Artificial intelligence has an incredible ability to power a company’s products and customer service by using the previously captured and extrapolated data to create the correct product or service for your customer or treat a customer’s call in the most appropriate way. The intelligence is added when that data changes, and the AI is able to change product on the back of the new information instantaneously.
Robotic Process Automation is less about creating or predicting what a client will want or need, and more about working within the current systems and improved processes to deliver efficiency and accuracy within those boundaries.
Many of the current providers of RPA software are increasingly starting to talk about artificial intelligence within their product lines. This has begun to skew many of the business development conversations The Robot Exchange are having away from the critical delivery of robotic process automation – non-intrusive automation of existing applications, intra application automation along with an element of business process enhancement, to one around how artificial intelligence can revolutionise their business
“Is your business ready for the costs and impacts of Artificial Intelligence?”
AI has started to detract from the beauty, simplicity and effectiveness of RPA solutions. The attributes of a business function that is attracted to AI differs massively from one that looks to deliver automation, though they aren’t mutually exclusive;
Revolution (AI) v Evolution (RPA)
Artificial Intelligence – Attributes of an AI ready Business
Cradle to grave data on customer journey from marketing, to consumption through to end of relationship – this is a complex area requiring huge investment in integrating data, both sources but definitions too and creating a single or multiply integrated and translated set of data for the whole business – the dreaded data warehouse!
Once this foundational and very strenuous work is complete, big brained data analysts will then run a number of algorithms against the data to create scenarios and opinions on what creative products or customer actions could be predicted.
Being able to capture results data and refine those products immediately turns the business and all the support processes from an easier slower momentum, to a very pressured and immediate environment.
High risk/High reward gamble relying on a complex set of interdependent programmes
Robotic Process Automation – Attributes of a RPA focussed Business
A RPA focussed business will look at the now and ways of improving the efficiency, accuracy and overall metrics captured for exceptions. Rather than the “revolution” required for AI, RPA will deliver an ability to evolve your business in a low-cost and low-risk way. No changes are delivered on the current application suite or major changes in the business process, though my Head of BA tells me (and I believe her) that to try and automate processes that are broken is a waste of time and energy!
Low risk/High rewards gamble, you rely on existing systems, people and where possible processes!