The RPA space in 2020 will be marked by hyperautomation and disruption, according to Gartner. In its Predicts 2020: RPA Renaissance Driven by Morphing Offerings and Zeal for Operational Excellence, the Stamford, Conn.-based consultancy notes that RPA is still growing steadily—it has been one of the top five Gartner search terms for 16 consecutive quarters—but that technology offerings are still fragmented and evolving.
The research and consulting firm expects 2020 to be an “RPA renaissance,” as high levels of investment, R&D and customer feedback combine to drive the industry forward. RPA will be swept up in the growing trend of hyperautomation, Gartner says, as companies continue to combine automation tools and machine learning to rapidly identify and automate as many business processes as possible.
By 2024, Gartner predicts, organizations will use RPA and a range of other hyperautomation tools to lower operational costs by 30 percent. RPA failures have grown as the technology has become more widely adopted, however, so the importance of proper analysis, planning, a defined strategy and a center of excellence are more important than ever to achieving desired results.
“Avoid the hype with rigorous due diligence of RPA offerings and their ecosystems,” the report’s authors write. “Focus on the providers’ abilities to address outcomes critical to your organization across multiple areas. Assess vendor process models carefully as seen with Microsoft’s entry into these offerings that changed the marketplace dynamics significantly—especially for the small and midsize business sector.”