An introduction to intelligent automation

Scroll down your LinkedIn newsfeed, and you’ll find that every other post mentions artificial intelligence. But what exactly is it?! And how can enterprises harness its potential right now?

That’s where intelligent automation comes in. It can mean many different things to different people, but keeping it simple, it makes our lives easier by taking away manual tasks and freeing up time for strategic, high-value work.

In this blog, I’ll cover what intelligent automation is, where it can be applied, and some of its benefits.

What is intelligent automation?

Intelligent Automation (IA) combines robotic process automation (RPA) and artificial intelligence (AI) to reduce the burden of repetitive, manual tasks on employees.

Automation is simply computer-coded software that can be programmed to do repeatable tasks, mirroring actions taken by humans while interacting with applications, the internet, and other computer-based programs. It is built around defined rule-based processes, so robots can only action what it has been coded to do. Combining with AI makes automation smarter; the software can make decisions and process the next best action based on a pre-set machine learning model.

Here’s an example to bring it to life. Your customer service team receives hundreds of messages a day. In the past, an agent would manually read and process queries based on the information in the message: sending complaints to the complaints team, renewals to the renewal team, and so on. All the while new messages keep coming to the top of the list.

With the help of intelligence, a robot can automatically “read” the message, classify it correctly based on the content, and then automatically pass it through to the relevant team to action. In some cases, the robot could action the request.

Your customers will receive faster, better service, enhancing their experience with your brand, and your agents can focus on more complex queries and keep trickier customers happy. It’s a win-win situation.

What processes can you automate?

Without a doubt, some processes in your business could be automated, saving you time, money, and productivity for other higher-value tasks. There are some classic tell-tale signs to identify highly automatable jobs:

• Highly manual and repetitive processes
• High volume, low complexity
• Processes with standard readable electronic type
• Processes with a low exception rate
• Stable processes and underlying applications
• Processes performed by large teams
• Manual swivel chair processes.

Believe me when I say, some of our clients do not always get this right. We can support you by discovering a “hopper” of high-value transformational opportunities accelerating business outcomes.

But in our experience, most businesses look to processes in the finance and accounting department when first embarking on an intelligent automation journey. Up to 40% of processes can be automated across payables, receivables, and audit requirements. It’s where you can see some of the most significant investment returns.

Take one of our aerospace clients, for example, who saved the equivalent of one working week per month by implementing intelligent document processing in their account’s payables department.

What are the benefits of implementing intelligent automation?

• Accelerated transformation – Among global executives, 63% say automation is a major component in digital transformation
  (Pegasystems Survey)
• Major cost savings – Automation drives rapid, significant improvement to business metrics across industries and around the world
  (Source: IT Central Station: Key Drivers of Time to Value in RPA)
• Greater resilience –  Robots can ramp up quickly to match workload peaks and respond to big demand spikes
  (Source: Learn how RPA helped scale COVID testing)
• Higher accuracy – 57% say automation reduces manual errors
  (Source: Forrester, “Impact of RPA on Employee Experience”)
• Improved compliance – 92% agree automation has ‘met or exceeded expectations’ for better compliance.
  (Source: Deloitte “3rd Annual RPA Survey” 2018)
• Boosted productivity – 68% of global workers believe automation will make them more productive
  (Source: UiPath survey of 4,500 global workers)
• More value from personnel – 60% of executives agree automation enables people to focus on more strategic work.
  (Source: Forrester, “Impact of RPA on Employee Experience”)
• Happier employees – 57% of executives say automation increases employee engagement.
  (Source: Forrester, “Impact of RPA on Employee Experience”)

Sounds too good to be true! But seriously, my favorite projects are those where businesses focus less on the immediate cost savings but on all these other amazing benefits. Cost avoidance and compliance can be far more valuable than the simple cost saved.

Finally, why Tquila? 

We’re living in an acceleration economy. In every industry and geography, business cycles now spin faster, competitors take action more rapidly, and customers demand more—right away. Intelligent automation bridges that gap. To ensure your program is robust, scalable, and returning investment within weeks, not months, we recommend working with a trusted partner to design and deliver intelligent automation solutions.

We’ve been automating processes since robots were invented, and that experience flows throughout our advisory and delivery methodologies and teams. With Tquila, you will access industry-leading knowledge, including direct access to UiPath – a market leader in ai-powered automation software.