Towards the end of 2019, Gartner coined the term “hyperautomation” to describe the next step in a business’s search for processing efficiencies, but is it all just a bunch of recycled hype or is there something in this ‘new’ form of automation?
Essentially the concept behind “hyperautomation” is the rapid, orchestrated combination and deployment of existing automation technologies, rather than a new application technology, to produce a more cohesive and comprehensive automation of business processes. Taking the best of each technology and using each to cancel the perceived weakness of the other for a more robust, result driven automation.
But what processes are encompassed under the “hyperautomation” banner?
- Artificial intelligence (AI)
- Machine learning
- Event-driven software architecture
- Robotic process automation (RPA)
- Business process management (BPM) and intelligent business process management suites (iBPMS)
- Integration platform as a service (iPaaS)
- Low-code/no-code tools
- Packaged software
- Other types of decision, process and task automation tools
In practice, some software platforms attempt to combine elements of the above list to lesser or greater degrees, providing a simplified and cohesive package with as many benefits as possible. The ECM (Enterprise Content Management) platform from DocuWare for example has automated capture functions, intelligent indexing (machine learning), event driven process, BPM, no code integration, packaged software solutions etc. However, it is not necessarily the ‘best in class’ for data extraction during the initial data capture. It is possible greater accuracy, throughput and automation of data capture might be achieved through the use of dedicated capture applications such as Kofax Capture / Transformation combined with VRS (virtual rescan).
There is always a matter of cost, especially if these tools do not already exist within your organisation, therefore it is not only imperative to start from where you are – utilising the tools already at your organisation’s disposal to their maximum – but also critical to identify the real ‘pain points’ where there is no current service automation provided. If capital is to be spent then it should go without saying that it should be spent wisely.
Ultimately, regardless of zero, minimal or major capital investment towards “hyperautomation”, the goal is to see a significant ROI (and a well implemented system will), improve the throughput of your business processes and free your current workforce to deal with the more complex and fulfilling tasks.
Perhaps the only thing really missing is a preceding ‘i’ from the term to really hype it up!
Toby Gilbertson, Customer Services Manager. July 2021.
#PacSolUK #HyperAutomation #BusinessProcessManagement #DocumentManagement #EnterpriseContentManagement #TaskAutomation
