What's New in Robotic Process Automation🤖(RPA) in Washington DC​? - Creator Toolbox

[Earl Duque]

Welcome to this episode of Creator Toolbox, where we delve into the new features of ServiceNow's Washington DC release. This episode is brought to you by Pranav Bhagat, your host and Senior Developer Advocate at ServiceNow. Today, we're focusing on the advancements in Robotic Process Automation (RPA) with our guest, Daniel Draes, a Product Success Manager for Creator Workflows at ServiceNow. This blog post was prepared by Earl Duque on behalf of the hosts.

Enhancements in RPA Desktop Design Studio

One of the notable improvements in the Washington release is the Connection Manager in the RPA Desktop Design Studio. Logging into the ServiceNow instance is now smoother, with no need to launch an external browser. This update is a significant quality-of-life improvement for RPA developers.

Another critical update is the support for Shadow DOM, which allows our technology to query websites that use this technology and interact with their elements. This enhancement is particularly useful for automating tasks on ServiceNow instances, as our platform uses Shadow DOM.

Additionally, we've introduced a 'Set Password' component, which allows for the use of encrypted or secure strings to be passed onto password fields. This enhancement increases security by ensuring that passwords are not exposed in clear text during automation execution.

RPA Hub Updates

In the RPA Hub, we've made several security-focused improvements. External credentials can now be stored in secure external vaults, reducing the need to store sensitive information directly in the ServiceNow instance. This feature is a game-changer for organizations concerned about security.

We've also introduced Embedded Taskbar Automation, which allows for seamless integration of attended robots with ServiceNow processes. This feature enables support agents to trigger RPA bots directly from the task record, streamlining their workflow and reducing the need for additional clicks.

Furthermore, the Washington release brings enhancements to queue management, with the ability to mark queue content as sensitive. This ensures that sensitive data is not exposed and remains secure.

Developer-Friendly Features

For developers, the Washington release offers several new features that make life easier. The new Graceful Stop component allows for logical stopping of automations, ensuring data consistency and efficiency. Bot Process Restrictions provide an added layer of security by controlling who can access certain bot processes.

We've also introduced Track Automation Logs, which provide visibility into the execution of RPA bots directly within ServiceNow. This feature is incredibly useful for troubleshooting and understanding bot behavior without needing to access the robot machine.

Lastly, the Help Center in RPA Hub has been enriched with over 200 topics, providing valuable resources for developers, especially those new to ServiceNow's RPA solutions.

Conclusion

The Washington release of ServiceNow brings a host of new features and improvements to RPA, focusing on security, ease of use, and developer efficiency. Whether you're a seasoned developer or just starting with ServiceNow RPA, these updates are designed to enhance your experience and streamline your workflows.

Stay tuned for more updates in our Creator Toolbox series, and don't hesitate to reach out with any questions or feedback. Happy automating!