RPA (Robotic Process Automation) and AI (Artificial Intelligence) aren’t just buzzwords. They’re game-changers for anyone looking to save time, reduce manual work, and improve productivity. Even if you’ve never used automation before, this guide will show you how simple it can be to start. Learn how everyday businesses are using tools like ChatGPT, Copilot, and RPA bots to streamline tasks and work smarter. No tech background needed.
Robotic Process Automation (RPA) is a way to use software “bots” to do repetitive tasks that you would normally do on your computer.
These bots follow rules and instructions just like a human would but they can:
Click buttons
Copy and paste data
Fill in forms
Extract information
Generate reports
And they do it faster, more accurately, and without getting tired.
The best part? You don’t need to be a programmer to build RPA bots. Most tools today are low-code or even no-code, which means almost anyone can learn to create automations even if you’ve never written a line of code.
The robot reads data directly from Excel files and inputs it into websites or applications. This eliminates manual data entry, speeds up workflows, and reduces the risk of human error.
For each of your clients, the robot seamlessly downloads schedules from your accounting software, such as Xero. Reports are saved as PDF or Excel files and automatically renamed for easy reference and organisation.
Simply drop multiple PDFs into a folder. The robot extracts all details from the PDFs and pastes them into an excel file.
RPA follows rules. it’s great for structured, repetitive work.
AI learns and adapts it’s better for tasks that need understanding, writing, or decision-making.
Now let’s look at how AI fits in.
AI (Artificial Intelligence) helps computers understand and generate human-like responses.
You may already know tools like:
ChatGPT – generates answers, summaries, documents
Microsoft Copilot – automates tasks inside Excel, Word, Teams, and more
But what you may not know is how powerful these tools are for real business workflows.
Here are some real, practical ways people are using ChatGPT and Copilot today:
Financial Analysis
PDF Extraction
Automating Excel Files
Generating dynamic financial models
Summarising meeting minutes
Scenario Analysis
Summarising PDF files
Classification of data
You don’t need to be technical. You just need to learn how to ask and that’s where prompt engineering comes in.
The way you “talk” to AI affects the quality of what you get back. This is called prompt engineering and with just a few tweaks, you can turn generic answers into highly relevant, professional outputs.
Here are 4 simple tips with examples tailored for accounting and finance:
1. Be Specific
✘ “Summarise this”
✔ “Summarise this financial statement into 5 key takeaways for a client with no accounting background.”
2. Give Context
✘ “Make this better”
✔ “You are an auditor reviewing this draft management letter. Rewrite it to sound more professional and concise.”
3. Ask for Structure
✘ “Compare these tools”
✔ “Create a table comparing Xero, QuickBooks, and MYOB for SME accounting, including pricing, features, and ease of use.”
4. Be Precise with Technical Tasks
✘ “Write a VBA script for Excel”
✔ “Write a VBA script that saves each worksheet in the workbook as a separate PDF. The PDF file name should be the sheet name followed by today’s date in the format ‘dd mmm yyyy’.”
These small changes make a big difference and are exactly what we teach in our training sessions.
We’ve created top-rated video tutorials (free for ISCA Accountify users) including:
1-hour video on using ChatGPT + Copilot for business workflows
1-hour session on using AI to automate Excel
RPA deep-dive: A Step-by-Step Guide to Understanding and Creating RPA Bots
Ready to go further? Our 2-day Digitalisation Programme is designed to help teams like yours start automating with real tools.
60 Cecil Street ISCA House level 2, Skybots Room, Singapore 049709
