Here’s what you need to know about SAP’s strengths and cautions, the latest Gartner analysis, and how you can build a smarter automation roadmap.

Robotic process automation (RPA) is no longer optional for companies—it’s a strategic imperative. According to the 2025 Gartner® Magic Quadrant™ for Robotic Process Automation, the market grew by 18% last year, reaching $3.8 billion in revenue. But growth isn’t the only story. The market is also undergoing a fundamental shift. The emergence of AI agents, computer use (CU), and business orchestration platforms is reshaping how organizations think about automation.

In this context, SAP is proud to be recognized as a Challenger in the 2025 Gartner Magic Quadrant for Robotic Process Automation.

But what does “Challenger” really mean? And how should customers interpret the Gartner insights, considering their own automation goals?

Let’s explore the data, the implications, and how SAP Build Process Automation solutions fit into this new reality.

Understanding the Gartner evaluation

In the report, Gartner defines RPA as software that automates tasks within business and IT processes using software scripts that emulate human interaction with the application UI. RPA helps organizations enhance operational efficiency, minimize manual tasks, and ensure compliance, particularly in areas where APIs are limited or unavailable.

Gartner evaluated 13 vendors based on two main criteria: Ability to Execute and Completeness of Vision. Each vendor was placed in one of four quadrants—Leaders, Visionaries, Challengers, or Niche Players.

SAP was named a Challenger, a classification that, per Gartner, reflects:

Challengers excel at attracting a large customer base, but are often limited to one part of the market.

In this market, Challengers often use RPA to bolster their broader automation platforms. Challengers rarely obtain new customers with RPA, but upsell RPA to existing customers to round out those customers’ automation capabilities.

• A Challenger must demonstrate sustained excellence in execution and a significant following — a combination that few vendors have achieved in this dynamic, nascent market.
• A Challenger may become a Leader if it adopts an aggressive, innovative strategy to expand its focus to encompass the entire market. It would also need to demonstrate exceptional insight into the market’s direction and continue to execute excellently.
• A Challenger may alternatively become a Visionary by sacrificing growth and instead focusing on developing innovative, differentiating features and capabilities.

How Gartner sees the future of RPA and what it means for you

Beyond vendor recognitions, the 2025 Gartner Magic Quadrant provides a compelling look at how RPA is evolving as part of a broader automation ecosystem. There are three trends that enterprise leaders should pay particular attention to:

1. Computer use (CU): Automation that learns on the fly

CU describes a class of tools that interact with application user interfaces more probabilistically and flexibly than traditional RPA bots. Instead of relying solely on scripted instructions, CU tools infer meaning from the UI and adapt automatically when interface elements change.

According to Gartner:

“By 2027, 60% of RPA vendors will include ‘computer use’ capabilities in their automation platforms to augment UI interactions.”

The appeal is clear: reduced bot maintenance, fewer failures due to UI updates, and faster time to deployment. However, CU remains an emerging field. As Gartner notes, current CU tools are not yet reliable enough for mission-critical use cases—especially those involving legacy Windows applications or highly structured business processes.

2. Agentic automation: The rise of AI-assisted workers

Agentic automation uses intelligent AI agents to take action, interpret data, and make decisions, often in close coordination with existing automation tools and business systems. These agents can invoke RPA bots and be invoked by them, creating dynamic workflows that blend deterministic automation (rules-based) with AI-enabled logic.

Gartner reports a 750% increase in client inquiries about agentic automation between Q2 and Q4 of 2024, indicating that this is not a passing trend as CIOs actively explore integrating AI into their operations without sacrificing control or compliance.

SAP reflects this shift by embedding Joule-powered, AI-enhanced capabilities in SAP Build , enabling developers to design, orchestrate, and govern agentic workflows directly within the SAP ecosystem.

3. BOAT (business orchestration and automation technologies)

Automation is no longer confined to bots executing tasks. Today, enterprises are thinking holistically: How do we orchestrate people, systems, data, and AI to deliver outcomes?

BOAT refers to platforms that combine RPA, workflow, integration (iPaaS), low-code tools, and intelligent document processing under one roof. Every vendor in Gartner’s Magic Quadrant now offers more than just RPA, underscoring the industry shift toward unified automation platforms.

Addressing RPA’s evolving role

While the benefits of RPA are well-known, including speed, accuracy, and cost efficiency, Gartner notes that customers also face ongoing challenges, such as bot maintenance, lifecycle governance, and change management. These are precisely the areas in which SAP is investing next.

SAP’s product roadmap includes:

• AI-enabled monitoring and error classification
• Self-healing automations that reduce bot maintenance
• SDK support to expand automation scenarios
• Solution extension partnership with UiPath, enabling dual-platform flexibility

This is especially important as the automation market shifts toward business orchestration and agentic automation. SAP is working to ensure that its customers can orchestrate workflows, bots, and AI agents together without losing the foundational benefits of traditional RPA.

Real outcomes with SAP Build Process Automation

SAP Build Process Automation is helping customers streamline operations, reduce manual effort, and scale automation in practical, measurable ways. Here are a few examples that demonstrate the platform’s flexibility across various industries and business processes.

• Automating invoice processing in finance with SAP Build Process Automation is helping customers streamline operations, reduce manual effort, and scale automation in practical, measurable ways. Read how Blue Diamond evaluated and automated more than 40 business processes with SAP Build.
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• Streamlining employee relocation workflows by automating role assignments, meeting scheduling, and multi-department coordination with SAP Build to create a smoother employee experience.
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• Accelerating finance automation for SAP S/4HANA Finance with more than 100 prebuilt SAP Build templates for use cases such as journal entry approvals, accruals processing, and supplier invoice creation.
  Learn more

Strategic takeaways for IT decision makers

The Gartner analysis offers valuable context if you’re evaluating RPA solutions or trying to extend your existing automation footprint. Here are four key considerations:

1. Map RPA to your core systems

Automation isn’t just about standalone bots. It’s about how bots interact with your ERP, CRM, and HR platforms. Native integration, especially with SAP systems, can dramatically reduce friction and boost ROI.

2. Prioritize governance and scalability

A center of excellence (CoE), built-in monitoring, and lifecycle management tools are essential for sustainable automation. Look for platforms that natively support these best practices.

3. Balance innovation with stability

AI agents and computer use (CU) are exciting trends, but many are still experimental. Choose a platform that offers innovation without compromising reliability. SAP provides both.

4. Start with prebuilt content

The quickest wins often come from automating well-known processes. SAP’s library of 600+ prebuilt bots accelerates this journey, especially for industries like utilities, manufacturing, and public services.

Automation is a journey, not a checkbox

Whether you’re just starting your automation journey or scaling across regions, now is the time to re-evaluate your strategy, assess your tools, and explore how SAP can help you move forward. To learn more, try SAP Build for 30 days. It's free!