How does intelligent automation affect business?

Over the last decade, several businesses have embraced automation technologies to increase operational efficiency, service and product quality, and budget management. However, in recent years, intelligent automation has piqued the interest of the corporate community.

Intelligent automation distinguishes itself by combining artificial intelligence with automation, and it is transforming the way labor is structured and duties are dispersed in practically every field. This fast-growing technology will enable firms to generate and handle massive volumes of data while also speeding up activities.

Most importantly, intelligent automation allows you to analyze and proactively correct errors the way teams of employees respond, but does so more quickly and accurately. It can be implemented as part of industrial maintenance in a manufacturing plant, for example, to keep equipment and systems in optimal condition, minimizing downtime and increasing productivity.

The goal of implementing such a solution is not only to increase efficiency, but also to be able to go beyond the usual boundaries, maximizing profits and productivity. This is what intelligent automation is all about on a global scale.

Intelligent automation helps companies bring three key elements to their operations:

  • Flexibility
  • Responsiveness
  • Lean

It allows organizations to better adapt to rapidly changing market conditions. In addition, companies can significantly reduce costs while increasing production. This is a dramatic change for businesses in terms of competitive advantage and the ability to remain profitable in a volatile economic environment.

Table of Contents

Intelligent automation technologies

Some of the most popular intelligent automation technologies include:

Robotic Process Automation (RPA)

RPA is used to perform many repetitive and routine tasks quickly. It not only speeds up processes but also makes it possible to perform tasks virtually error-free. Robotic automation also offers significant cost savings compared to having employees perform tasks manually.

These benefits are encouraging companies to rethink their need to hire additional teams for a number of tasks.

Virtual agents

Many firms are using virtual agents instead of actual support and call centers. Virtual agents provide various commercial advantages, including 24/7 availability, the capacity to manage large quantities of consumer inquiries in different languages, and fulfillment. Companies no longer have to worry about establishing customer service centers in every region and recruiting local employees.

Virtual machines remove process, location, time zones, and language problems, while also increasing productivity and lowering costs significantly.

Artificial Intelligence

With the use of artificial intelligence, businesses can perform more complex behavioral analytics with ease. Collecting, processing, and analyzing data manually is quite slow and not efficient enough and does not deliver the kind of results that are made possible with AI.

All of these solutions open up new opportunities for rapid business development, while employees can improve their skills and enhance their abilities to perform more complex tasks.

Challenges of implementing innovation

However, implementing innovation and change is never easy and comes with certain risks. The most common challenges of implementing intelligent automation technologies are:

• Lack of a concrete strategy for integrating new technologies.

In order to achieve the best results, it is crucial to conduct an audit and determine the current state of the business. There are also certain strategic aspects that need to be discussed and approved early on, such as deciding on the scale of automation—this could be small pilots or an enterprise-wide implementation—and shaping the governance structure and decision-making processes.

• Incorrect calculation of return on investment (ROI)

Analyze and set realistic expectations, realizing that initial ROI figures are still only rough estimates. You will be able to arrive at a much more realistic figure after a pilot implementation based on hypothesis testing. Once validated, continue to measure your return on investment regularly to determine if you should scale your smart automation implementation further.

• Mistakenly selecting an area of implementation

Predicting and determining which areas and processes to optimize in which regions and which processes will yield the most value is critical to the successful implementation of a new solution. Start small and build a library of processes to automate as you go.

• Lack of competencies

When implementing new technologies, the skills of in-house employees are not always enough. This includes not only technical competencies but also a general understanding of business processes and change management experience that will help the company grow in the future. In this case, you will either need to bring in additional teams or find a competent IT outsourcer to audit, consult, and help implement new solutions.

• Choosing an unscrupulous or unreliable vendor

In case you decide to outsource the implementation of intelligent automation solutions, it is important to study the different IT providers’ offerings, their advantages, and their reputation in the market. It is crucial that your IT outsourcer is prepared to not only implement the necessary solution, but also to provide ongoing support throughout the entire process. Choosing a reliable provider and, consequently, outsourcing a number of processes will allow companies to be sure that they have the constant support of professionals who are responsible for the operability of all processes.

• Doubts on the part of employees

Introducing new technology solutions can be met with a wave of resistance from employees. Be sure to explain and emphasize the benefits of the new approach for different teams and the positive impact of the implemented solution on the entire business.

Conclusion

Intelligent automation enables companies to effectively manage and optimize operational costs. These technologies can automate up to 25-50% of business processes, helping organizations achieve better results at lower costs, freeing up human resources to perform strategic and higher-value tasks, and enabling a sustainable position in the competitive landscape.

 

Image source: Freepik.

January 20, 2025

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