Automation is being adopted by businesses globally, across almost all sectors – and Deloitte estimates that during 2023, more than 50% of companies will invest in automation. But just what will the automation trends likely be this year?
Viewed as vital to achieve digital transformation in business by an incredible 97% of companies, the rise of automation uptake is destined to increase rapidly despite the debates around artificial intelligence (AI) and its bias potential and ethical status.
The need to achieve more in less time and with fewer hired staff is appealing to businesses keen to maximise output and minimise costs – and as long as this continues, so will the rise in uptake of automation technology over the next year.
Key Automation Trends For 2023
Many automation use cases are driven by businesses’ desire to do a lot more with a lot less – increase productivity whilst benefiting from using fewer resources and spending less money.
No Code Low Code (NCLC) Explosion
Especially for small and medium businesses, no code low code (NCLC) is expected to see adoption rates rise over the next 12 months thanks to the nature of this technology. Easy to implement and maintain, NCLC technology is designed to create customisable easy-to-install automation solutions that are particularly attractive to smaller companies with smaller budgets.
Go Beyond Simple Processes
Until now, automation technology has largely been used for simple processes, but it is expected to be deployed for more complex processes and start to be placed at the heart of business. Given its time-saving qualities, automation will likely be used for more and more internal processes and procedures, to boost output, make data more accurate to process, and cut down on the staff needed for the work.
Furthermore, there is likely to be a rise in hyperautomation as a result of the expansion of AI, ML and robotic process automation (RPA) technologies. Hyperautomation is able to enhance the existing qualities of standard automated systems and thereby expand potential benefits to operations and business as a whole.
Become Cleverer
With technologies like machine learning (ML) and Internet of Things (IoT) becoming more sophisticated, automation as a whole is expected to move beyond fixed uses into the flexible realm of data gathering. People rely on data for core business decisions and the ability to harness huge data processes using automation technology will enhance decision-making and business capabilities.
More Support Needed
To enable digital transformation and the deployment of more sophisticated automation technologies in business, companies will need to use multi-vendor tools to support this process. The quality of these tools will be vital to ensure maximum support and accessibility in the adoption and deployment of automated processes.
Customer Experience Is Key
Customer experience (CX) is ultra important to businesses as it enables them to build brand loyalty and stand out in a crowded market. AI technology enhances CX greatly, supporting the use of chatbots and even ChatGPT technology that makes the customer experience memorable and one customers want to repeat. Automation technologies allow companies to improve their customer service output by boosting their offering for customers while reducing human resources costs and enhancing the customer experience.
Use Of SaaS
Already, in the 3 months of 2023 that have passed, we’ve seen an uptake in the use of Software as a Service (SaaS) because the generated automation solutions like Hubspots’ ChatSpot and Salesforce Einstein AI boost business abilities and improve customer experience – and with AI technology developing all the time, there is likely to be more investment in SaaS over the course of this year.
Conclusion
We’ve seen already that the days of automation being a plaything for the big businesses with large resources, datasets and loyal customers, are fading away. At an increasing pace, automation technology is being adopted by all businesses, regardless of size and sector – and if this trend continues, 2023 is set to be a year of big investment in a range of automation from the more straightforward LCNC technology through to the refined hyperautomation technologies and expansion of AI capabilities.
Founder of Flux Digital Labs, John Duboyski is a leading marketing analyst and automation specialist.
