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T here are opportunities for automation in almost every workplace. Many of them hide in plain sight as tedious tasks and workflows caught in bottlenecks, easy to dismiss with a wave of the hand and "that's just the way we do things here." Despite the ubiquitous integration of computer systems into business today, many firms still rely on manual workflows for many processes. From the admin assistant trying to manage patient scheduling to the AP clerk typing the same invoice information into multiple systems, such tasks can consume a large amount of the workday. Over the course of a fiscal year, these tasks require a massive number of employee work hours—with corresponding impacts on payroll. Modern automation platforms, especially those with integrated solutions for RPA and machine learning, let businesses remake these processes from a fundamental level. With intelligent automation deployed appropriately to enable better ways of working, it's possible to create an exciting new workspace: a hybrid of employees doing their best work and supportive software robots that enable enhanced analytical insights. Defining Automation Let's examine what "automation" means in modern business. In the simplest terms, automation transforms a task or process so that it is as self-sufficient as possible. Automation reduces the amount of human interaction required to do something. Automation comes in many forms today. Some types are strictly rules-based, carrying out a pre-defined series of steps that is the same every time. Others, such as machine learning and artificial intelligence, use advanced algorithms to "learn" from large amounts of data, improving their output with each successive round of training until they provide a functional way to automate a business-specific process. How Should Automation Fit into Modern Business Operations? How much should businesses automate today, and how much of a focus does automation deserve? A quick look around commerce reveals that many leaders already think that automation should be a priority today and well into the future. According to a 2020 McKinsey survey, only 20% of businesses had no plans to automate—most respondents were already using automation or were in the process of deploying such solutions. The potential value for businesses is immense. It is possible to not only reduce payroll costs with automation but also improve the outcomes of automated tasks. In an increasingly crowded marketplace, automation is a key weapon in the fight to remain competitive while staying agile enough to create excellent consumer outcomes. What Is RPA? As we consider the place that automation has in business, pay attention to one specific tool that is the gateway technology for many businesses: RPA, or robotic process automation. We're all familiar with the robotic assembly arms found in automotive manufacturing—they're one of the clearest examples of automation that we can see. In an office context, physical robots aren't responsible for automation. Instead, automation depends on computer software. The differences between a car assembly robot and an RPA software robot are primarily physical: behind the scenes, the "brain" behind the operation is similar: each form of automation depends on following specific steps. The purpose of RPA is to target repetitive tasks that require too much human input. These tasks might include common workflows, such as marking invoices for approval, querying a customer's account across multiple databases, or making sure that a customer service request goes to the right 19 I L T A N E T . O R G

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