The whole is definitely much greater than the sum of the parts. Automation takes the concept of synergy to its maximum expression.
Because it is true that an RPA project (abbreviations in English for robotic process automation) produces numerous advantages for companies: just think about the increases in productivity and the precision of the processes, the greater precision, the reduction of paper and human errors or the improvements that can be generated in the experience of clients or internal collaborators.
But when automation becomes a part of the strategy, the multiplier effect is remarkable: as it gains momentum and spreads through the organization, the added value increases. Humans are engaged in doing what they do best—from improving problems and performing analysis, to designing new products and services to meet or anticipate demand, to opening new markets—and all the repetitive, tedious, and highly error-prone tasks are no longer an everyday concern.
What can be automated
In fact, the maxim that seems to prevail in companies is that everything that can be automated should be automated. This explains the exponential growth that is expected in the coming years: according to data from Zion Market Research, investments in the hyperautomation market (that is, the orchestrated combination of RPA, artificial intelligence and other technologies to drive process automation at scale throughout the organization) was around US$9 billion in 2021 and is expected to almost triple in the next seven years, reaching US$26.5 billion by 2028. add up all the lateral technologies that enable this to happen, the number starts to be around US$500 billion, according to estimates by market consultancy Gartner.
Gartner itself -which considered this concept one of the top ten technological trends for this 2022- defines this concept as “a disciplined and business-driven approach that organizations use to quickly identify, examine and automate as many business and IT processes as possible”.
Step by Step
There is no process automation button at the organizational level:: to achieve it, it is necessary to go through a strategic process, which runs through the entire organization, and which requires a careful analysis process to identify the different automation opportunities that exist in each area, prioritize them according to their importance for the business, and evaluate how they would be integrated into the existing landscape.
When choosing which project to start with, many companies opt for a project that is simple and with high added value. In this way, they achieve results quickly and leverage subsequent initiatives on top of that initial success.
Continuous improvement
Nor is it a project with a beginning and an end: it is a cycle of continuous improvement that always presents new opportunities and must adapt to changes that occur in the business. Another challenge is to identify if any of the existing automations can be reused in another area of the organization.
What benefits does automation at scale deliver? An absolute optimization of processes and costs and, again citing Gartner, a better business result: the consultancy estimates that the most prepared organizations in this area will exceed the customer experience metrics of their competitors by 20% by 2024.
Automation is essential to increase efficiencies and lower costs. Automation at scale is key to being more competitive and winning in this new business scenario so complex and changing.
