{"id":4117,"date":"2019-04-15T15:15:00","date_gmt":"2019-04-15T15:15:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/localhost\/projects\/horsesforsources\/rpa-dead-integrated-automation-platforms_041519\/"},"modified":"2024-03-15T13:02:56","modified_gmt":"2024-03-15T13:02:56","slug":"rpa-dead-integrated-automation-platforms_041519","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.horsesforsources.com\/rpa-dead-integrated-automation-platforms_041519\/","title":{"rendered":"RPA is dead. Long live Integrated Automation Platforms"},"content":{"rendered":"

The biggest problem with enterprise operations today is the simple fact that most firms still run most of their processes exactly the same way as they did 20\/30\/40 years ago, with the only \u201cinnovation\u201d being models like offshore outsourcing and shared service centers, cloud and digital technologies enabling those same processes to be conducted steadily faster and cheaper.\u00a0 However, fundamental changes have not been made to intrinsic business processes \u2013 most companies still operate with their major functions such as customer service, marketing, finance, HR and supply chain operating in individual silos, with IT operating as a non-strategic vehicle to maintain the status quo and keep the lights on.<\/p>\n

Enter the concept of Robotic Process Automation (RPA), introduced to market in 2012<\/a> via a case study written by HFS and supported by Blue Prism, which promised to remove manual workarounds and headcount overload from inefficient business processes and BPO services.\u00a0 However, despite offering clear technical capability and the real advantage of breathing life into legacy systems and processes, RPA hasn\u2019t inspired enterprises to rewire<\/em> their business processes \u2013 it\u2019s really just helped them move data around the company faster and require less manual intervention.\u00a0 In addition, most \u201cRPA\u201d engagements that have been signed are not for unattended<\/em> processes, instead, most are attended robotic desktop automation (RDA) deployments. Attended RDA requires a loop of human and bot interplay to complete tasks.\u00a0 These engagements are not the pure form of RPA that we invented \u2013 they are a motley crew of scripts and macros applying add band-aids to messy desktop applications and processes to maintain the same old way<\/em> of doing things. Sure, there is usually a reduction in labor needs – but in fractional increments – which is rarely enough to justify entire headcount elimination. Crucially, the current plethora of \u201cRPA\u201d engagements have not resulted in any actual \u201ctransformation\u201d.<\/p>\n

The major issue with RPA today is that it is automating piecemeal tasks.\u00a0 It needs to be part of an integrated strategy <\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

Real research data of close to 600 major global enterprises show just how not-ready we are to declare any sort of robo-victory. In our recent survey of 590 G2000 leaders<\/a>, only 13% of RPA adopters are currently scaled up and industrialized. Forget about leveraging RPA to curate end-to-end processes, most RPA adopters are still tinkering with small-scale projects and piecemeal tasks that comprise elements of broken processes.\u00a0 Most firms are not even close to finding any sort enterprise-scale automation adoption.<\/p>\n

RPA provides a terrific band-aid to fix current solutions; it helps to extend the life of legacy. But does not provide long-term answers. The handful of enterprises that have successfully scaled RPA across their organizations have three things in common:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. A unifying purpose for adopting automation,<\/li>\n
  2. A broad and ongoing change management program to enable the shift to a hybrid workforce, and<\/li>\n
  3. A Triple-A Trifecta<\/a> toolkit that leverages RPA, various permutations of AI, and smart analytics in an integrated fashion.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    So HFS is calling it as we see it. RPA is dead! Long live Integrated Automation. And by integrated we mean integrated technology, but also, and all importantly, we mean integration across people, process and technology supported by focused objectives and change management. Integrated Automation is how you transform your business and achieve an end-to-end Digital OneOffice.<\/p>\n

    Integrated Automation is not about RPA or AI or Analytics. It is RPA and AI and Analytics.<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

    Business problems are not entirely solved by one stand-alone technology but by a combination of technologies. While only 11% of the enterprises are currently integrating solutions across the Triple-A Trifecta, there is emerging alignment. The supplier landscape is also starting to realize that clients will buy integrated solutions (see Exhibit 1) and examples below:<\/p>\n