Enormous automation potential in business processes

Hyper-automation is the new buzzword. What it is exactly, where the potential lies, and how you view and approach it from the demand side.

Thomas Schaller, Managing Partner at ipt and expert in process automation, shows in C-Level magazine the great potential of artificial intelligence (AI) in the context of business process automation.

But first: What is actually meant by the term «hyper-automation»?

The old topic of automation was enriched with new tools and terms and summarized under the new term hyper-automation:

  • Modelling tools: With modelling tools etc. create models of processes. Without having to program in a big way and immediately executable.
  • BPM (Business Process Management) tools: help to automate more complex processes across several departments.
  • RPA (Robotics Process Automation) tool: help to automate routine activities performed by humans.
  • Business Rules Management Systems: Allows business rules abstracted from the program code to be easily changed by business users

These tool categories combined with the approach that process topics can be approached and advanced with AI, machine learning, speech recognition and processing, character recognition or chatbots can be summarized under the name hyper automation. «This is a step towards intelligent and decision-supporting business processes», as Thomas Schaller points out.

«Smart Data. Big Data & artificial intelligence. Ecosystems.» - Findings from the study

Over 100 decision-makers took part in the study conducted by ipt and C-Level in 2019. The result was that the majority (57%) saw greater potential in increasing earnings rather than reducing costs. «Accordingly, processes in the area of customer experience and marketing are seen as those with the highest potential for earnings,» explains Thomas Schaller, an expert in process automation. In the field of pattern and anomaly recognition, 44% of companies see promising applications for artificial intelligence.

3 possible ways of exploiting the enormous automation potential in business processes - and why exactly now, during Corona, is the right time for this

1. Bring your specialists together with AI experts

Your specialists know the processes in detail. The AI experts have practical experience with artificial intelligence.

«Creative ideas for process automation quickly arise from the exchange between experts.»
Thomas Schaller Managing Partner ipt

2. Use corona crisis to identify automation gaps

In times of crisis, gaps in automated and digitalized processes can be clearly identified. Are you considering how you could benefit from largely automated business processes at this time?

3. Identify gaps in business processes through modular workshops

Analyse the gaps using the following points:

  • What business value and customer benefit could you achieve?
  • Organizational aspects: centralized, decentralized, bottleneck resources, etc.
  • Technological aspects: What is missing? (See the categories of hyper-automation tools above)
  • Which governance and compliance aspects must be considered?
  • What is the business case for process improvement? Which quantifiable results are aimed for?
«The analysis results obtained can be easily displayed in heat maps. They show at a glance where the greatest potential lies.»
Thomas Schaller Managing Partner ipt

Application examples of AI potential in processes

  • Customer interaction (conducted by humans) could be supported by chatbots or voice assistants.

    Possible areas of application are: Customer support, electronic order processing, medical assistance, personal financial advice, education and training, personal assistance or in the leisure sector (support with electronic games).

  • Automatically detect customer reactions through sentiment analysis.

    In this way, trends can be extracted and complaints quickly identified.

  • Automatic text recognition, translation aids and automatic text generation for written interactions.

    Even handwriting can already be automatically recognized and processed. Automatic processing of text inputs and subsequent correct routing of the information offers new possibilities in process automation.

  • Create more accurate customer profiles and product recommendations in e-commerce

    This also allows the required stock levels to be predicted more accurately.

  • Image recognition and processing.

    This is used, for example, in medicine to analyze X-ray images or by insurance companies for an automated claims handling process.

  • Detection of fraud risk, errors or cyber security attacks thanks to Machine Learning.

    The pronounced ability of pattern recognition makes Machine Learning an optimal support in early recognition.

  • Triage and solve helpdesk cases, internal and external.

    This is a promising field in which automation can be further increased.

  • Strong automation in candidate recruitment with the matching process.

Thomas Schaller's conclusion is that we are moving towards completely autonomously managed business processes. In the future, customer interaction will be individual, personalized, at any time and on any channel. Hyper-automation can be an incentive without immediately lapsing into hyper-activism. «Get to work today! It's a good moment.»

Read the full article by our Managing Partner and expert in process automation Thomas Schaller published in C-Level magazine 2|2020.

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