What is Hyperautomation?
It is yet another buzz word, named Technology Trend №1 of 2020 by Gartner, to capture the renewed emphasis businesses are putting on the topic of automation. It is meant to be even more: to encompass not “just” automation, but the entire ecosystem of related tools and methods businesses need to master to achieve, well, “hyperautomation”.
What is this Ecosystem of Tools and Methods that makes up “Hyperautomation”?
Different people (even at Gartner) give different answers to that question. The core elements seem to be (buzzwords in brackets):
- Task automation (RPA)
- Workflow or process automation (BPMN, (i)BPMS)
- Intelligence (AI, ML, Data Science)
- Integration (iPaaS)
- Data
- APIs
With mentions of related methods like process mining, decision management, case management etc.
That is a very large chunk of IT, isn’t it?
In a way, yes. In a way, IT has always been about automation at its core. Coining the term “hyperautomation” is therefore just as much a return to the roots of IT, as it is a vision of the future.
So what is the point?
The point of the word “hyperautomation” is the same as of any other word: to enable communication. To enable us to talk about a topic that is becoming more and more essential.
Let me attempt to characterise this topic in my own words:
We need a new way of thinking about IT. We need a new mindset to approach IT problems. This mindset should be centered around solving problems with an awareness of the breadth of solutions available to us. These do no longer fit into a few neat categories that all CIOs and IT professionals have a common understanding of.
Increasing complexity in our businesses and our IT leads to a shift in required thinking and skill set: it is no longer about knowing all the new technologies – that is impossible by now. It is increasingly about being able to formulate targets, desired outcomes, and entering into an intelligent conversation with experts who can translate these targets into technology.
I can talk at length about hyperautomation and its different aspects. While these aspects are not new to me, an automation expert, it is hugely helpful for me to have a word to start a conversation. A word that often comes with a question that starts a dialogue about problems, needs, desired outcomes and enabling technologies.
I look forward to these conversations.
