Study

Automation, robots and artificial intelligence are much discussed buzzwords that are associated with current and future solutions for process automation in companies. The survey  "Next Generation Process Automation" examines the different characteristics of software robots for process automation, their current and future significance, the expected savings potential and the challenges in the context of implementation. A total of 180 decision-makers from twelve industries in Germany, Austria and Switzerland were interviewed.

There are currently four classes of software robots designed to automate business processes:

• Robotic Process Automation (RPA)
• Cognitive Automation
• Digital Assistants
• Autonomous Agents

These four technologies differ in their degree of automation, the use of Artificial Intelligence and the nature and complexity of the processesfor which they can be used. An overview of the 4-step model for intelligent process automation can be found in our infographic.

Overview of some of the key results:

• Over 70% believe that automation technologies have a high potential to improve efficiencies
• Increasing operating efficiency and processing speed while freeing employees of repetitive tasks are seen as the primary advantages of the deployment of automation technologies
• The expected savings potential is 25% per technology used; additional savings potential of 20% is seen in the combination of technologies
• Over 50% plan to intensify the use of Automation Technologies
• RPA is seen as the first step on the road to intelligent process automation: More than 25% of those surveyed have already used RPA throughout the company or extensive in specific areas
• The usage of RPA/Cognitive Automation has met or exceeded the high expectations of approx. 80% of respondents