Automation is an idea that has been around for a long time. However, in recent years, the term “hyperautomation” has grown increasingly popular.
So, what precisely do we mean when we say that?
What is Hyperautomation?
Hyperautomation topped the list for Gartner’s “Top 10 Strategic Technology Trends 2021.” It defined it as follows:
“The term refers to the use of modern technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) to automate and augment human tasks.
Hyperautomation refers to the sophistication of the automation (i.e., discover, analyze, create, automate, measure, monitor, and reassess) as well as the instruments that can be automated.”
As a result, hyperautomation is the use of advanced technology components to improve automation and insight.
But how does it all come together, and what are the results?
We spoke with Arjun Devadas, Senior Vice President, Professional Services & Operations at Vuram, to get a better understanding of how that works and the return on investment that people who use it have seen.
How Does Hyperautomation Work?
Devadas noted that hyperautomation is “not just one tool,” but an approach to problem solving that employs a diverse set of tools.
Business Process Management (BPM), Business Rules Engine (BRE), Robotic Process Automation (RPA), Optical Character Recognition (OCR), and analytics are among the tools available.
That’s what makes it so appealing.
You aren’t limited to a single instrument in your toolbox, such as a hammer. It would force you to see everything as a nail.
Instead, you adopt a “holistic approach” to determining which of the hyperautomation toolset’s tools would be useful.
What is Hyperautomation for?
Devadas observed, “Traditionally, individuals come to us with a specific concern.”
The consultants then use their experience in all of these areas to figure out what the business problem is.
Before beginning any project, they speak with key people in the organization, not just managers. However representatives from other departments involved, in order to have a better understanding of their operations.
They ask questions in order to figure out where inefficiencies exist.
These specialists might inquire about how much time is spent manually entering data or performing other repetitive duties. Or whether employees must frequently send messages back and forth to keep track of their progress and understand what actions they need to take next on a project.
That’s where the BRE comes in: figuring who who needs what information.
A business rules engine (BRE) is a tool that allows end users to update business logic without requiring the assistance of a programmer.
The idea is to figure out what exactly is going on in the processes so that hyperautomation techniques can improve efficiency. Devadas noted that they use “orchestration on top of current platforms.”
He pointed out that “the majority of hyperautomation tools are extremely local.”
Hyperautomation allows you to break down workflows on a localized level, as opposed to traditional software development.
These localized applications don’t necessitate a lot of technological expertise. The benefit of this is that it is simple for employees to learn how to utilize it and become self-sufficient.
This is a departure from the old paradigm, in which “a business guy would go to IT to design an application. Then wait for them to construct it and train employees on how to use it. This can take months, which is far too lengthy in today’s fast-paced world.
Hyperautomation Benefits
It’s not only about finding the proper mix, but also about doing so swiftly. “Fast to market” isn’t simply a nice to have; it’s a must-have for agile firms.
Because hyperautomation consultants don’t employ the traditional method of developing code line by line, they can produce a solution in weeks rather than months or even a year, according to Devadas.
Instead they use a low-code approach to build applications quickly.
This rapid application development method can mean the difference between a company having everything it needs to handle a time-sensitive problem and missing out.
That was the situation with the government’s PPP (Paycheck Protection Program). It was designed to assist small businesses affected by the pandemic.
Hyperautomation in Practice: An Example
In response to the COVID-19 outbreak, the government asked SBA (Small Business Administration) banks to give these PPP loans as a measure to ensure that enterprises in key industries could continue to pay their employees.
This provided a fantastic chance for these smaller banks to gain a lot of revenue.
They were, however, overwhelmed.
The issue was that they lacked the necessary resources to quickly set up and process all of the applications before the deadline.
According to Devadas, they only had a month to develop a loan origination platform. It would allow their banking clients to participate in the initiative.
Devadas’ company was able to construct it. Then get it to market in a timely manner because they were able to leverage their low-code platform, hyperautomation toolkit.
It would have taken months without a low-code platform, and the banking clients would have missed out on the initiative.
They were able to participate, speed up loan processing, and relieve their personnel from working extra to keep up once they had it in place.
Overcoming Resistance to Hyperautomation
We inquired as to whether they encounter opposition while attempting to introduce new hyperautomated processes.
He claims that the top executives are the ones that invite them in, therefore they are all on board with the plan.
They do, however, confront two sorts of opposition.
One is with employees who are concerned that automated processes may result in the loss of their jobs.
To combat this, they express a “clear vision” of why the company is making this shift and what it will mean to employees.
He doesn’t see hyperautomation as a method to replace human workers, but rather as a way to allow humans to work alongside automated solutions to do their jobs better when they’re not doing repetitive activities.
The second factor is people’s general aversion to change management. It’s unavoidable that when you try to “establish restrictions where there were none,” you’ll run against opposition.
He agreed that this could be a significant barrier, to the point where they “had to break down the chain into bits and pieces” on occasion.
The “agile approach” is the key here. They don’t do everything at once, but rather a little at a time. That works well because many people have heard of agile and are amenable to it, especially because it immediately demonstrates its worth.
“You don’t have to wait for months” to see results or find faults when you follow an agile approach to change, he emphasized.
When things are built on a biweekly basis, errors are identified early on, allowing them to be rectified without having to go back months of work to find the source of the problem.
Positive Results and Looking Ahead
We asked Devadas about the hyperautomation results that companies are claiming. While there is an obvious ROI, he explained that it “depends on the use case and how they’re assessing it.”
He clarified that not all results are measured in dollars earned or money saved.
“Job satisfaction is also ROI,” for example.
For the most part, though, the metric is increased production. Most firms witness a tremendous boost of 60-70 percent in this area, he said.
That’s a significant benefit.
He feels that more and more firms are beginning to see the value of hyperautomation.
As a result, he expects that by the end of the year, roughly three out of every four businesses will be employing a local hyperautomation solution.
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