Automation is gaining lots of attention right now, and yet it’s just the tip of the iceberg in terms of the ongoing, tech-led transformations that are occurring in the business world.

The endgame of this movement is hyper-automation, but what does this potentially confusing term mean, and what benefits does it offer to organizations that adopt it?

The basics

As the name suggests, hyper-automation is essentially about taking automation to the next level, and expanding it to include the act of automation itself.

So rather than businesses needing to work out how to convert manual processes into automated ones, with the help of a hyper-automation framework and toolkit, they can tackle this automatically.

The technologies at play

There are a number of different solutions covered by the umbrella of hyper-automation, and it’s easy to see why rolling them out is a priority.

First, there are tools that seek to identify opportunities for automation, singling out particular processes and tasks which form part of a business’ day-to-day operations and establishing which would benefit most from being automated.

Then there are tools that are used to develop automation services themselves. In turn, these can be built upon and enhanced through the use of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning algorithms, covering everything from optical character recognition to chatbots and beyond.

Choosing a hyper-automation platform

Having a dedicated hyper-automation platform makes sense for businesses that are keen to tap into the potential of this movement.

Indeed it’s best to choose one which includes intelligent automation and hyper-automation side by side, tying back into the aforementioned idea of pinpointing the processes and tasks which are the best fit for this.

The smarter the platform, the less input is required by the end user, and the better the outcomes in the long run.

Furthermore, AI tools ensure that coding requirements are minimal. With low-code and even no-code solutions, building automation into everyday processes is attainable without in-depth programming knowledge.

The benefits

You may have caught glimpses of the benefits that hyper-automation provides to businesses, but it’s worth exploring these in more detail, as the range of advantages includes:

Cutting costs

This is the major reason to automate any business process, and in the case of hyper-automation, it promises to make it cheaper to make the leap from manual tasks, even in smaller organizations.

Lowering the barrier to entry for automation in this way will let startups, as well as major corporations, embrace automation in larger numbers, without steep costs.

Improving productivity

Any framework which promises to lessen the manual workload on existing employees is a boon. Team members at all levels will be more productive and effective, while also being freed from the more tedious tasks that used to fall under their remit at work.

Bolstering efficiency

It’s obvious that hyper-automation has the potential to increase efficiency across the board for businesses, and it’s this fundamental transformation that ties into all of the other selling points.

Exploit data analysis for further insights & swifter decision-making

When processes are automated, and automation itself can be dealt with automatically, a fresh stream of data is created which can in turn be assessed and explored to find yet more answers to burning questions.

Businesses that face mission-critical decisions on a regular basis can then make them from the standpoint of knowledge, since the aforementioned data allows them to act decisively and, crucially, at the correct point in time.

The reality

Reading about hyper-automation can sound like it’s a concept that’s too good to be true. And yet companies are already seeing significant improvements when rolling out hyper-automation frameworks and implementing platforms and tools.

This is undoubtedly still a very new area; one which has only been in the offing since 2019. But in this short span of time, the impact has been sizable, and the true scale of what is possible has yet to be fully understood.

The bottom line

If you’re in a position to get in on the ground floor with hyper-automation in your own organization, it seems like a no-brainer.

There’s a learning curve for sure, but the fruits of your labor will be all the sweeter when they’re ready for harvest.