This paper synthesizes six years of research on hundreds of intelligent automation implementations across various industries and geographies. It consolidates findings on Robotic Process Automation (RPA) and Cognitive Automation (CA) to provide actionable principles and insights for IT leaders guiding their organizations through an automation journey. The methodology involved interviews, in-depth case studies, and surveys to understand the factors leading to successful outcomes.
Problem
While many companies have gained significant business value from intelligent automation, many other initiatives have fallen below expectations. Organizations struggle with scaling automation programs beyond isolated projects, integrating them into broader digital transformations, and navigating a confusing market of automation tools. This research addresses the gap between the promise of automation and the practical challenges of strategic implementation and value realization.
Outcome
- Successful automation initiatives achieve a 'triple win,' delivering value to the enterprise (ROI, efficiency), customers (faster, better service), and employees (focus on more interesting tasks). - Framing automation benefits as 'hours back to the business' rather than 'FTEs saved' is crucial for employee buy-in, as it emphasizes redeploying human capacity to higher-value work instead of job cuts. - Contrary to common fears, automation rarely leads to mass layoffs; instead, it helps companies handle increasing workloads and allows employees to focus on more complex tasks that require human judgment. - Failures often stem from common missteps in areas like strategy, sourcing, tool selection, and change management, with over 40 distinct risks identified. - The convergence of RPA and CA into 'intelligent automation' platforms is a key trend, but organizations face significant challenges in scaling these technologies and avoiding the creation of disconnected 'automation islands'.
Host: Welcome to A.I.S. Insights, powered by Living Knowledge. I’m your host, Anna Ivy Summers. Today, we’re diving into a fascinating study titled “Becoming Strategic with Intelligent Automation.” Host: It synthesizes six years of research on hundreds of automation projects to provide clear, actionable principles for any leader guiding their organization on this journey. With me is our expert analyst, Alex Ian Sutherland. Alex, welcome. Expert: Great to be here, Anna. Host: So, Alex, intelligent automation—things like Robotic Process Automation, or RPA—it’s been a huge buzzword for years. The promise is massive efficiency gains. But what’s the real-world problem this study is trying to solve? Expert: The problem is a huge gap between that promise and the reality. The study found that while some companies get enormous value from automation, many more initiatives fall flat. Host: What does "fall flat" look like? Expert: It means they struggle to scale beyond a few small, isolated projects. They end up with disconnected 'automation islands' that don't talk to each other. They get bogged down navigating a confusing market of tools and fail to integrate automation into their bigger digital transformation plans. In short, they never achieve that strategic value they were hoping for. Host: So how did the researchers get to the bottom of what separates success from failure? What was their approach? Expert: It was incredibly comprehensive. Over six years, they studied hundreds of intelligent automation implementations across a wide range of industries and countries. They conducted in-depth interviews, built detailed case studies of specific companies, and ran surveys with senior managers to really understand the DNA of a successful automation program. Host: Six years of data must have produced some powerful findings. What’s one of the big ones? Expert: A core finding is that successful initiatives achieve what the researchers call a 'triple win'. It’s a framework for thinking about value that goes beyond just the bottom line. Host: A 'triple win'. Tell us more. Expert: It means delivering clear value to three distinct groups. First, the enterprise, through things like ROI and efficiency. Second, the customers, who get faster, more consistent, and better service. And third—and this is the one that often gets overlooked—the employees. Host: That’s the surprising part. We so often hear about automation leading to job cuts. How do employees win? Expert: They win by being freed from tedious, repetitive tasks. The study gives the example of Telefónica O2, where employees were released from dreary work to focus on more interesting, critical tasks. This allows people to focus on problem-solving, creativity, and customer interaction—work that requires human judgment. Host: That leads to another key finding, doesn't it? About how we talk about these benefits. Expert: Exactly. Successful companies don't frame the goal as 'cutting full-time employees'. Instead, they talk about giving 'hours back to the business'. It's a subtle but crucial shift in mindset. Host: What's the difference? Expert: 'FTEs saved' sounds like you're firing people. 'Hours back to the business' means you're creating capacity. The research showed that automation rarely leads to mass layoffs. Instead, companies use that reclaimed human capacity to handle increasing workloads without hiring more people, or to redeploy their talented employees to higher-value work. Host: So this is less about replacing humans and more about augmenting them. Expert: Precisely. The fear of mass layoffs from this type of automation was largely unfounded in their research. Host: This is all fantastic insight. Let's get to the most important question for our listeners: why does this matter for their business? What's the key takeaway for a leader listening right now? Expert: The study boils it down to a simple but powerful mantra: Think big, start small, institutionalize fast, and innovate continually. Host: Let’s break that down. What does ‘think big’ mean here? Expert: It means having a strategic vision from the start. Don't just automate a random, broken process. Aim for that 'triple win' for your company, your customers, and your employees. Host: And 'start small'? Expert: You start with a pilot project. But crucially, you involve everyone from the beginning—the business sponsor, IT security, and HR. Human Resources is key. The study found that employee scorecards often need to be redesigned. For example, a claims processor’s productivity might look like it's dropping from 12 claims an hour to seven, but that’s because the robots are handling the easy ones, and the human is now focused only on the most complex cases. Without HR's involvement, that employee gets penalized for doing more valuable work. Host: That’s a brilliant, practical point. What about 'institutionalize fast'? Expert: That's about scaling. Don't let your success stay in one department. Create a center of excellence to share best practices and standard tools across the entire organization. This is how you avoid creating those 'automation islands' we talked about earlier. Host: And finally, 'innovate continually'. Expert: Automation is not a one-and-done project. Software robots are like digital employees. They need to be managed, maintained, and retrained as business rules change. The goal is to build a lasting capability for continuous improvement. Host: Fantastic. So, to summarize: a successful automation strategy isn't just about technology. It's about a strategic vision focused on a 'triple win', smart communication that emphasizes 'hours back to the business', and a clear plan to scale that capability across the organization. Host: Alex Ian Sutherland, thank you so much for breaking down this research for us. Expert: My pleasure, Anna. Host: And thanks to all of you for listening to A.I.S. Insights — powered by Living Knowledge.
Intelligent Automation, Robotic Process Automation (RPA), Cognitive Automation (CA), Digital Transformation, Service Automation, Business Value, Strategic Implementation
