October 11, 2024 VIP Roundtable Notes

FountainBlue’s October 11 VIP roundtable was on the topic of ‘Hyperautomation Enterprise Use Cases’. 
Gartner defined hyperautomation as a ‘business-driven, disciplined approach that organizations use to rapidly identify, vet and automate as many business and IT processes as possible.’ 
We gathered executives with experience in technologies ranging from artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) to event-driven software architecture and robotic process automation (RPA). 
They also have some direct or indirect experience with business process management (BPM) and intelligent business process management suites (iBPMS), as well integration platform as a service (iPaaS), low-code/no-code tools, packaged software, and other types of decision, process and task automation tools, whether it’s custom-designed and developed in-house or an adopted implementation.Below is a summary of thoughts on hyperautomation enterprise use cases:

• The integration of AI and Machine Learning allows for:
  • More intelligent and adaptive automation processes
  • Enhanced decision-making through AI-powered data analysis
  • Automation of more complex tasks and workflows  
• Leveraging Industry-Specific Applications also makes sense:
  • Manufacturing: Enhancing production efficiency and enabling smart factories
  • Healthcare: Automating sensitive data processing and improving patient care insights
  • Financial services: Improving compliance processes and customer service
• The shift toward Cloud-Based Solutions hyperautomation platforms can lead to:
  • Greater scalability and flexibility
  • Easier integration with other cloud services
  • Reduced infrastructure costs
  • Improved deployment and scalability.
• Process Mining and Analytics can allow enterprises to:
  • Identify optimal processes for automation
  • Gain deeper insights into business operations
  • Continuously optimize automated workflows
• Integrating Low-Code/No-Code Platforms can lead to:
  • Faster development and deployment of automated processes
  • Empowerment of business users to create automations
  • Reduced reliance on specialized technical skills

It’s early days for enterprise hyperautomation use cases, but also exciting times. 

• A prerequisite for mass adoption and integration is to truly manage and integrate the volumes of data, focusing on the most relevant data, and creating dashboards with actionable insights in real time.
• The risk is too high to fully automate solutions, especially for regulation-intensive industries like healthcare and finance and manufacturing.
  • Keeping humans in the loop is necessary to help oversee hyperautomation integrations so they are compliant, secure, safe, and aligned to corporate and customer expectations and goals.
• Individual technologies are progressing quickly, but integrations BETWEEN fast-evolving solutions will be more complicated and will take more time.
• Most enterprises can’t afford large investments in hyperautomation solutions, unless it focuses on delivering short term value as well as exceptional value for the long term.

Our executives consistently remarked on both the progress to date as well as the work yet to be done. The challenge *and* the opportunity lies in the ability to efficiently and cost-effectively deliver high-value, high-quality solutions at scale.

• How can we address the rising need for ‘low-volume, high-mix’ solutions when it’s resource-intensive to do so?
• How can we optimize complex integrations of a wide range of technologies?
• How can we leverage hyperautomation tools, processes and technologies to solve specific customer problems?
• How can we leverage hyperautomation to facilitate innovation?

Our executives agreed that hyperautomation enterprise use cases will continue to evolve, so below are some suggested thoughts for adopting and integrating these solutions for enterprises:

• Adopt hyperautomation solutions which will do the necessary dirty, dull, or dangerous work necessary for your enterprise.
• Leverage hyperautomation solutions to keep your technologies, operations, systems and processes secure and compliant.
• Provide tools, systems, and processes which provide dashboards of actionable insights to help oversee complex operations.
• Create hyperautomation tools and technologies which support the adopted quality and operational standards adopted by your team and organization.
• Consider closely the role of humans to oversee the company’s adopted hyperautomation solutions.
• Design hyperautomation solutions which would help quickly identify problems and/or make data-based decisions so that the enterprise is more safe and efficient.

The bottom line is that hyperautomation use cases for enterprises must consistently provide value and create impact while remaining secure and compliant.

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October 13, 2023 Notes

FountainBlue’s October 13 VIP Roundtable was on the topic of ‘Hyperautomation Use Cases’. Our executives in attendance represented a wide range of backgrounds, industries and experiences. Below is a summary of their thoughts.

Per Gartner: Hyperautomation is a business-driven, disciplined approach that organizations use to rapidly identify, vet and automate as many business and IT processes as possible. Hyperautomation involves the orchestrated use of multiple technologies, tools or platforms, including: artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, event-driven software architecture, robotic process automation (RPA), business process management (BPM) and intelligent business process management suites (iBPMS), integration platform as a service (iPaaS), low-code/no-code tools, packaged software, and other types of decision, process and task automation tools.

Extending beyond that definition, our executives commented that hyperautomation offers significant benefits including:

• It’s easier to leverage hyperautomation to deliver ‘high-volume, low-mix’ solutions, but more challenging to deliver ‘low-volume, high-mix’ solutions. However, ‘low-volume, high-mix’ solutions will be in increasing demand, and can offer premium up-sides for revenues earned for vendors as well as value provided for customers.
• Many companies are already leveraging a combination of robots, AI, Generative AI, machine learning and sensors in their day-to-day operations. The challenge is to continue optimizing the integrations so that the solutions are high impact *and* high quality, reliably delivered, as well as cost-effective.
• Hyperautomation practices are now used not just to improve efficiencies and operations, but even now to facilitate innovation. For example, hyperaumation can quickly conduct trial-and-error experimentation on combinations of tools, processes and technologies to address specific scenarios. 

Below is advice for embracing hyperautomation practices.

• Hyperautomation solutions will be more heavily adopted, and companies need to continue to embrace them to remain competitive.
• Focus on the specific needs, understand the metrics for success, and experiment with small batches.
• Employ hyperautomation practices to address predictive maintenance needs.
• Leverage 3D printing and 3D modeling to create tighter loops while conducting trial-and-error experiments.
• Leverage simulation and automation tools on a range of scenarios so that you can make plans before going into production.
• Leverage digital twins to record, monitor and even conduct root cause analysis.
• Invite creative, out-of-the-box options as you create a hyperautomation solution. 

Below are thoughts on the role of humans as we increasingly embrace hyperautomation practices:

• Provide a detailed perspective on the purpose of the hyperautomation, including the stakeholders involved and the metrics for success.
• Clearly define the ‘guardrails‘ for what will be automated, what (product, team, technology, etc.,) is involved, who is involved, what resources are available, as well as milestones and timelines, etc.,
• Understand the types of vectors (cost, revenues customer, technology, resources, etc.,) and the rankings for these vectors as you evaluate difference hyperautomation options.
• Consider additional use cases for the selected hyperautomation option, as well as the learnings.
• Ensure that the hyperautomation solution is in alignment with corporate strategy, mission, vision and values, as well as to market trends and customer needs.
• Communicate the value of the selected solution and engage internal and external stakeholders in successful integration and delivery.
• Use judgment and wisdom to help ensure hyperautomation solutions are safe, even to the point of developing functional safety standards.

We closed the discussion talking about the opportunities ahead as there’s an increased cadence for global innovation.

• There’s an opportunity for experts to become agents of change.
• There’s an opportunity for us to work together to solve higher-order problems such as climate change.
• There’s an opportunity to build an ecosystem and the infrastructure we need to better thrive together.

But challenges remain. 

• How can we as individuals, as organizations, as industries, help more people position themselves to participate and benefit from these solutions?
• What can we all do together to put safeguards in place and focus on delivering the greater good, leveraging hyperautomation solution? 
• What will YOU do together by yourself or collectively to make a difference?

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October 14, 2022

FountainBlue’s October 14 VIP Roundtable was on the topic of ‘Hyperautomation Use Cases’ with opening remarks by IBM. We were fortunate to have such an eclectic, experienced and diverse group of executives for this month’s VIP Roundtable. 

The conversation began with mention of the Gartner definition for hyperautomation, a top business trend over the past few years:

Hyperautomation is a business-driven, disciplined approach that organizations use to rapidly identify, vet and automate as many business and IT processes as possible. Hyperautomation involves the orchestrated use of multiple technologies, tools or platforms, including:

Our executives point out key aspects of the hyperautomation definition –

• It’s an initiative that’s driven by the business, but it leverages technology and counts on execution by people.
• It’s a disciplined, methodical approach which leverages a wide range of data, in collaboration with large swaths of people, while focused on generating rapid results.
• It rapidly integrates strategy, planning and execution, and agilely moves from one problem to the next, while serving the organization and its people as a whole.
• It leverages a wide host of technologies and solutions and relies on ongoing collaboration, communication and leadership.

The adoption of hyperautomation use cases is a key differentiator for leaders and organizations, and will continue to evolve for greater impact because businesses are inundated by data and need to quickly collect, filter, process, manage, communicate, store, distribute, that data to better strategically plan and run operations, processes, and the organization overall.

Below are best practices for adopting hyperautomation use cases for your organization:

• Think BIG – broadly and widely about how to design and implement hyperautomation use cases for workflows which are complicated, involve a lot of people, works with a wide range of data, and must be done efficiently.  
• Hyperautomation is not just for specific use cases, people, organization, offering, etc., It is for all aspects of a business which 1) works with a lot of data, 2) relies on workflow and processes which touch a number of groups and people, 3) can be more efficient/resilient/sustainable and productive if automated, 4) can help better serve internal and external customers, and 5) is the inevitable wave of the future.
• Consider creating a center of excellence (COE) to collect and manage a repository of (reusable/adaptable) individual hyperautomation use cases as well as an Advisory board on the adoption of hyperautomation use cases.
• Think not just about the tools and solutions which can be used for any individual solution, but also about the unique combination necessary to solve the current (and anticipated) challenges.
• Measure and report on the impact of each adopted hyperautomation use case.
• Keep evolving hyperautomation use case solutions so they continue to be relevant and useful for internal and external clients and their evolving needs.
• Consider using internal customers as ‘Customer Zero’, designing hyperautomation use cases which address internal needs makes your organization more effective while also potentially piloting a solution which might be useful for other organizations.

Our executives also mentioned the double-edged sword brought on by the huge volumes of data brought in from on-site sensors for everything from temperature to usage, or pressure to light, etc., 

We did not go into detail on this data, for next month’s topic is on the data collection and management itself, but the point is that hyperautomation use cases 1) are reliant on this on-site data, 2) must quickly filter in relevant data, providing automated responses where appropriate, 3) provide a dashboard of recommended actions with detailed charts, graphs and data, 4) connect the right internal and external people to facilitate joint problem-solving and decision-making, 5) track and report on historic, current choices made and consequences, and even 6) make recommendations based on historical and current and projected future data.

Below are some interesting and exciting new offerings in this space:

• Digital Blueprinting so you can more efficiently generate user cases and acceptance test criteria 
• Designing Modules of solutions rather than full customizations 
• Hyperautomation use cases for robots and cobots (collaborative robot – a robot intended for direct human robot interaction within a shared space, or where humans and robots are in close proximity)
• Leveraging Citizen Development Frameworks to manage local (especially edge case) hyperautomation use case implementations using no-code and low-code tools.
• Adopting Value Stream Mapping and other LEAN strategies to optimize value and minimize risk

The bottom line is that again leadership and innovation will win the day as successful organizations increasingly adopt hyperautomation use cases, but only if there is collaboration and communication to support it.