Expleo research reveals goodbye automation as 97% of businesses plan to embrace hyperautomation

Expleo, a global engineering, technology and consulting service provider, has announced the results of research which found that 97% of business leaders in Ireland plan to make hyperautomation a focus area for their business in the next two years.

The survey of 141 business leaders in medium- to large-sized enterprises in Ireland, part of Expleo’s Business Transformation Index (BTI) 2023 Ireland Spotlight report, shows that 47% of business decision-makers see hyperautomation being a major focus area over the next two years, while 34% say it will be a moderate focus area and 14% say it will be minor.

The findings suggest that businesses are moving beyond automating tasks in isolation. They are progressing towards hyperautomation, a process that involves automating at scale across all business functions and using AI, machine learning and Robotic Process Automation (RPA) to streamline multiple processes.

When it comes to the perceived benefits of hyperautomation, 95% of business decision-makers believe that it will enable them to make transformative efficiency gains, whilst the same proportion believe that it will free up staff time and enable them to focus on value-generating activities involving creativity and problem-solving. Additionally, 90% of business leaders say that hyperautomation will help them to cope with supply chain issues. More than half of those surveyed (51%) associate the approach with the improvement of broader business outcomes, such as customer experience and reduced costs.

While the interest in hyperautomation is widespread, Expleo’s research found the challenges businesses encounter during the implementation process hinder the adoption of new digital transformation initiatives. The main challenge, cited by 80% of business leaders, is a lack of understanding regarding which technologies can deliver their business goals. This is up from 55% the previous year, indicating that business decision-makers may be getting overwhelmed by the availability of new technologies.

Rebecca Keenan, Global Head of Intelligent Automation, Expleo, said: “These insights are fascinating because while almost all businesses will be focusing on hyperautomation at some level over the next two years, a key challenge for technology implementation is a lack of understanding of what those technologies will actually deliver.

“Technology cannot survive in a vacuum. Business leaders must ensure that they – and their teams – understand the benefits of any significant transformation measures. As they educate their teams on the benefits, business leaders must also ensure they are fostering an organisational culture that favours transformation, while empowering and trusting their IT team and technology partners to embrace the technologies that will define their future.”

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