Hyperautomation – Beyond and Above End-to End Workflow Automation!

The quest never ends when your vision keeps on broadening! This was the case with the analysts at Gartner when they envisaged what is beyond automation -hyper-automation. Leveraging more advanced technologies to improve the already existing automation techniques is hyper automation, which is the real means for a digital-first business environment.

Hyperautomation is a cutting-edge approach to digital transformation that makes automation more effective by combining artificial intelligence, machine learning, and other advanced technologies.  Hyperautomation facilitates a more efficient, agile, and intelligent approach to streamline and optimize business processes. 

“The shift towards hyperautomation will be a key factor enabling enterprises to achieve operational excellence, and subsequently cost savings, in a digital-first world,” – Ms. Cathy Tornbohm, Distinguished research VP, Gartner.

Intelligent automation aids the digital transformation of businesses as they level up their enterprise automation driving them toward excellence. This write-up explores the concept of hyper automation, how it works, and the benefits it can offer your business. Let us dig deeper into hyper automation to take your automation game to the next level.

What is Hyperautomation?

For a long period of time, business processes have been automated to simplify complex routines with or without human intervention. Hyperautomation is the trending business technique that makes use of operational data and business expertise with advanced technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Language(ML), and Robotic Process Automation (RPA) to orchestrate business processes. 

As per hyper-automation definition, it is an advanced and expanded approach to business process automation that focuses on continuous improvement.  Hyperautomation enables organizations to automate business processes where the possibility of automation, previously was null. With hyper-automation at the helm, business ups and downs are better anticipated and handled with ease.

Hyperauomation Meaning- Explained

Gartner expects that by 2024, enterprises will have adopted at least three of the 20 process-agonistic categories of software that enable hyperautomation.

Hyperautomation is definitely an industrial revolution that creates a flexible automation ecosystem that is more efficient, agile, and intelligent.

Hyperautomation = Automation + Intelligence +Integration + Digitized Optimization.

In hyperautomation, the AI models are (trained and improved with the data) built into the digital system to automate (or even find the processes to be automated) and analyze the furthermore efficient ways /create bots to automate business processes. Training the AI models with operational data allows hyper-automation business environments to anticipate and react to the business ad-hocs. This systematic and strategic approach allows for greater precision and accuracy to vamp up their decisive power in real time.

How Does Hyperautomation Work?

Hyperautomation, the key to digital transformation enriches existing automation strategy with AI and ML making it more powerful, agile, and flexible. This improves business decisions without a need for human intervention.

Hyperautomation provides businesses with a strategy to access the stored operational data, make decisions based on operational data, improvise, and react to unstructured business inputs/ data. It also helps in building a framework where technologies/tools streamline business processes without human intervention. 

Hyperautomation commences in organizations by creating their digital twin ( DTO, digital twin organization) with the help of process mining and task mining. This initial step helps visualize the organization’s workflow/product functions that were previously opaque for automation Digital twins enable businesses to know their key performing areas, value-adders, and also the bottlenecks. Digital twins enable businesses to understand how processes interact with each other and create value while also highlighting what new strategies in hyper-automation make them more agile and further add value.

Hyperautomation leverages technologies like AI, ML, and RPA enabling intelligent automation systems in the digital business environment, which means that the system can learn from user interactions and adapt to changing conditions. This approach reduces the need for human intervention and associates them with more productive or creative tasks. 

Hyperautomation system makes decisions and takes actions based on the data it collects or trained on, resulting in more efficient and accurate automation with the help of no-code/low-code applications and other AI facets like Natural Language Processing (NLP), Optical Character Recognition, and many more.

Thus hyper-automation facilitates the automation of repetitive tasks while using advanced technologies to improvise automation or allow businesses to create their own automation.  Another key feature in hyper-automation is interaction with virtual machines assisted by conversational AI resulting in significant cost savings and increased productivity.

Technologies Used In Hyperautomation

Hyperautomation involves the integration of various technologies and tools to create end-to-end automation solutions. Hyperautomation enables intelligent automation, allowing systems to learn from user interactions and adapt/react to changing conditions. 

Robotic Process Automation (RPA)

Robotic process automation allows robots to execute repetitive, organized operations in digital systems by configuring software.

Machine Learning( ML)

Machine Learning technology employs algorithms to teach computers to accomplish difficult tasks on their own without the need for additional human programming.

Artificial Intelligence( AI)

The goal of Artificial Intelligence is to build robots that can make decisions and solve problems by mimicking human logical thinking.

Big Data, chatbots, and cobots which are based on AI, ML, NLP, OCR, iBPMS, and virtual intelligence machines also contribute to the hyper-automation to revolutionize business automation.

Hyperautomation Vs Automation

Hyperautomation and automation are two terms that are closely related but involve distinct concepts. Though both apprehend automation there are a few distinctives to watch out for. 

Automation simplifies the complex process by orchestrating the repetitive process and deploying workflows to streamline/optimize them. While hyper-automation involves the use of advanced technologies to orchestrate and deploy bots to create workflows. These bots create the workflow based on their interpretation of how the repetitive/structured task is handled manually and accomplish the strategy to optimize them.

Automation is the process of using technology to automate specific tasks or workflows. It involves using software to perform tasks that were previously done manually, such as data entry, report generation, or invoice processing.

Automation can improve process efficiency and reduce errors by eliminating manual labour and streamlining workflows. Hyperautomation goes beyond traditional automation with automated process discovery, which means that hyperautomation systems learn from user interactions and adapt to changing conditions. 

Traditional automation is a more targeted approach that focuses on automating specific tasks or workflows relying on structured data, while hyper-automation is a more comprehensive and broad approach that involves automating complex business processes end-to-end. i.e. automation does not involve only automating repetitive tasks but also expands to gather data and inspect/ analyze them to generate and systematic approach. Intelligent document processing in hyper-automation is the fundamental difference between the two. 

Conventional automation systems involve manpower to process unstructured data while systems deal with structured ones. In Hyperautomation, systems make use of technological advancements like OCR, fuzzy logic, NLP, pattern detectors, and image processors to extract data from the unstructured and analyze them to automate the business processes with a more advanced strategy.

This helps reduce manual errors while improving skills and time management for employees. The hyper-automation framework also pulls up advanced analytics with insights provided by the bots. This has a positive impact on planning and the decisive power of the business.

Importance of Hyperautomation for Businesses

The term automation is not a buzz anymore while hyperautomation is. Though hyperautomation is a key factor in embracing digital transformation and operational excellence, many organizations are yards away from hyperautomation framework.

Hyperautomation enables the integration and orchestration of multiple automation tools and technologies, creating a seamless and streamlined automation ecosystem. The approach that hyperautomation adopts makes businesses create their own automation processes.

Hyperautomation benefits organizations with automated process discovery, intelligent document structuring and processing, and advancement in the analysis of data reports.

Gartner predicts that merging hyperautomation technology with improved operational procedures would reduce operational expenses by 30% by 2024.

With hyperautomation, businesses can automate tasks across multiple departments and functions, including finance, HR, operations, and customer service, among others. By automating these tasks, businesses can reduce errors, increase speed, and improve productivity, resulting in cost savings and improved customer satisfaction. The multitude of such benefits along with multiple technologies- embracing hyperautomation is a chance to become a digital-first business to thrive in this competitive landscape.

Benefits of Hyperautomation

“The main drivers of hyperautomation are better efficiency (58%), faster delivery speed (54%), and enhanced customer/user experience (46%)” -Mulesoft survey.  

Hyperautomation is important for businesses for several reasons. These numbers show the strong and growing adoption of hyper-automation and how it is becoming an increasingly important strategic priority for businesses. Let us discuss a few of its benefits around efficiency, speed working, costs, and the customer experience to drive digital excellence.

1. Quick and Efficient

Hyperautomation technology benefits organizations with multiple layers of intelligence and disruptive tools and technologies like AI, ML, RPA, and NLP which aids in setting up an automation framework that acts efficiently and reacts with agility. Hyperautomation spurs the efficiency of the business bringing the most out of it.  

2. Employee Satisfaction

The use of technologies aids in building an automation-first environment where human intervention is minimal/null in areas that are automated. This has helped organizations reduce the occurrence of human errors in their daily mundane activities and saved them time, cost, and reputation. This makes employees feel content to engage themselves in more productive ways boosting their creativity and morale in their workplace.

3. Increased Productivity

Hyperautomation tools find efficient ways to automate automation and help organizations build their own automation. End-to-end automation finds its maximum potential for productivity when it is cohesive in intelligence technologies. Hyperintelligent automation accesses the stored operational data of the past and improvises the environment where the bots find where automation gets a place. This utilization of the data and hyper-intelligent automation techniques boosts productivity to a greater extent.

4. Accelerated Complex Process

Since the hyperautomation framework relies on data or knowledge from how things are handled manually, the hyperautomation tools are more efficient in transforming complex business processes into optimized processes at a decreased operational cost and time. The investment to train the workforce is drastically reduced and hyperautomation tools are efficient enough to do the work of a number of employees at a reduced cost and time.

5. Efficient Data Extraction

Hyperintelligent automation has access to the data which was previously just stored for documentation. The bots being trained on such data are capable of extracting data from unstructured formats and bringing up an efficient workflow to accelerate the optimization process.

6. Improved Process Visibility

Hyperautomation technology creates a digital twin   (DTO) which creates a visual representation of processes, potential loopholes, and new opportunities to improve which are automated by RPA.  With this digital replication, businesses experience a plethora of benefits to streamline business processes with greater visibility building real-time value-added insights. Such insights aid in building a framework for continuous improvement. 

The benefits of hyperautomation platform are extensive as it encourages businesses to invest in advanced technologies and establish themselves in digital transformation and operational excellence with boosted accuracy, enhanced scalability and reduced operational costs.

Challenges Of Hyperautomation

The promise of hyperautomation is undeniably exciting. It is no doubt that hyperautomation enables companies to work smarter, faster, and more strategically but there are potential drawbacks and challenges to implementing hyperautomation.

Here are some of the most common obstacles to implementing hyperautomation:

1. Complex to Implement:

The usage of multiple advanced technologies in hyperautomation platforms requires a deep understanding of the advancements and how they work and how can be integrated with the existing system. This makes hyperautomation complex to implement and involves more time too.

2. Expensive:

Investing in a blooming technology involves much cost and expertise for hyperautomation in reality. Hyperautomation tools involve collective use of such advancements which leads to extensive investment, maintenance, and training costs.

3. Resistance to Change:

Employees find it difficult to adapt to the culture of engaging with multiple technologies at a time in hyperautomation platform. To leverage the full potential of hyperautomation, companies must carefully map out processes suitable for automation, pay attention to change management, and continually retrain workers while implementing thoughtful organizational change. This can bring change in sceptical employees that resist adjustment to hyperautomation environment.

4. The measure of Metrics:

Difficulties pertain to how to measure the positive impact hyperautomation has created in an environment. Some organizations even find it difficult to commence the strategy in real time and adapt.

When implementing new advancements, organizations might encounter issues regarding their data privacy and security. It is the responsibility of the organization to check for metrics like scalability, compliance, and security. On the other hand, hyperautomation involves more diverse tools and complex technologies, which is overwhelming in a dynamic and constantly changing market.

The tools if dynamic, and the query falls on the scalability part. Thus such obstacles make it difficult for hyperautomation strategy to find the right fit in the business environment. However, businesses can overcome these challenges with proper planning and execution and reap the benefits of hyperautomation.

Footprints of Hyperautomation: Use Cases

Hyperautomation can impact almost any process-oriented function to help companies work smarter, faster, and more efficiently. The key to digital transformation lies in identifying the right automation opportunities. The potential applications of hyperautomation are vast and span various industries.

Organizations of all sizes experience a potential surge in productivity in different sectors of finance, human resource, retail and manufacturing, customer service, logistics, inventory and supply chain management, healthcare, data analytics, and IT management and marketing. The transformative approach of this intelligent automation technology has harnessed its potential to streamline business processes, reduce errors, minimize costs, and improve process efficiency.

Hyperautomation involves automated process discovery and has the ability to create a systematic workflow with both structured and unstructured data and continuously improve the way of handling tasks and perform this workflow using bots.

The advanced data storage in hyperautomation technology processes data even of unstructured flows using technologies like pattern recognition and analysis for insights extracting data from the records. This has made hyperautomation to harness digital environment benefits without human intervention in the mentioned business processes. 

How To Build A Hyperautomation Strategy?

Here are a few considerations that help you build an hyperautomation and implement its strategy effectively.

• Know your organization’s goals and automation needs. Gather data regarding the current processes and existing automation techniques. Learn about the potential loopholes and where hyperautomation fits the best in your organization.
• Map out the processes involved in your businesses and deploy the workflows in real-time. Know your rule-based, repetitive, unstructured, and high-value tasks. Let hyperautomation create more systematic flows.
• Train the AI model using the stored operational data to facilitate better systematic orchestration of business processes.
• Identify the tools in usage and expand your knowledge of tools used in hyperautomation. Seek expert advice. Determine which technologies like RPA, AI, etc. are most suitable for automating the identified processes. Consider both proprietary and open-source tools.
• Invest in training your workforce to adapt to the change that hyperautomation brings to your workplace. Train your employees to embrace the change.
• Implement the right fit hyperautomation strategy and tools. Monitor the improvements and take help from the analytics and reports. Track key metrics like time savings, cost reduction, and error reduction. Use the insights to optimize the automated processes.
• Integrate and ensure the scalability and compliance of the tool. Know about the alternate choices. Plan the necessary integrations with your ERP, CRM, and other internal systems.  
• Ensure periodic checks to measure the effectiveness of the implemented hyperautomation. Put controls in place to manage the automated processes, including exception handling, change management, and logging.

Final Thoughts

The automation genie is out of the bottle and it’s not going back. Companies that don’t explore hyperautomation are likely to fall behind. With a sound strategy, the right mix of technologies, and an openness to reimagine processes, businesses can navigate the automation future with enormous success.

The efficiency and productivity gains will be too hard to pass up. We are still in the early stages of this automation wave. As technology advances, hyperautomation will become an increasingly integral part of how leading companies operate and compete. Hyperautomation is about working smarter – and if companies are smart, they will seriously invest in it. When done right, hyperautomation allows people to focus on more meaningful work, drives innovations, and helps businesses gain a competitive edge.

Cflow as a no-code business process automation solution is one such powerful decision to embrace hyperautomation. 

Revolutionize your way of automation with Cflow -take the first step towards hyperautomation! Sign up now!