INTELLIGENT AUTOMATION FOR COMPLEX PROCESSES

Intelligent automation is software technology that incorporates AI and ML to automate complex workflows. It can be perceived as an extension of the traditional RPA, geared to broaden its capabilities. In the past, RPA was used to automate relatively straightforward, repetitive tasks such as data entry. When combined with AI, RPA takes on a whole new dimension of possibilities.

Let’s say you regularly need to perform a process that involves multiple internal systems and third-party web apps. Let’s also suppose one step of this multi-step process requires you to read and understand documents. With traditional RPA, you could potentially automate one step—or possibly part of a step—of this extensive process, but you couldn’t automate the entire process from end to end.

As mentioned, terms like “smart” and “intelligent” are often used interchangeably when describing emerging technologies. More often than not, however, they mean the same thing, and the case is no different with intelligent and smart automation. Both intelligent and smart automation refer to the same concept—automation empowered by AI and ML.

When trying to understand intelligent automation, it can help to think about it in terms of the various elements that make it up. In the simplest sense, intelligent automation can be broken down into three different components: AI, RPA, and business process management (BPM).

AI and ML

AI and ML are what make intelligent automation, well, intelligent. With AI and ML, you can automate tasks that once needed to be performed by humans, allowing for wider, more complex automations. Better yet, AI can even help you identify tasks that are suitable for automation. Process mining and task mining analyze your processes to determine which steps should be automated. From there, generative AI can even help create automations.

RPA

RPA plays an essential role in intelligent automation. With RPA, you can easily build, deploy, and manage software robots that mimic human interactions with digital systems. These software robots can perform keystrokes, navigate digital systems, and carry out a wide range of defined actions. However, when boosted by AI, RPA can automate far more complex tasks than it was previously capable of.

BPM

With intelligent automation, you can create complex automations that connect different departments, systems, and apps. Having this broad view of your business processes enables you to see where automations can best be applied to maximize your productivity. BPM gives you that comprehensive understanding of your interconnected business processes.

Intelligent automation is a rather broad term that can be applied to several areas of an automation lifecycle. To get a better understanding of how it works, we’ll take a look at how intelligent automation applies to these different areas.

Discover

Before automations are created or employed, you first need to figure out which processes can and should be automated. With AI-powered process mining and task mining, you can discover the highest ROI opportunities for continuous process optimization.

Automate

Once suitable processes have been identified, stakeholders can create the necessary automations to enact them. While this largely falls to those with coding knowledge, end-to-end automation platforms with low-code tools enable employees without a technical background to create automations. And AI-powered testing tools verify whether your new automations work as intended or if you need to make adjustments.

Operate

Once you’ve created and tested your new automations, you’re ready to implement them into the appropriate workflows. These automations provide a foundation on which you can continuously build and deploy new automations, enterprise-wide. Now, you can turn your attention to areas that require human input and creative problem solving.