In todayâ??s IT architectures, microservices and serverless functions play increasingly important roles in process automation. But how do you create meaningful, comprehensive, and connected business solutions when the individual components are decoupled and independent by design? Targeted at developers and architects, this book presents a framework through examples, practical advice, and use cases to help you design and automate complex processes. As systems are more distributed, asynchronous, and reactive, process automation requires state handling to deal with long-running interactions. Author Bernd Ruecker demonstrates how to leverage process automation technology like workflow engines to orchestrate software, humans, decisions, or bots. Learn how modern process automation compares to business process management, service-oriented architecture, batch processing, event streaming, and data pipeline solutions Understand how to use workflow engines and executable process models with BPMN Understand the difference between orchestration and choreography and how to balance both

This book distils into a single coherent handbook all the essentials of process automation at a depth sufficient for most practical purposes. The handbook focuses on the knowledge needed to cope with the vast majority of process control and automation situations. In doing so, a number of sensible balances have been carefully struck between breadth and depth, theory and practice, classical and modern, technology and technique, information and understanding. A thorough grounding is provided for every topic. No other book covers the gap between the theory and practice of control systems so comprehensively and at a level suitable for practicing engineers.

While Robotic Process Automation (RPA) has been around for about 20 years, it has hit an inflection point because of the convergence of cloud computing, big data and AI. This book shows you how to leverage RPA effectively in your company to automate repetitive and rules-based processes, such as scheduling, inputting/transferring data, cut and paste, filling out forms, and search. Using practical aspects of implementing the technology (based on case studies and industry best practices), you’ll see how companies have been able to realize substantial ROI (Return On Investment) with their implementations, such as by lessening the need for hiring or outsourcing. By understanding the core concepts of RPA, you’ll also see that the technology significantly increases compliance – leading to fewer issues with regulations – and minimizes costly errors. RPA software revenues have recently soared by over 60 percent, which is the fastest ramp in the tech industry, and they are expected to exceed $1 billion by the end of 2019. It is generally seamless with legacy IT environments, making it easier for companies to pursue a strategy of digital transformation and can even be a gateway to AI. The Robotic Process Automation Handbook puts everything you need to know into one place to be a part of this wave. What You'll Learn Develop the right strategy and planDeal with resistance and fears from employeesTake an in-depth look at the leading RPA systems, including where they are most effective, the risks and the costsEvaluate an RPA system Who This Book Is For IT specialists and managers at mid-to-large companies

The book discusses the concept of process automation and mechatronic system design, while offering a unified approach and methodology for the modeling, analysis, automation and control, networking, monitoring, and sensing of various machines and processes from single electrical-driven machines to large-scale industrial process operations. This step-by-step guide covers design applications from various engineering disciplines (mechanical, chemical, electrical, computer, biomedical) through real-life mechatronics problems and industrial automation case studies with topics such as manufacturing, power grid, cement production, wind generator, oil refining, incubator, etc. Provides step-by-step procedures for the modeling, analysis, control and automation, networking, monitoring, and sensing of single electrical-driven machines to large-scale industrial process operations. Presents model-based theory and practice guidelines for mechatronics system and process automation design. Includes worked examples in every chapter and numerous end-of-chapter real-life exercises, problems, and case studies.

A practical guide to industrial automation concepts, terminology, and applications Industrial Automation: Hands-On is a single source of essential information for those involved in the design and use of automated machinery. The book emphasizes control systems and offers full coverage of other relevant topics, including machine building, mechanical engineering and devices, manufacturing business systems, and job functions in an industrial environment. Detailed charts and tables serve as handy design aids. This is an invaluable reference for novices and seasoned automation professionals alike. COVERAGE INCLUDES: * Automation and manufacturing * Key concepts used in automation, controls, machinery design, and documentation * Components and hardware * Machine systems * Process systems and automated machinery * Software * Occupations and trades * Industrial and factory business systems, including Lean manufacturing * Machine and system design * Applications

Industrial Process Automation Systems: Design and Implementation is a clear guide to the practicalities of modern industrial automation systems. Bridging the gap between theory and technician-level coverage, it offers a pragmatic approach to the subject based on industrial experience, taking in the latest technologies and professional practices. Its comprehensive coverage of concepts and applications provides engineers with the knowledge they need before referring to vendor documentation, while clear guidelines for implementing process control options and worked examples of deployments translate theory into practice with ease. This book is an ideal introduction to the subject for junior level professionals as well as being an essential reference for more experienced practitioners. Provides knowledge of the different systems available and their applications, enabling engineers to design automation solutions to solve real industry problems. Includes case studies and practical information on key items that need to be considered when procuring automation systems. Written by an experienced practitioner from a leading technology company

Take PowerShell beyond simple scripts and build time-saving automations for your team, your users, and the world. In Practical Automation with PowerShell you will learn how to: Build PowerShell functions to automate common and complex tasks Create smart automations that are adaptable to new challenges Structure your code for sharing and reusability Store and secure your automations Execute automations with Azure Automation, Jenkins, Task Scheduler, and Cron Share your automations with your team and non-technical colleagues Store and retrieve data, credentials, and variables Use source control solutions to maintain and test code changes Provide front-end UI solutions for PowerShell automations Practical Automation in PowerShell reveals how you can use PowerShell to build automation solutions for a huge number of common admin and DevOps tasks. Author Matthew Dowst uses his decades of experience to lay out a real blueprint for setting up an enterprise scripting environment with PowerShell. The book goes beyond the basics to show you how to handle the unforeseen complexities that can keep automations from becoming reusable and resilient. From the console to the cloud, you'll learn how to manage your code, avoid common pitfalls, and create sharable automations that are adaptable to different use cases. Purchase of the print book includes a free eBook in PDF, Kindle, and ePub formats from Manning Publications. About the Technology The PowerShell scripting language is a force multiplier, giving you programmatic control over your whole data center. With this powerful tool, you can create reusable automations that radically improve consistency and productivity on your Ops team. This book shows you how to design, write, organize, and deploy scripts to automate operations on systems of all sizes, from local servers to enterprise clusters in the cloud. About the Book Practical Automation with PowerShell: Effective scripting from the console to the cloud shows you how to build PowerShell automations for local and cloud systems. In it, you’ll find tips for identifying automatable tasks, techniques for structuring and managing scripts, and lots of well-explained example code. You’ll even learn how to adapt existing scripts to new use cases and empower non-technical users through easy-to-understand SharePoint frontends. What’s Inside Structure PowerShell code for sharing and reusability Store and secure your automations Execute automation with Azure Automation, Jenkins, Task Scheduler, and Cron Store and retrieve data, credentials, and variables Use source control solutions to maintain and test code changes About the Reader For sysadmin and IT professionals who manage backend systems. About the Author Matthew Dowst has over 15 years of experience in IT management and consulting. Table of contents PART 1 1 PowerShell automation 2 Get started automating PART 2 3 Scheduling automation scripts 4 Handling sensitive data 5 PowerShell remote execution 6 Making adaptable automations 7 Working with SQL 8 Cloud-based automation 9 Working outside of PowerShell 10 Automation coding best practices PART 3 11 End-user scripts and forms 12 Sharing scripts among a team 13 Testing your scripts 14 Maintaining your code