The last two decades have completely changed the rules by which enterprises operate. Previously, people created new technologies and devised methods for solving business problems. The whole world worked thanks to human activity. Today, the trend is different: more and more enterprises prefer algorithms to the efforts of their employees.

Software has long been solving many problems better than people, but that’s not enough for stable and error-free work. Every year, more and more functions are moving toward streamlining. With the development of AI, transformations have become even faster.

Intelligent automation (IA) is the independent execution of complex or repetitive tasks. It can help entrepreneurs significantly reduce expenditures and ensure sustainable development. 

Components of the technology 

Some CEOs start by automating iterative processes. Robotic process automation (RPA) does this well. Robots do not get tired and clearly execute basic tasks. This helps increase productivity and free up employees’ time for more creative work.

But when RPA is faced with new, previously unknown conditions, its effectiveness approaches zero. In such a situation, intelligent solutions come into play. IA is achieved by integrating ML and AI into RPA. This creates an additional layer of human-like perception and prediction.

Intelligent automation handles unstructured information well. This makes it the ideal pairing with RPA. That is why machine learning is a central component of the technology. The accuracy of ML models using neural networks is very high, and this allows you to work autonomously and make decisions without human intervention.

The union of RPA and AI creates powerful synergies that companies can apply across departments such as finance, HR, logistics, and more. 

How IA changes business processes

It is clear that automation can revolutionize business. IA helps enterprises better adapt to fluctuating market conditions, reduce costs, and increase productivity. However, what kind of transformations are taking place in the company’s structure? Here are some examples:

• Less time for routine tasks. Even the RPA can handle this. Automation allows for not only accelerating processes but also performing tasks with virtually no errors. And this, in turn, can influence hiring decisions.
• Use of chatbots. This technology is now actively replacing physical operators. Among its advantages are round-the-clock availability and the possibility to process many customer requests and communicate with clients in their languages. This has a positive effect on the company’s costs and customer contentment.
• More advanced analytics. Manual collection, processing, and analysis of data is rather slow and not efficient enough. IA brings better results and helps to make more accurate management decisions.
• Scalability. With an increase in the number of clients or employees, the algorithms will continue to work just as efficiently. Teaching new workers to perform manual tasks takes time and a significant investment.

All of the above advantages do not mean at all that IA is a universal solution that will instantly solve all business problems. Transforming a company’s operation with smart algorithms takes time and a lot of effort. However, this is exactly the situation when the initial investment will pay off for many years to come.

Transformations must be “smart” to be useful. IA should be part of your business strategy; otherwise, rash innovations may not bring the desired results. The company and employees must adapt to new working conditions because the point of automation is not to completely replace people but to create a reasonable and efficient balance between people and machines. 

How to build a center of excellence? 

To leverage the power of IA, many firms create automation centers of excellence (CoE). This is a division within the company dedicated to the development and implementation of RPA (as well as AI) in the daily life of the company and its workers. 

How to Build an Automation Center? It is a rather time-consuming goal that requires a thorough knowledge of the necessary tools, as well as technical training of the team. Often, enterprises turn to a contractor who is highly qualified in this area. However, an independent creation of the center is also possible. It usually includes three steps:

• Gathering a team of qualified specialists with clearly defined tasks, roles, and responsibilities;
• Development of a team strategy and its approval by management;
• Creation of a resource and task management model.

Building a successful CoE is impossible without using the right tools to organize work, collect information, and record metrics. However, the CoE will allow employees and managers to address more important tasks, open up new horizons, and achieve new business goals.