No, Robotic automation extends and complements BPMS and SOA initiatives which are attacking the automation challenge from a different, top down, IT driven angle. Robotic automation is aimed at small-to-mid size automation initiatives. Where speed and size and agility are major factors, then robotic automation is often the fastest and most efficient approach. When larger initiatives are required with a fuller “Business Process” character then BPMS may be better suited.
This difference in scale is illustrated with the so called Long Tail of Automation Requirements. This says that core IT deals with the high volume bulk processing requirements an organisation may have. Typically, these are core ERP systems, mainframe accounting and core data bases. As we move towards the middle of the graph requirements become more specialist and diverse. This is where an organisation often differentiates its product and service offerings. Typical technologies here are workflow, desktop integration, BPMS, agent acceleration. These are large IT control programs that service to offer a platform for automation and work management.
Finally we have the third section of Long Tail – these tasks are characterized by their diversity. Often they are too diverse to make an IT change program, and may be too small to justify IT project costs. Here traditional approaches have been to outsource, or offshore in order to adjust labour rates to make the task more competitive. Robotic automation offers an alternative to off shoring or outsourcing – presenting a new cost-band of labour based on robots.
This difference in scale is illustrated with the so called Long Tail of Automation Requirements. This says that core IT deals with the high volume bulk processing requirements an organisation may have. Typically, these are core ERP systems, mainframe accounting and core data bases. As we move towards the middle of the graph requirements become more specialist and diverse. This is where an organisation often differentiates its product and service offerings. Typical technologies here are workflow, desktop integration, BPMS, agent acceleration. These are large IT control programs that service to offer a platform for automation and work management.
Finally we have the third section of Long Tail – these tasks are characterized by their diversity. Often they are too diverse to make an IT change program, and may be too small to justify IT project costs. Here traditional approaches have been to outsource, or offshore in order to adjust labour rates to make the task more competitive. Robotic automation offers an alternative to off shoring or outsourcing – presenting a new cost-band of labour based on robots.
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