What is hyper-automation? How is it possible to go beyond automation? Throughout history, the steam engine brought about the significant change of the First Industrial Revolution, electricity the Second, and digitalisation the Third. And what about the Fourth Industrial Revolution? Which may well come hand in hand with the robotisation, the Internet of Things and artificial intelligence – in other words, hyper-automation.
The hyper-automation is also known as digital process automation (DPA) o intelligent process automation (IPA), emerging as the technological trend that will mark a turning point in our lives. At Euroinnova, we want to show you what hyper-automation is and what you need to know to fully understand this concept.
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What is hyper-automation?
What is the definition of hyper-automation? Broadly speaking, the aim is to expand the automation of business processes across production lines, workflows and even marketing departments. To achieve this, naturally, the full potential of technologies such as artificial intelligence, machine learning and robotic process automation (RPA) or process robotics automation.
Hyper-automation will be essential for any business because it will enable them to automate virtually any repetitive task. Not only that, but, thanks to the power of all the technologies it brings together, it will even be able to identify which processes can be automated and create bots to carry them out without you even having to ask
Hyper-automation is the real key to digital transformation within a company, as it would eliminate human intervention in many low-value processes. Conversely, this creates a very positive outlook for employees, who will be able to focus on activities that add value to the company, by participating in the business intelligence that will boost the company’s potential.
Key technologies in hyper-automation
Hyper-automation cannot be understood without the integration of a set of technologies with great potential. Let’s find out a bit more about them.
Robotic Process Automation (RPA)
The robotic process automation (RPA) It involves technology that carries out repetitive tasks, as if it were an army of invisible robots working in the background. Imagine tasks such as copying data from one document to another. Well, rather than a company having to do this, this robot is capable of doing it for them.
Machine Learning
The machine learning, or automatic learning, enable computers to learn from examples rather than from a set of instructions. For example, if you show a computer using this technology lots of photos of cats and dogs, it will eventually be able to tell which images show a cat and which show a dog.
Artificial Intelligence
The artificial intelligence, or AI, involves giving computers the ability to “think” and “act” just as we would. Thanks to this technology, we are recommended films on certain platforms or given weather forecasts for a particular city.
Big Data
Millions of pieces of data are generated every second around the world. Photos, messages and data that the Big Data It is capable of processing information, identifying patterns and gaining a better understanding of situations. For example, there are companies that use this technology to find out which products are the most popular.
Cobots
The collaborative robots They work alongside people rather than on their own, which is why they are very safe. They are so reliable that they actually slow down if a person is nearby, so that they can work as a team without any problems. An example of these cobots can be found in factories, where they help with assembly work.
Chatbots
As the name suggests, it is a programme that can have a conversation with you, just as if it were a person. These chatbots They are designed to understand questions and respond quickly, saving time for the person asking. ChatGPT is a good example of this.
How hyper-automation works
Hyper-automation, to a large extent, is a a combination of artificial intelligence and machine learning. These two technologies make it possible to introduce automation where it was previously not possible. Thus, as we mentioned earlier, people can focus on higher-value tasks such as decision-making, interpreting data or applying critical thinking.
There are hyper-automation platforms that can be implemented in any business that wishes to do so. However, they vary widely, ranging from business process management suites (intelligent business process management suites) up to integration-as-a-service (iPaaS) platforms, integration platforms as a service), including the information engines.
At this point, you should be aware that hyper-automation offers the possibility of creating digital twins. What does this term mean? Basically, it refers to clone a workflow so that it interacts in the same way as the original version. This generates greater value in real time.
Benefits of hyper-automation
As we have been saying, hyper-automation involves numerous benefits for businesses. Next, we’re going to take a closer look at its advantages:
- It incorporates disruptive technologies such as artificial intelligence, machine learning and natural language processing.
- Improve the employee satisfaction, who see tedious tasks being eliminated and begin to take part in work of greater importance and value.
- Digitally transform organisations.
- Reduces operating costs of companies.
- Improve the effectiveness in decision-making thanks to the integration of big data and artificial intelligence.
Practical examples of hyper-automation
To round off this post on hyper-automation, we’d like to introduce you to a series of practical examples to help you understand how they work. Are you thinking of making a career of this new revolution?
Hyper-automation in healthcare
In this sector, hyper-automation makes it possible to offer a a better customer experience. For example, it can be used to automate billing cycles, communication with patients and debt collection. Furthermore, it can also be used to manage patient records, collect data and carry out treatments. As we can see, it makes the work of healthcare professionals much easier.
Hyper-automation in banking
In the banking and finance sector, it is used for the backend of banking applications, ensuring they are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. On the other hand, in the banking sector There are vast amounts of data, which makes processing them a complex task.
Specifically, hyper-automation enabled Airbus SE the processing of expense receipts and their reconciliation with suppliers. This enabled anomalies to be detected in real time, reducing the workload of the auditors by more than half.