The times we live in right now are ripe for RPA and AI to take hold with a vice grip with no signs of letting go. I have long been an advocate of establishing an automation strategy within an organization. Unfortunately for many companies that don’t have a strategy or haven’t begun moving in that direction it’s almost getting to be too late. UiPath recently posted a thought piece indicating that a 4th industrial revolution is underway. I couldn’t agree more. It’s really not dissimilar to early on in the internet age where companies that didn’t have an online presence or adequate e-commerce strategy were left behind. Look what Amazon did to Sears, JC Penny, Barnes and Noble, Bed Bath and Beyond and others. This is the same concept only 30 years later. The human condition is to survive and part of that is to adapt.
I am of the thought that companies who want to be around in 5 years need to get very serious about automation and need to do so now. The tools are getting better, cheaper, and more robust in capability. The real investment is in support. I’m a huge proponent of support (See my blog RPA Needs Support to Thrive). Anyone, in theory, can learn how to develop using RPA (See our Citizen Development Program) yet the dedication to supporting, updating and growing an automation is invaluable to your bottom-line and process improvement. Just as a company needs to budget for IT expenses, or new capital expenses, this needs to be front and center. The world is moving in an intelligent automation direction and it’s time to make it a priority as a way of doing business as it is vital for its continuity, growth and most importantly, survival.
Written by Peter Camp, CTO & Founder, CampTek Software
