OCR tools.
4. What makes this model future-proof?
You avoid over-investing in UI bots and rely more on structured, stable APIs while keeping UI options for legacy edge cases.
Changelog
