THE EVOLUTION PATH
How to gradually leverage automation technologies and AI incl. generative AI to transform into an intelligent enterprise
Enhanced Automation
Concept: EA succeeds “Desktop automation” where scripts have been used to automate simple tasks. With RPA structured data can be processed to automate highly repetitive transactional tasks at large scale, e.g. at banks.
Operational benefits: reduced operational costs, more consistent output, less reliable on human workforce and hence increased resilience of operations during crisis.
Strategic benefits: the ideal starting point for digital transformation and to familiarise the human workforce with automation technologies and their ability to “take the robot out of the human”. Reducing costs by means of RPA is already common practice in most companies and hence for other companies only to follow suit and not to fall behind.
Intelligent Automation
Concept: RPA and/or BPM combined with AI (generative AI, NLP, computer vision, expert systems and AI platforms) to inject “intelligence” into the automation of the process. Intelligence means that high-level cognitive human tasks such as evaluation and decision making along the process are automated through software. AI solutions are applied at all main stages of a process – input management, processing and output management.
Operational benefits: reduced cost, faster process run times and higher quality of output.
Strategic benefits: new internal and external customer experiences, increased competitiveness where intelligent automation is applied to customer-facing E2E processes.
Intelligent Enterprise (Automation)
Concept: Intelligent Automation is applied to most of the core processes of the enterprise. Non-core processes are either outsourced or highly automated to low-cost transactional back-office processes. The core processes are hosted on business platforms connecting suppliers (internal and external) with the end-customers. Focus is on providing information as new digital value and hence processes are managed as digital value streams.
Operational benefits: clear focus on core processes, lean operations focused on generating customer value, lower cost base through divesting traditional assets.
Strategic benefits: network effects through business platforms, increased (digital and physical) value delivered to customers that increases competitiveness and opens new markets that can be served through new business models.
