Intelligent Automation Software (IAS) has had a significant impact on the way business processes are designed and managed in today’s global workplace. By holistically integrating Business Process Automation (BPA), Robotic Process Automation (RPA) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) to orchestrate end-to-end business processes, forward-thinking companies are realizing levels of efficiency and productivity that were unimaginable just a few years ago.
The unprecedented growth of this technology has been accompanied, as one might expect, by an equally rapid explosion in the number of vendors offering IAS platforms.
So how do you identify the right partner for your specific needs?
To help you choose a platform that will enable you to unlock the benefits of intelligent automation for your enterprise, we’ve compiled this list of core questions to consider when making your decision:
The most powerful IAS platforms are capable of being mapped to a wide range of use cases across departments and industries. Your goal must be to create a central capability for intelligent automation that can:
• Enable automation of simple and complex processes - The complexity of enterprise business processes varies greatly within any organization, and a platform for intelligent automation needs to be ready to meet that need at both ends of the spectrum.
• Integrate seamlessly - Intelligent automation is often about filling the gaps between people and systems, with a process that can be adapted and improved over time. Being able to integrate your platform with both legacy and new technologies is vital, and the best platforms have native integrations that can speed up this process.
Deploying software that’s overly complex or difficult to understand will inevitably undermine your business process automation efforts. The result will be workforce resistance, added demands on your IT staff, and a significantly lower return on investment.
Fortunately, the advent of the Low-Code Automation Platform (L-CAP) has made it possible to avoid such pitfalls. A leading-edge L-CAP IPA makes development quick and easy by relying on simple and intuitive visual interfaces that eliminate the need for in-depth technical knowledge on the user’s part.
Learn more about low-code development. Then find out how to get the non-technical users (or “citizen developers”) in your enterprise the platform training resources they need.
And remember, a BPMN Standard platform makes it’s even more user-friendly, and easier to import process models from other software that use the same standard.
The best IAS platforms are versatile enough to accommodate the changes that naturally occur as business practices are optimized. Enterprise systems may evolve or, in some cases, be replaced.
Headcount may go up in some departments, or down in others. And external market forces may impact where, when and how employees interact with the platform. Replacing automation software that can’t handle growing needs can be an expensive and disruptive event in the lifecycle of your company, so it’s best to select a partner that can show proven scalability.
A cloud platform-as-a-service is the ideal way to manage this, saving you from having to design, deploy and manage the architecture on which your applications run. Cloud-native platforms can scale up and down with your requirements.
While some vendors from the world of on-premise software still price their software based on a set number of users, this can create a barrier to experimentation and often leave companies paying for user licenses they don’t need. Leading platforms now offer pricing based on actual platform usage, linking the cost more closely with the value gained.
It might seem obvious, but the cheapest platform is often not the best. At the same time, the most expensive platform rarely provides the best value. This makes it essential to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of any platform and choose one that best meets both your right-now needs and your roadmap ambitions.
Of course, there are a number of variables to consider when establishing a realistic budget for your IAS platform. Avoid assessing your options based solely on cost. Long-term value and projected ROI should also factor into your decision. A usage-based pricing model helps keep your ROI in good shape and motivates your software partner to fully support your success.
Before you make the financial and operational commitment to an IAS platform, it’s vital to have a clear understanding of just who you’re asking to power your journey. Whatever the level of support your enterprise may need before, during, and after implementation, will your vendor be able to offer the appropriate training and service? The answer should help to accurately assess whether a vendor’s approach, capabilities, and culture align with your specific needs.
Given that your success with intelligent automation will come down to having the right long-term partner, it’s a good idea to check that you’ll have a core support team – one you’re confident will work with you to maximize the platform’s ongoing value to your business.
We hope these questions will serve as a useful guide in your evaluation of IAS providers. If you’d like to learn more about Bizagi’s Intelligent Automation Software, feel free to contact us today.
