Line-of-business folk will have bigger role in growing robotic process automation revolution
- Reference: 1584714793
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2020/03/20/rba_line_of_business/
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IT analyst firm TechMarketView is standing by its prediction that market for robotic process automation is set to reach nearly £1.2bn by 2023, with annual growth reaching 35 per cent, despite the serious economic impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.
“The potential of an economic downturn in the near future could have a counter-cyclical impact on automation, driving focus on efficiency gains and cost-saving initiatives,” says the report.
Its author, TechMarketView research director Marc Hardwick, told The Register that long-term investment would be undaunted by the virus outbreak.
But the way companies adopt the technology is changing.
“The current RPA market is maturing away from delivering pockets of tactical value within a specific team or use case, towards a scenario where at least RPA is being discussed (if not always used) as a strategic asset and something that should underpin genuine digital transformation,” the report, out this week, stated.
Some RPA strategies had been distracted by “sexier” aspects of automation technologies like AI-driven RPA platforms and human-robot blended workforces, without a focus on how they might "add value", TMV's report, Future Growth in RPA, said.
“RPA has suffered from significant overhype and consistent overselling within the market on what RPA solutions can currently deliver and how easy it is to scale out and maintain a large number of bots,” it added.
And while control of data and technology is important, there are strong arguments for “democratising” RPA and putting tools in the hands of business teams.
“RPA has also increasingly moved away from being the preserve of the IT department into the wider business, and more importantly has put automation on the agenda of most Boards. Further maturity is seeing RPA progressing from the datacentre and the back office, into the front office and customer-facing environment,” the report continued.
An example comes from a case study looking into how insurer Zurich has deployed RPA, including efforts to automate electronic payments for customers claims, a process that had involved people popping cheques in the post.
Alastair Robertson, head of continuous improvement and automation at Zurich UK, said that capability internally rather than relying on consultants had helped. “The fact that much of the IT function has been with Zurich for a long time and not outsourced or offshored has meant that there is a core group that understands the UK business extremely well.”
Letting business teams get involved with building their own bots was a great way to propel a programme, he said. “A key initiative to build awareness and help drive adoption with front line staff has been a programme called ’bot in a day’. Here the automation team goes into an untapped business area and 'takes on' one of its business issues at hand. The collaboration between the business and the automation team is then celebrated to help spark enthusiasm and drive further collaboration.”
But there was little point in automating “bad processes,” said Robertson. He developed “continuous improvement and automation teams” to help develop both the technology and the process improvement. “The ability to adjust, adapt and ‘tweak’, once a process has been automated is critical,” he told TechMarketView.
However, in an interview with The Register , Jens Krueger, CTO at Workday, a cloud-based HR and finance software outfit, warned RPA should not become an excuse to dodge integration challenges.
“RPA is being used in order to overcome a lack of integration. If you have a well-integrated system, then you shouldn't need it,” he said.
RPA might be helpful when pulling file data out of legacy systems, where Restful API were not in play, and creating a better user experience. But exploiting automation built into new software was a better option, he said.
“Come on! Just look into replacing the whole system and building better processes,” he said.
Companies have always grappled with legacy environments and probably always will. RPA is a useful half-way house to an upgrade, but one you might find yourself living in for a long time to come. ®
Banks are the worst examples, trying to minimise human contact while not investing enough in the systems they want you to use.
There Be Other Options to Consider whenever an Old System of Old Operating Systems Always Fails So .
the idea that simple software “robot” can carry out annoying admin tasks.
As opposed to the annoying human version, Lindsay C .... simple fleshy robots without future programming software ‽ .
Methinks that is a Market to Corner and Lead with ........ :-) well, Heavenly Direction with Wanton Instruction is known to Satisfy Insatiable Desire with the Provisions of Lust for Redemption in the Just Worthy Rewards that are for Dreams Come True Too ..... sounds promising and beautifully risqué/wonderfully exciting ...... and and available future programming with programs for software to run and present via media channels the pictures created for you to follow in the belief IT creates a Reality worth your following.
So Many Former Leading Scripts Fail Catastrophically and Suddenly whenever Such Realisations Dawn. It's a difficult climb back up anywhere from the deeps down there.
However, it has been known to transform and repair many a broken soul anxious to prove worthy of another go at everything better than ever before.
Best share your plans then to allow them entry into those of the Others Already Long Ago Playing Master and Mistress there.
What's the Master Plan, Man? ..... is the usual first question for answering with Luscious Details to Admire and Adopt and Adapt for the Use of All Others Following ...... Other Almighty Approved Master Plans.
Who's leading things in your world and where's your life headed? Anywhere interestingly new, extremely inviting and as oft as is possible and practical, quite dangerously exciting too?
If of a meek and/or physically weak disposition, best avoid those latter helter-skelter rides. Although, even as Too Much Crazy Fun Invites Death to Call Permitting Liquidation and Transfer of Rogue Assets, there be No Shortage of Eager Beaver Takers/Wannabe Don Giovannis Willing to Risk Losing Everything which they certainly can and always do whenever fantastically lucky to be a Free Soul amongst Similarly Escaping Slaves.
Care to Venture an Opinion on what has been transpiring and conspiring over the years here on El Reg, El Reg, re Alienated Posts Shared here for Servering and Hosting Everywhere Else too?
Take your wildest craziest educated guess and we can let you know how close or how far you are away from the truth.:-)
With so many folk now forced into an isolating indolence, there be a great need for something new to keep them sane and focussed on what the future can bring, once corona virus news is done hogging the Harry Limelight and fit only for the proverbial wrapping of humble fish and chip suppers.
El Reg is akin to being as their springboard into such info and intel. I bet Situation Publishing warrants any number of sizeable million dollar government grants for that utility and facility.
And when their RPA has driven away customers who want to speak to people I suppose manglement can while away their hours having conversations with it.