software

Automation Software Examples: 15 Tools by Category

Automation software examples span five main categories: workflow automation tools like Zapier and Make, robotic process automation (RPA) platforms like UiPath, workflow and work management tools like Asana and Monday.com, business process management (BPM) software like Appian and Pega, and newer AI-driven tools such as chatbots and voice agents that complete entire customer interactions instead of just moving data between systems.

Each category solves a different problem, and mixing them up is the most common mistake businesses make when shopping for automation. A tool that connects two apps is not the same thing as a tool that manages an entire multi-step process, and neither one is the same as software that can hold a conversation with a customer. The sections below break down real, named tools in each category so you can see which one actually matches the problem you're trying to solve.

Why this matters now

Software automation is no longer a nice-to-have. According to McKinsey Global Institute (2025), about 57 percent of current US work hours could technically be automated today using a mix of software agents and robots, with software agents alone capable of handling roughly 44 percentage points of that total. Automation potential varies widely by industry, from about 20 percent of hours in healthcare to 31 percent in manufacturing, per the same research. That gap between what could be automated and what actually is explains why so many different categories of automation software exist: most businesses are automating in pieces, starting with whichever process is causing the most pain.

Workflow automation software examples

Workflow automation tools connect different apps so that an action in one triggers a step in another, without a person copying data by hand.

• Zapier connects thousands of apps through simple trigger-and-action "Zaps," built for non-technical teams that need two tools to talk to each other quickly.
• Make (formerly Integromat) offers a visual, branching builder for teams that have outgrown simple linear automations and need to transform data along the way.
• Microsoft Power Automate is the natural fit for organizations already running on Microsoft 365, since it ties directly into Outlook, SharePoint, and Teams.
• n8n is a self-hosted, open-source option for teams that want code-level control over their automations instead of a hosted platform.
• Workato handles more complex, enterprise-grade integrations across dozens of systems at once.

These tools are the connective tissue of a business's software stack. If your actual problem is that a lead fills out a form and nobody enters it into the CRM for two days, this is the category to look at. See the workflow automation page for how that kind of integration gets built and kept running.

Robotic process automation (RPA) examples

RPA software uses "bots" that interact with applications the same way a person would: clicking buttons, typing into fields, and reading documents, just faster and without typos.

• UiPath is built for automating legacy desktop software and high-volume, document-heavy processes such as invoice entry.
• Automation Anywhere offers similar bot-based automation with a strong focus on finance and back-office operations.
• SS&C Blue Prism is often chosen by regulated industries like banking and insurance for its audit trail and governance controls.

Common RPA use cases include invoice and payment processing, inventory checks, order entry in e-commerce fulfillment, and parts of employee onboarding such as scheduling induction sessions and sending welcome emails. RPA works best when the steps never change: same screens, same fields, same order of operations, every time.

Business process management (BPM) software examples

BPM software manages an entire end-to-end process, not just one handoff between two apps. Gartner defines business process management as the discipline of discovering, modeling, analyzing, measuring, and optimizing business processes, and a BPM platform typically includes a process modeling tool, a repository for that process data, and an execution engine that runs the process itself.

• Appian combines low-code app building with process orchestration for things like loan approvals or insurance claims.
• Pega is widely used for case management in large enterprises, especially in financial services and healthcare.
• IBM Business Automation Workflow pairs document capture with process routing for industries with heavy compliance requirements.
• Pipefy offers a lighter, more accessible BPM layer aimed at mid-sized companies rather than large enterprises.

The distinction worth remembering: task management covers one to-do item, project management covers a one-time piece of work, and BPM covers the repeatable process that keeps running after that one project ends, like "how we onboard every new client" or "how every expense report gets approved."

Workflow and work management software examples

Workflow management software is the visible control center where a team sees who owns what and what's overdue; it sits at a different layer than the automation engines above.

• Asana is built around tasks, projects, and timelines with a simple, visual interface.
• Monday.com leans on color-coded boards and dashboards that non-technical managers can build without help.
• Smartsheet uses a spreadsheet-style grid with built-in forms, approvals, and Gantt views.
• ClickUp bundles tasks, docs, and goals into one workspace aimed at smaller teams that want fewer separate tools.

These platforms often include their own light automation, such as a notification when a task is marked done, but their main job is giving a team visibility, not running an unattended, high-volume process the way RPA or BPM software does.

Where AI-driven automation fits in

A newer category sits alongside all of the above: AI chatbots, voice agents, and business intelligence tools that do not just move data, they make decisions and hold conversations. A chatbot that qualifies a lead, checks availability, and books an appointment is doing work that used to require a person on the phone. A voice agent that answers a clinic's line after hours and schedules the visit is automating a judgment call, not just a data transfer. WissaSystems builds this layer for small and mid-sized businesses, usually alongside the workflow and data tools above rather than instead of them, pairing something like a chatbot with a business intelligence agent that turns the resulting conversation data into a summary a manager can actually use.

How to choose between them

Match the tool to the actual bottleneck, not the other way around.

• If two apps don't talk to each other, start with a workflow automation tool like Zapier or Make.
• If a high-volume, unchanging task is eating staff hours, look at RPA.
• If an entire process needs a repeatable, auditable path from start to finish, look at BPM software.
• If your team just needs shared visibility into who's doing what, a work management tool is enough on its own.
• If the bottleneck is a conversation, a missed call, or a question that needs judgment, that's where AI chatbots and voice agents come in.

Most businesses end up running two or three of these categories at once rather than picking just one, since a single process often needs a connector, a tracker, and a conversation handled by three different kinds of software. The automation software examples above cover the categories most businesses run into; the real question is simply which bottleneck you're solving for first.