What is hyperautomation?
Hyperautomation refers to the use of smart technologies to identify and automate as many processes as possible – as quickly as possible.
Hyperautomation overview
The term hyperautomation describes a strategy more than a specific technology. The driving force behind it is the idea that business processes work better when they are automated. Automated business processes are faster and more accurate, plus they lend themselves to better tracking and analysis. Essentially, hyperautomation refers to the use of smart technologies like robotic process automation (RPA), low-code/no-code (LCNC) platforms, artificial intelligence (AI), and machine learning (ML) to identify and automate as many processes as possible – as quickly as possible.
Why is hyperautomation important?
Process automation describes the digitalized automation of process steps and workflows. It could refer to just one process, such as onboarding, or multiple interconnected processes such as those required to apply for and receive a loan.
Hyperautomation goes beyond traditional process automation in that it uses and combines various technologies and tools to automate and optimize business processes and task execution. This describes a comprehensive, holistic approach to process improvement to drive organizational efficiency, increase agility, speed innovation, and yield better business outcomes.
How does hyperautomation work?
Hyperautomation is a business-driven, disciplined approach that involves the orchestrated use of multiple technologies, tools, and platforms, including AI, ML, robotic process automation (RPA), modern ERP systems, and low-code/no-code development tools. Its aim is to rapidly identify, vet, and automate as many business processes as possible. The three main steps of hyperautomation are:
1. Discover and analyze processes: The first step involves identifying and prioritizing the processes within an organization that are suitable for automation. Prime candidates are workflows and tasks that are repetitive, rule-based, and time-consuming. A common approach to this step is the use of process mining and task mining solutions that use process data to identify potential areas for improvement
2. Automate and orchestrate: Different automation requirements call for different automation solutions. These can be a single technology solution for a simple task or workflow. Or a combination of multiple automation technologies for more complex requirements. Common technologies used in hyperautomation projects include:
Business applications for standardized best practice processes
RPA for manual tasks within a process
Workflow management for rule-based digital processes
Business AI for enhancing processes with intelligent automation, insights, and decision-making
Application and data Integration for connecting processes across applications, departments, and stakeholders and leveraging data from various source
3. Monitor and optimize: Business process management (BPM) solutions help you keep tabs on your automations. Continuous monitoring against process metrics ensures your processes run smoothly, highlighting process bottlenecks and process instances that need immediate attention to ensure operational excellence. Process analytics and performance benchmarking within the organization or against industry peers help to identify further process improvement opportunities.
Benefits of hyperautomation
Some of the core benefits of hyperautomation include:
Efficiency: Automation reduces error-prone manual tasks and processes. By speeding up cycle times and improving your first-time-right rate, your business can add value to your operations and improve productivity and profitability.
Agility: Businesses do not become less complex over time. The ability to define, digitalize, and document processes at speed, means your company has the agility to pivot, spin up new processes, and automate it all to maximize efficiency.
Innovation: Competing today means being able to develop innovative new business models, products, and services – and having the right technologies in place to do this quickly and effectively.
Compliance: Automation produces real-time data trails of digital processes. This helps to improve monitoring and demonstrate compliance – protecting both your teams and your business from risk and loss.
Challenges of hyperautomation
As for the challenges to hyperautomation initiatives, many business processes are deeply ingrained in corporate cultures and are passed down from one employee to the next. It can sometimes be hard for team members to look objectively at old processes that are second nature and seem to serve them well. Furthermore, some employees fear that automation technologies will be challenging to learn or – at worst – impact their positions. The fact is, nothing can replace the creativity and ingenuity of the people in your workforce. A good way to work through these challenges is to develop good change management strategies and communication plans that reassure teams and make it clear how error-prone, repetitive tasks can be alleviated, and a more fulfilling work environment can be realized.
Another area of concern is that many companies simply don’t feel that their legacy systems or data management tools are sufficient to support hyperautomation. And in fact, that’s probably true. Process automation can start very simply, with just a few basic tools and technologies. But to realize the desired speed and scope of hyperautomation, your business needs to be committed and invested in digital transformation. This realization seems to be bearing out with global enterprise investment in hyperautomation and RPA technologies predicted to rise seven-fold by 2025.
Finally, with interest in automation at an all-time high, a further challenge is the confusing patchwork of solutions on offer. Today, many businesses are realizing that they cannot achieve their hyperautomation goals by continually bolting on a selection of disconnected, single-purpose automation and integration tools.
Modern companies are looking to accelerate projects and improve the ROI from their hyperautomation efforts with a comprehensive, connected solution to integrate applications, discover process inefficiencies, and automate processes across heterogeneous enterprise environments. By providing the right tools for the right person for the automation challenge at hand, you can continuously improve your business processes.
Hyperautomation use cases
Business processes come in all different shapes and sizes and while the underlying strategies are the same, each area of your business will likely have different hyperautomation approaches and needs.
Certain departmental processes only address the needs of a relatively small user group of specialists performing essential but niche tasks. Traditionally, automating such processes have not delivered enough ROI to warrant the investment. However, LCNC technologies are changing the game for hyperautomation strategies. LCNC means that subject specialists in niche areas – who are not themselves able to do coding or programming – can nonetheless envision and implement automation processes to meet their unique needs.
Departmental and line-of-business activities such as finance, procurement, or human resources typically use core business applications to manage tasks and processes. However, there are often manual or semi-automated steps or tasks that precede, accompany, or follow transactions in these applications. Hyperautomation seeks to fully automate slow, manual processes. For example, you could automate the process of purchase requisition approval, which would then speed up and automate the creation of purchase orders. In addition, you could start identifying, extracting, and compiling essential information from emails or documents to improve and increase the automation rate going forward.
Cross-departmental or cross-line-of-business process orchestration connects business processes that span two or more business applications or systems. Core processes typically consist of high-volume tasks that deliver value to customers, are critical for the creation of products or services, and ensure the efficient operation of the organization. Such processes are prime candidates for hyperautomation. Examples that apply to most organizations include:
Customer journey: There’s no question that customer demands are becoming more complex every day. Hyperautomation strategies help businesses identify and automate the best-suited areas of customer experience. This includes personalized, omnichannel shopping experiences, seamless fulfillment, and the automation of feedback and input to support R&D and continuous product and service improvement.
Payables, receivables, invoices, and payroll: We are seeing a rise in gig workers, remote employees, and more complex vendor and supply chain networks. Hyperautomation initiatives seek to quickly identify, synchronize, and simplify all spend categories and processes, making them more consistent and secure.
End-to-end supply chain: End-to-end supply chain management relies on real-time visibility and connectivity. Hyperautomation strategies and tools can help to optimize and automate industrial IoT and supply chain processes – from materials sourcing to product design and planning, manufacturing, and logistics.
Recruit to retire: More than ever, recruitment is competitive and businesses are under pressure to hire, onboard, and train talent as quickly as possible. Hyperautomation seeks to identify and unify HR processes and integrate them with other interdependent departments. This automation can help you predictively target employment needs and customize processes and workflows for any eventuality.
In addition, hyperautomation doesn’t stop at the boundaries of individual organizations. Business networks that digitally connect suppliers, logistics and services providers, asset operators, maintenance contractors, and more can boost business resilience in an increasingly volatile world.
Advantages of hyperautomation
Hyperautomation contributes to overall organizational success and resilience in the following ways:
Future-proofing: Leveraging AI and ML technologies in hyperautomation projects can help you adapt as change occurs so that you remain agile, competitive, and capable of seizing new opportunities
Competitive advantage: By embracing hyperautomation, you can become more agile, efficient, and innovative when it comes to responding to market trends and customer demands.
Customer experience: Hyperautomation helps improve customer service by reducing response times, minimizing errors, and providing consistent experiences across all channels leading to higher customer satisfaction and loyalty.
Employee satisfaction: Your employees benefit from the elimination of mundane and repetitive tasks, enabling them to focus on more meaningful and creative aspects of their roles and leading to increased job satisfaction and engagement.
What’s the difference between hyperautomation and other automation technologies?
| Robotic process automation (RPA) | Business process automation (BPA) | Intelligent process automation (IPA) | Hyperautomation | Enterprise automation |
| Single tool | Multiple tools | Multiple tools | Orchestrated platform | Platform and ecosystem |
| Digitalize manual and repetitive tasks by mimicking human interactions with digital systems. | Use multiple technologies to design, implement, and manage process and task automation within an organization. | Use advanced AI and ML technologies with BPA to bring intelligence into processes. | Orchestrate the use of multiple technologies to automate and optimize as many processes as possible. | Adopt a strategic approach to the use of tightly integrated applications and technologies to optimize business operations. |
What is robotic process automation (RPA)?
Learn more about a key component of hyperautomation, RPA.