A recent report from Stamford, Conn.-based consultancy Gartner identified RPA, along with AI, as a technology that differentiates companies that are prepared to face disruption from those that are not.
In its Resilience During Disruption report, Gartner outlines three main characteristics of organizations that demonstrate they are “fit” rather than “fragile.” Along with how they are aligned internally and their ability to adapt, the degree to which they can anticipate how disruption might affect them is key.
“Fit” enterprises, Gartner says, actively search out and act on emerging trends. And, according to the report, there is a significant gap in RPA adoption between enterprises that are prepared for disruption and those that are not. According to the research, More than half (51 percent) of all companies Gartner identified as falling into the “fit” category have either already deployed RPA or plan to in the next 12 months. Only 38 percent of “fragile” organizations did the same.
“When a crisis hits, the stability that helped maximize business results in the past can get in the way of the changes the crisis demands,” the authors wrote in the report. “Leaders instinctively feel they should batten down the hatches—cutting costs or reducing risk—but this cautious approach can hurt the organization. Enterprises that respond this way emerge from crises less able to fund business initiatives, attract the right talent, and so on. In contrast, fit enterprises take a different approach, becoming more effective after a crisis.”