Case Study: Our Intelligent Automation Journey

Introduction

In a world full of misinformation and hype, where the latest breakthrough that shows promise receives all the attention from conference providers and consultants, many are beginning to recognize that the benefits of Intelligent Automation ^[1] are actually tangible and real.  Unfortunately, this truth fuels even more hype and misinformation as every potential player who can financially benefit spins their story in order to get a piece of the action. 

Wouldn’t it be great to participate in a user group for Intelligent Automation that includes customers from all of the major software developers with interactions candid between practitioners without any interference from parties who are trying to sell their services?  And then, when you wanted to hear directly from leading developers, that interaction can be a private discussion between your team, your peers, and the developer, where all parties can be honest and candid, with no follow-up sales calls, ever, unless you request to be contacted.

Now you can. With the launch of Peeriosity’s Multi-Developer User Group for Intelligent Automation, practitioners from the world’s leading companies can network and interact directly with peers, in an environment that is private, candid, and nonbiased. 

With hundreds of users already participating, members of Peeriosity’s Multi-Developer User Group for Intelligent Automation are able to participate in multiple Peercasts every month, learn directly from others using iPolling^TM, communicate with peers using Peer Mail, and access libraries of shared content and contributed research. 

This research paper is a top-level summary of a recent Peercast that took place in Peeriosity’s Intelligent Automation research area, a core component of Peeriosity’s new Multi-Developer User Group for Intelligent Automation.  For Peeriosity members, full exposure to all the details is available, including the ability to participate on the live Peercast^TM, view the related recording and presentation material, and access the full results of the related poll.

Company Experience

A Peercast^TM discussion in our Intelligent Automation research area featured a large global manufacturing company with over $15B in annual revenue and more than 40,000 employees worldwide, discussing their approach to evaluating, selecting, and implementing Intelligent Automation solutions, with a “best guess” for where they are headed in the future. 

One of the key insights was an appreciation for the fact that Intelligent Automation isn’t a good fit for every opportunity, and that there may be a range of process standardization and technology deployment opportunities that should take priority.  Then, once a process is considered a candidate for automation, using the Venn diagram below, the best candidates can be identified at the intersection of cost, quality, and speed; and specifically, where projects hit the sweet spot of being quick to complete, economical, and with a high degree of accuracy expected. 

One of several interesting insights discussed was a comparison between a traditional model for offshoring headcount (either captive or outsourced), where the transition to get new staff in place and make improvements to ready processes for automation might take six or seven years to complete.  When using a Robotic Transformation model, for many processes the potential exists to complete that transition in less than one year.  

Other discussion points included details regarding program success factors and a detailed timeline of their journey, from exploring the industry landscape in 2016 to having pilots in 2017 with a defined RPA ^[2] platform in place three months later, and with expectations for rapid deployment in 2018 and beyond.  There was also discussion regarding the pilot selection process, with the sharing of more than 20 lessons learned along the way.

Closing Summary

While it may not be as polished or flashy as a professionally developed sales pitch, when you want a direct path to the truth, the best approach is to participate in candid discussions with your peers. No place is this more true than in the area of Intelligent Automation, where there is a tremendous promise without a clear and defined road map for how to move forward.  Peeriosity’s new Multi-Developer User Group for Intelligent Automation delivers the guidance you need, based on the practical experience of your peers, who might either be facing the same challenges or be fortunate enough to be six months or more ahead and willing to share their experiences.

What is the current status at your company for evaluating and/or implementing Intelligent Automation solutions?  Where did you pilot?  How did you determine your priorities, and if you’ve implemented them, what are your key lessons learned?

Who are your peers and how are you collaborating with them?

“Peercasts^TM” are private, professionally facilitated webcasts that feature leading member company experiences on specific topics as a catalyst for broader discussion.  Access is available exclusively to Peeriosity member company employees, with consultants or vendors prohibited from attending or accessing discussion content.  Members can see who is registered to attend in advance, with discussion recordings, supporting polls, and presentation materials online and available whenever convenient for the member.  Using Peeriosity’s integrated email system, Peer Mail^TM, attendees can easily communicate at any time with other attending peers by selecting them from the list of registered attendees. 

“iPolling^TM” is available exclusively to Peeriosity member company employees, with consultants or vendors prohibited from participating or accessing content. Members have full visibility of all respondents and their comments. Using Peeriosity’s integrated email system, Peer Mail^TM, members can easily communicate at any time with others who participated in iPolling.