Robotics Drives Automation

Automation is always a moving target. In the 1980s, process improvements centered on e-mail, spreadsheets and word processing. By the mid ’90s, the web and enterprise software — including ERP systems — had moved into the mainstream. Then in the 2000s came mobility and the cloud. Suffice it to say: The business world has witnessed spectacular gains in efficiency.

Now, the next phase of digital automation is about to take shape. It centers on robotics. Although various machines and devices have been used in factories, warehouses and even hospitals over the last few decades, radical advances in the technology are about to unleash massive societal change.

A new study of 500 business and IT decision makers from the U.S. and UK, conducted In addition, 90 percent of respondents said they felt that their senior management recognized the opportunity that robotics presents.

Among the top benefits cited: the ability to tackle projects and tasks more quickly and reduce manual effort. The top concerns: security and costs.

On average, respondents predicted that 59 percent of current business processes could be automated within the next five years. In addition, 70 percent said that robotics has become more of a priority in the last 12 months. Not surprisingly, these IT decision makers see automation as being driven “The majority of the repetitive tasks that make up the back office could soon be performed Interestingly, 32 percent of US respondents said that robotics was a “top priority,” compared to 19 percent in the UK. In addition, 78 percent of U.S. respondents said it had become “more of a priority” in the last 12 months, compared with 62 percent in the UK.

The upshot? As CIOs and other C-level executives look to transform a business into a truly digital enterprise, the IT department must provide insight, clarity and guidance into how to adopt robotics and automation.