Hyperautomation is a strategy for expanding automation capabilities to any IT or business process by connecting people, workflows and systems.
Automation is growing business imperative, allowing organisations of all sizes and across every industry to increase efficiency, improve accuracy and free up valuable employee resources from time-consuming tasks. But while the benefits of automation are so widely recognised, businesses are now seeking to extend these advantages into previously non-automated areas. Now, more than ever, the line between what can and cannot be automated is beginning to blur. And, as digital business continues to evolve following the recent global pandemic, it is apparent that operational efficiency, business intelligence and employee experience have all become key differentiators.
Hyperautomation represents the next phase of digital business, creating an environment where organisations can do more with less, while also improving operational visibility and optimising the employee journey across every vital touchpoint.
To reach these goals, hyperautomation employs three important principles:
Hyperautomation is a strategic imperative that aims to automate the business as much as is possible to optimise efficiency. This leads to reduced operating costs.
Hyperautomation leverages an end-to-end view of processes and tasks, supplying decision makers with the visibility and insights they need to continuously improve the business and reduce operational risk.
Hyperautomation evolves how people work, allowing them to make a greater positive impact while also enhancing their experience. This promotes improved employee retention and increased revenue growth.
Hyperautomation is automation taken further. Both concepts involve the application of smart technologies to complete vital tasks without the need for manual, human intervention. But where automation occurs on a small scale, process by process, hyperautomation incorporates multiple automation tools and solutions—such as AI, machine learning, and robotic process automation—to create comprehensive automation initiatives.
In other words, automation uses technology to optimise specific, individual processes; hyperautomation applies automation capabilities to the entirety of the enterprise, automating wherever possible across the business for an end-to-end, cross-departmental approach that links automations directly to business outcomes.
Hyperautomation adds a layer of technology that expands both a business’ automation capabilities and the sophistication of the automations themselves.
In discussing hyperautomation, the conversation often includes robotic process automation (RPA)—the deployment of software ‘bots’ capable of learning, mimicking and executing business processes. While RPA and hyperautomation are both groundbreaking technologies, they serve distinct purposes and are generally applied in different contexts. While both are centred on automation, they differ in terms of their scope, flexibility, and end-to-end potential:
One major difference between RPA and hyperautomation has to do with what kinds of tasks and processes can be automated.
RPA is designed to automate simple, repetitive tasks. It's ideal for tasks that follow a fixed pattern and can be easily replicated by a machine without the need for advanced logic or decision-making.
In contrast, hyperautomation is a broader concept that leverages intelligent automation to streamline end-to-end business processes. It combines multiple tools and technologies to create more complex, integrated solutions.
There are different levels of intelligence inherent in intelligent automation, with some approaches needing more direction and clearer guidance.
RPA
RPA relies on rules-based programming, meaning it is most effective for tasks that adhere to a set of specific instructions. The technology is less adaptable to changes in the task structure or underlying data.
Hyperautomation
Hyperautomation, on the other hand, employs a mix of cutting-edge technologies such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, business process management, workflow orchestration and other automation tools. This combination allows it to be highly flexible and adaptable to various business needs and changes in the environment.
The holy grail of automation is the ability to automate complete, complex processes from beginning to end. That said, within these larger processes individual tasks must still be completed properly. RPA and hyperautomation allow for different approaches.
RPA
An RPA bot is typically limited to automating an individual task within a single application or system. It's powerful in its specificity but may struggle when trying to integrate multiple systems or handle more complex operations.
Hyperautomation
Hyperautomation transcends these limitations by enabling automation across multiple systems, applications and data sources. Its comprehensive approach ensures that entire business processes, rather than isolated tasks, are optimised and aligned with overarching business goals.
The rise in hyperautomation is a direct response to issues plaguing business organisations:
The implementation of new policies and safety/security measures following the COVID-19 global pandemic have caused operating costs to skyrocket in businesses around the world. Hyperautomation helps trim away excess operational expenses, so that organisations may continue to function within established budgets.
Businesses relying heavily on manual processes are often slow and error-prone, leading to inefficiencies and customer dissatisfaction. Hyperautomation reduces reliance on manual labour by automating repetitive tasks, while also increasing speed, accuracy and consistency in delivery.
With the continuous demand for new and improved technology solutions, there might be a shortage of skilled developers within an organisation. Hyperautomation can bridge this gap by enabling non-developers to create and manage automated processes, thus alleviating the pressure on the development team.
A substantial portion of employee time is often spent performing mundane, repetitive, yet still essential tasks. Hyperautomation removes these responsibilities from the shoulders of employees and gives them the freedom to focus on more-challenging work and to train and develop their talents within the company.
With so many options for touchpoints, the customer journey is becoming less linear and increasingly fragmented. Hyperautomation gives businesses the power to follow their buyers through the myriad of available channels, and to continue to guide them every step of the way.
Fragmented information and isolated departments can lead to communication breakdowns and reduced efficiency. Hyperautomation helps to unify disparate systems and promotes cross-departmental collaboration, enhancing information flow and operational cohesiveness.
Recent circumstances have proven that businesses must be able to respond quickly to emergent events if they wish to survive. Hyperautomation empowers organisations with the capacity to quickly scale according to new demands and requirements, making it easier for them to adapt to dynamic markets.
Business environments change rapidly. Organisations must be agile enough to adapt to new market trends and customer needs as they occur. Hyperautomation offers the flexibility to modify and adapt processes quickly, allowing businesses to stay ahead of the competition and respond effectively to evolving market conditions.
Hyperautomation has the capacity to streamline key processes across entire organisations, allowing businesses to run at peak operational efficiency. This means that companies which embrace hyperautomation can expect to see improvements, across the board. These benefits tend to fall into one of the following categories:
By implementing hyperautomation, businesses can provide more personalised and seamless interactions across various touchpoints in the customer journey. Automated responses, predictive analysis and other intelligent tools enhance customer satisfaction and loyalty.
Hyperautomation grows revenue while also taking many time-consuming, repetitive tasks from employees’ plates. The result is an improved experience for all involved.
Hyperautomation enables organisations to scale their operations effortlessly to meet changing demands. By applying automation across various functions and departments, businesses can quickly adapt to market fluctuations, expand their reach and grow without proportional increases in costs.
Hyperautomation and data analytics go hand in hand, allowing organisations to monitor and analyse the tasks they automate more closely. This promotes keener, more accurate insights and forecasts, reducing much of the risk associated with modern business.
By automating both simple and complex tasks, hyperautomation can lead to substantial cost savings. Reduced manual errors, increased speed, and the ability to operate 24/7 without excessive human intervention can translate into substantial financial advantages for the organisation.
The most obvious advantage, improved operational efficiency, affects business revenue in two ways: first, it cuts back on operational costs, helping organisations trim away unnecessary expenses. Second, it gives employees the power to accomplish more—automating complex operations allow employees to be more efficient, leading to increased returns.
Although specific hyperautomation initiatives may take different forms, they all tend to include certain specific features:
Hyperautomation is designed to reduce complexity and ensure ease of use for everyone in the business. As such, it is built on easy-to-use tools, so that those without computer-science backgrounds may still leverage business-led automation.
By relying on knowledge input from multiple teams and departments, hyperautomation demands increased coordination between IT and other business units.
Hyperautomation is the amalgamation of many different digital technologies spanning and integrating every business system. This fusion allows organisations to move past the limited benefits of individual technologies, and to access big-picture data and insights.
Due to its accessibility and the fact that it may be easily integrated throughout existing systems, hyperautomation sees widespread adoption within businesses.
Hyperautomation platforms offer flexibility and customisation to meet the unique needs and requirements of individual organisations. Tailored solutions can be crafted to align perfectly with the business's specific goals and operational environment.
Despite its complex capabilities, hyperautomation should be designed with a focus on user-friendly interfaces and processes. This simplicity enables wider adoption and utilisation, even by non-technical staff.
Properly implemented, hyperautomation solutions provide increased data insight, optimal resource deployment and reduced expenses, for an improved return on investment. These solutions should also include capabilities for tracking and reporting on ROI.
The hyperautomation toolbox includes many advanced technologies that coordinate together to not only automate important processes, but to also help direct businesses in selecting tasks for automation and improving how those tasks are performed. Instead of siloing important tasks, organisations can apply automation solutions to every aspect of their business, and manage the full complement of people, processes and tools as they interact across the enterprise—all from a single data model.
Technologies essential to hyperautomation include the following:
These tools offer both customised and ready-made automation solutions to meet various business needs. This dual approach allows organisations to design and adapt automations according to their unique requirements, or to simply plug and play their solutions right out of the box.
Automation discovery tools give businesses a clear idea of what existing processes and task-execution mechanisms look like, how they are performing and where the highest potential for value-based automation can be found. Visually presenting this data, these tools help decision makers locate new, untapped automation opportunities hidden within current systems.
As the name suggests, hyperautomation incorporates various automation tools, such as workflow automation, low code apps, integration, RPA and document processing. These tools allow businesses to approach manual or inefficient work with fit-for-purpose technology, capable of addressing the issues in question while also accommodating the technical skill of the user.
Hyperautomation leverages artificial intelligence (AI) specifically designed for automations, making possible a range of capabilities, including intelligent models for decisioning, virtual agents, document data digitisation, natural language processing and assisted app development. Additionally, machine learning (ML) employs computer algorithms to allow systems to automatically improve in accuracy and functionality over time. ML helps ensure that hyperautomation not only remains effective, but actually becomes more effective with continued use.
Even the most advanced automation must be measured and evaluated. Optimisation tools allow businesses to track the performance of their hyperautomation solutions and compare it against pre-established KPIs to identify process inefficiencies, performance issues and untapped opportunities. These tools include performance analytics, process optimisation and continuous improvement management.
Sophisticated analytics and intelligence tools provide insights into the ROI of hyperautomation initiatives (as well as the overall automation landscape), making it possible for businesses to make informed decisions and continuously align automation efforts with strategic goals.
Low-code platforms enable quicker and more accessible app development by allowing users to create applications through graphical user interfaces and configurations, instead of traditional hand-coded programming. This fosters innovation and agility within organisations by enabling a broader range of staff to develop and deploy applications.
The hyperautomation toolbox includes many advanced technologies that coordinate together to not only automate important processes, but to also help direct businesses in selecting tasks for automation and improving how those tasks are performed. Instead of siloing important tasks, organisations can apply automation solutions to every aspect of their business, and manage the full complement of people, processes and tools as they interact across the enterprise—all from a single data model.
Technologies essential to hyperautomation include the following:
These tools offer both customised and ready-made automation solutions to meet various business needs. This dual approach allows organisations to design and adapt automations according to their unique requirements, or to simply plug and play their solutions right out of the box.
Automation discovery tools give businesses a clear idea of what existing processes and task-execution mechanisms look like, how they are performing and where the highest potential for value-based automation can be found. Visually presenting this data, these tools help decision makers locate new, untapped automation opportunities hidden within current systems.
As the name suggests, hyperautomation incorporates various automation tools, such as workflow automation, low code apps, integration, RPA and document processing. These tools allow businesses to approach manual or inefficient work with fit-for-purpose technology, capable of addressing the issues in question while also accommodating the technical skill of the user.
Hyperautomation leverages artificial intelligence (AI) specifically designed for automations, making possible a range of capabilities, including intelligent models for decisioning, virtual agents, document data digitisation, natural language processing and assisted app development. Additionally, machine learning (ML) employs computer algorithms to allow systems to automatically improve in accuracy and functionality over time. ML helps ensure that hyperautomation not only remains effective, but actually becomes more effective with continued use.
Even the most advanced automation must be measured and evaluated. Optimisation tools allow businesses to track the performance of their hyperautomation solutions and compare it against pre-established KPIs to identify process inefficiencies, performance issues and untapped opportunities. These tools include performance analytics, process optimisation and continuous improvement management.
Sophisticated analytics and intelligence tools provide insights into the ROI of hyperautomation initiatives (as well as the overall automation landscape), making it possible for businesses to make informed decisions and continuously align automation efforts with strategic goals.
Low-code platforms enable quicker and more accessible app development by allowing users to create applications through graphical user interfaces and configurations, instead of traditional hand-coded programming. This fosters innovation and agility within organisations by enabling a broader range of staff to develop and deploy applications.
As previously stated, hyperautomation could be put to work in most industries and many use cases. More specifically, hyperautomation has seen wide implementation in the following areas:
- Supply chains management
Employee services
Enterprise payments
- Banking and finance
- Retail
- Insurance
- Healthcare
- Manufacturing
- Public Sector
- Life Sciences
Although the advantages of hyperautomation (improved customer experiences, increased business intelligence and optimal operational efficiency) are significant, this approach also brings with it certain challenges. Here we address issues that any business should be cognisant of when considering hyperautomation:
It is common for automation efforts to be met with trepidation, and hyperautomation is no exception. Employees might fear that they are being replaced, and organisations may not feel as though they have the right experience, resources or high-quality data they need to effectively implement automation on such a large scale. Businesses can address these concerns by offering training programmes designed to prepare everyone involved and share best practices for successful hyperautomation deployments, but to truly prepare a company for the realities of hyperautomation requires change management. Successful implementation requires a tailored approach that may involve changing technology, adapting processes or hiring skilled personnel.
With the need for automation steadily growing, the IT market is likewise showing an upswing in automation products. As a result, many businesses feel as though they are drowning in options, with no clear indication as to which ones they should commit to. Although frustrating, this issue is one that will resolve itself in time, as mergers and acquisitions refine the number of available products, leaving those that are best suited to specific tasks.
Any hyperautomation initiative is going to require buy-in from top management. Unfortunately, when the C-suite is not convinced, then that can create a seemingly impenetrable barricade. Taking a top-down approach, and starting by garnering support from management, can help resolve this issue early on. The returns from initial hyperautomation programmes will then help create positive perceptions throughout the organisation.
Given the many proven benefits of automation, it is not difficult to surmise that a move to hyperautomation will result in potentially significant returns. What can be difficult for a business is accurately calculating specifically what those returns will be, both in terms of tangible and intangible returns. One approach to calculating hyperautomation returns is to consider each task individually. Take the current cost of performing the task over a given length of time, then calculate how much it would cost to set up and operate an automation solution to handle that task for the same timeframe. Comparing the two numbers should provide a clearer picture of potential ROI.
Managing the multifaceted systems involved in hyperautomation can be a prohibitively complex task, requiring specialised expertise. Failure to properly manage the different components or fully understand how they interact can lead to inefficiencies, errors and disruptions in business operations. Ensuring seamless integration, creating clear documentation, and providing continuous monitoring and support can help address these challenges.
While hyperautomation can lead to significant efficiency gains, the upfront investment required for tools, infrastructure and expertise can be substantial. These costs include not only the purchase of automation technology but also the ongoing expenses related to maintenance, trainings, updates and scaling. Organisations must carefully consider their budget and create a clear financial plan, weighing the potential returns against the initial and ongoing expenses. Being aware of hidden costs and working with experienced vendors can mitigate the risk of unforeseen expenses.
Implementing hyperautomation requires handling a significant amount of sensitive data, raising critical concerns about data privacy and security. Ensuring compliance with regulations such as GDPR and maintaining the confidentiality and integrity of personal and business information is essential to a successful hyperautomation initiative. Organisations must implement thorough security measures and conduct regular audits and assessments to ensure that privacy requirements are being met. Being aware of hidden costs and working with experienced vendors can mitigate the risk of unforeseen expenses.
Hyperautomation is not just about the technology; it's about aligning that technology with a broader company strategy. Doing so requires a well-thought-out roadmap that considers the organisation's goals, culture and readiness for change. Decisions about what and how to automate should be based on business priorities rather than just the availability of technology itself. Working closely with stakeholders across the organisation ensures that the hyperautomation initiatives align with and support established objectives.
Hyperautomation is the adoption of automation throughout an entire organisation, enhancing every process being performed. This wide-scale adoption makes hyperautomation a large-scale endeavour, with all the potential hurdles and pitfalls that such a project entails. Here are several tips to help ensure a successful transition:
Without a clear understanding of the why behind a business’ switch to hyperautomation, there’s little motivation to drive digital transformation. Taking the time to identify and document exactly what they hope to achieve, organisations can then more effectively plan for hyperautomation and ensure that the resultant returns are in line with their objectives.
Achieving organisational buy-in is essential for the success of hyperautomation initiatives. This buy-in includes not just executive endorsement but also support and understanding from all levels of the organisation. Engaging stakeholders early and providing clear communication about the benefits and goals of hyperautomation can foster alignment and commitment across the organisation.
There are many hyperautomation solutions currently available, but that does not necessarily mean that every option is the right answer to every use case. Before committing to anything specific, companies must be thorough in conducting their research. This research should include not only vetting individual tools and products, but also researching industry competitors to see what they are already leveraging.
Implementing hyperautomation requires a combination of technological expertise and understanding of business processes. Securing the right resources and skills, both internally and externally, ensures that the organisation has the capability to design, implement, and manage hyperautomation solutions effectively. This might involve training existing staff or hiring experts with experience in the necessary technologies and methodologies.
An organisation’s hyperautomation solution is something that should be capable of scaling and evolving along with it. When selecting tools, consider how effective those tools will be not only in meeting current needs, but also meeting anticipated needs following future growth.
At its core, hyperautomation is not about machines or programs; it is about people and how they work. With this reality in mind, businesses need to place people at the centre of their hyperautomation initiatives, focusing on augmenting human activities and giving employees the right support to perform better and accomplish more through elevated work and experiences.
Hyperautomation is poised to introduce a new era in business capability. While this era may be powered by intelligent technologies, it will be built around people. ServiceNow, the leader in enterprise service management solutions, is pioneering this transformation by unifying technology and process silos within a single hyperautomation and low-code solution, accelerating automation at scale. By enabling both developers and no-code business professionals to build automation solutions, synchronising data across various systems, and enhancing developer productivity with low-code and generative AI, ServiceNow democratises digital transformation and fosters innovation across the entire business landscape.
ServiceNow's commitment to optimisation extends to both legacy and manual processes, enhancing them through digitisation and delivering experiences that resonate with employees and customers alike. The application of enterprise standards ensures that app quality and data security are maintained at the highest level, while full visibility into the organisation’s automation landscape allows for the discovery of new automation opportunities and ongoing tracking of operational health. The integration of personalised insights and KPI/ROI tracking further accelerates value realisation and enhances app development maturity.
Built on the award-winning ServiceNow AI Platform, ServiceNow is the ideal partner in achieving successful hyperautomation. Use digital workflows to connect vital processes and technologies and keep your people where they belong: right at the centre of it all.
See how the right approach to hyperautomation can help drive your digital transformation; contact ServiceNow today!