In today’s post-pandemic era, automation will continue to be the driving force to soothe the aftershocks of the pandemic, not only to supplement the existing workforce but also to unlock new business capabilities and strategize growth.
Since the first industrial revolution, automation has driven all digital transformation goals, but the emergence of robotics and artificial intelligence has increased its influence. According to Precedence Research, the size of the worldwide industrial automation market is anticipated to reach a whopping $412.8 billion by 2030.
Considering such vast potential, it is safe to say that businesses can employ IT process automation, confirming it to top their investment charts in 2023.
The top 5 automation trends for 2023 indicate a shift towards intelligent automation and IT process automation tools, which unlocks a broader variety of corporate benefits from the original focus on improving output while lowering labor costs. So, let’s explore:
- Trend 1: Low-Code & No-Code
Due to the visual interfaces used by low-code and no-code platforms, users can develop business automation solutions without a thorough understanding of coding. On the other hand, no-code platforms can be coded quickly with the bare minimum expertise, freeing up the IT staff to concentrate on more strategic objectives.
Because low-code and no-code platforms are simple to adopt and seamless, users may quickly build solutions without needing coding or programming experience, which corporate customers have commended. Since 2023 is expected to see a significant increase in the usage of low-code and no-code platforms by industries globally, market players have included these platforms in their product selection.
- Trend 2: Intelligent Automation
The development of AI is being accelerated by hyper-automation across many different tasks. Generative design is the most commonly mentioned out of all. The traditional interactive methods used to create apps, user flows, screen models, and presentation layer scripts for digital products can be automated using an AI-augmented design solution. Depending on the inputs of style, pricing, strength, weight, and other product criteria, engineers can select from many design options utilizing this intelligent design technology, which is supported by natural language processing (NLP) and machine learning (ML) capabilities.
For instance, automation would enable workers to work much faster while still producing work since robots would perform repetitive chores. Since they have more time to work on “what” the consumers want rather than spending most of their time on “how” to make it work, the designers can concentrate more on the creativity and scalability aspect of the project.
- Trend 3: Security Automation
One of the top concerns for CIOs across sectors has been data security. Security leaders are developing new strategies for IT workflow automation to build solid and resilient foundations for their organizations. Automated security, or 24-hour security that doesn’t require human involvement, has been launched by many information security OEMs. This type of protection uses AI and ML to continuously monitor the data environment. To identify and respond to cyber threats, it also uses established algorithms.
Since the pandemic, security professionals and organizations have been calling for the use of cybersecurity mesh, which enables the integration of various security services into a single flexible architecture. According to Gartner, organizations implementing the aforementioned architecture will see an average 90% reduction in the cost impact of security events by the year 2024. They must, however, manage connections, APIs, and automated bots from a single administration interface to be successful.
- Trend 4: Intelligent Document Processing
In 2023, intelligent document processing (IDP) will evolve significantly as enterprise automation technology advances. IDP will improve its capacity to comprehend the context and intent of documents, enabling more precise automation of document-based activities. More accurate data will lead to quicker processing times and better client experiences.
It has been predicted that many IDP suppliers will expand the scope of their value proposition in the future to include unstructured data processing (UDP) as a whole. UDP solutions may shape unstructured data from various sources, not simply text-based documents, because of more recent applications of AI like computer vision, NLP, and video analytics. These include movies, social media updates, pictures, phone calls, etc.
- Trend 5: Generative AI
A type of artificial intelligence known as “generative AI” can create a wide range of content, including text, images, audio, and synthetic data. The ease of use of new user interfaces for quickly producing high-quality text, pictures, and movies has fueled recent interest in generative AI.
Generative AI is primarily focused on AI algorithms and machine learning techniques that create entirely new documents for ease of use and faster delivery. Generative AI can be employed for a variety of tasks, including creating software programs, processing photos, accelerating the creation of drugs, and growing and developing organizations. So, yes, 2023 has been the year of Generative AI, and it is all set to shape the coming years of the IT industry.
Unlocking the Benefits of Business Process Automation
According to a 2018 global McKinsey review, 57% of respondents had already begun automating their business cycles and planned to do so more. But, post the pandemic, the adoption rate has been extremely high as businesses realized the need for technology backup. By 2024, 69% of all administrative work, according to Gartner, will be automated.
Below listed are the benefits extracted from the very top IT process automation use cases that businesses need to decode:
- Saves Money: Automation can help organizations save money by reducing the need for manual labor and reducing human error, which can result in expensive blunders.
- Enhanced Productivity and Efficiency: The speed and precision of corporate operations can be significantly increased by automating repetitive and time-consuming procedures, which boosts productivity and efficiency.
- Enriched Customer Experience: Process automation can increase customer satisfaction and loyalty by speeding up and improving client interactions.
- Accuracy and Reliability: Automated processes improve data accuracy and consistency throughout the organization since they are less prone to mistakes, biases, and discrepancies.
- Strengthens Decision Making: Large volumes of data can be gathered and analyzed by automated procedures, providing useful insight for informed decision-making.
- Enhanced Compliance: Automated procedures can help assure adherence to rules and specifications, lowering the possibility of penalties and legal action.
Rounding Up the Conversation!
2023 is the year of enterprise-wide automation, unique as solutions like ChatGPT rules all the news. Organizations will be forced to automate processes and reduce their reliance on human labor as a result of competition, a skills gap, and growing talent costs.
Automation will also free up the talent pool to work on more productive tasks, supporting professional and skill development while reducing work-related stress from repetitive and duplicate jobs.
To increase productivity, manage customer queries, simplify operations, and deliver rich, omnichannel customer experiences, businesses worldwide must innovate and adopt cutting-edge automation technologies and IT automation tools in 2023 and beyond.
So, businesses must get on these trends with the power of automation. Want to explore more? Reach out to AutomationEdge for a Free Demo!
FAQ
A: IT process automation involves the use of technology to streamline and automate repetitive, manual tasks and processes within an organization’s IT infrastructure. It aims to improve operational efficiency, reduce human errors, enhance productivity, and enable IT teams to focus on higher-value tasks. With the increasing complexity and scale of IT operations, IT process automation has become crucial for organizations to stay competitive, agile, and responsive to business needs.
A: Several trends are fueling the adoption and growth of IT process automation in 2023, including:
1. Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML): AI and ML technologies are being integrated into IT process automation tools to enable intelligent decision-making, predictive analytics, and advanced automation capabilities.
2. Robotic Process Automation (RPA): RPA is being leveraged to automate rule-based, repetitive tasks across IT systems, improving efficiency and reducing manual effort.
3. Hybrid and Multi-Cloud Environments: With the increasing use of hybrid and multi-cloud architectures, IT process automation is essential for seamless orchestration, provisioning, and management of resources across diverse cloud environments.
4. DevOps and Agile Practices: IT process automation is integral to DevOps and Agile methodologies, enabling continuous integration, delivery, and deployment, as well as automating testing and monitoring processes.
5. Security and Compliance Automation: Automation is being utilized to enhance security measures, such as vulnerability scanning, threat detection, and compliance audits, ensuring proactive and timely responses to potential risks.
A: IT process automation brings several benefits to organizations, including:
1. Improved Efficiency and Productivity: Automation reduces manual effort, accelerates task completion, and minimizes errors, leading to increased productivity and operational efficiency.
2. Cost Savings: By automating routine tasks, organizations can optimize resource utilization, reduce labor costs, and achieve higher cost savings in the long run.
3. Enhanced Agility and Scalability: Automation enables organizations to scale their IT operations rapidly, respond to changing business needs, and adapt to evolving technologies and market demands.
4. Improved Quality and Reliability: Automation ensures consistent and standardized processes, reducing the risk of human errors and enhancing the quality and reliability of IT services.
5. Focus on Innovation: By automating repetitive tasks, IT teams can shift their focus to strategic initiatives, innovation, and delivering higher-value services to the business.
A: Organizations can implement IT process automation by following these key steps:
1. Identify Automation Opportunities: Assess existing processes, workflows, and tasks to identify suitable candidates for automation. Look for repetitive, manual tasks or processes that are time-consuming, error-prone, or resource-intensive.
2. Choose the Right Automation Tools: Select automation tools that align with your organization’s needs, infrastructure, and goals. Consider factors such as scalability, integration capabilities, ease of use, and vendor support.
3. Define Automation Workflows: Map out the desired automation workflows, specifying the sequence of tasks, dependencies, inputs, and outputs. Design the workflows to achieve the desired outcomes and efficiency gains.
4. Implement and Test Automation: Develop and deploy the automation workflows using the chosen tools. Thoroughly test the automation processes to ensure they function as intended and address potential edge cases or exceptions.
5. Monitor and Refine: Continuously monitor and evaluate the automated processes, collecting data and feedback to identify areas for improvement. Refine the automation workflows based on feedback and evolving business requirements.
A: While IT process automation offers significant benefits, organizations may face certain challenges during adoption, such as:
1. Resistance to Change: Employees mayresist adopting automation due to fear of job displacement or unfamiliarity with new processes. It is important to address these concerns through proper communication, training, and emphasizing the value-added nature of automation.
2. Complexity and Integration: Implementing automation across diverse systems and applications can be complex. Integration challenges may arise when connecting different tools, systems, or APIs. It is essential to plan and ensure compatibility and seamless integration.
3. Process Standardization: Automation requires well-defined and standardized processes. Lack of process documentation or inconsistencies can hinder the successful implementation of automation. Organizations should prioritize process standardization before automation to maximize its effectiveness.
4. Continuous Monitoring and Maintenance: Automated processes need to be monitored continuously to identify and resolve any issues or errors. Maintenance tasks, such as updating automation scripts or addressing changes in underlying systems, are crucial to ensure the automation remains effective over time.
5. Security and Compliance: Automation introduces new security risks, such as unauthorized access or exposure of sensitive data. It is essential to implement robust security measures and adhere to compliance requirements throughout the automation journey.
6. Return on Investment (ROI) Assessment: Calculating the ROI of IT process automation can be challenging. Organizations should establish clear metrics and mechanisms to measure the impact of automation on cost savings, productivity gains, error reduction, and overall operational efficiency.
