By: Kevin Craine on July 29th, 2021

[Podcast] The Care and Feeding of Bots

Robotic Process Automation (RPA) | AIIM on Air

There is a lot of excitement and interest in Robotic Process Automation (RPA) these days, and for good reason. Intelligent automation helps improve flexibility, response and service; all distinguishing capabilities in the age of digital transformation. As a result, business owners and executives from all industries are taking notice. According to one AIIM research study, 55% of organizations plan to implement some form of robotic process automation in the next 6-12 months. Over 80% say they plan on automating over the next 1-2 years.

The Bottom Line on Bots

To apply RPA in the real world requires a number of important tools, foremost being automated software “Bots.” While the term often conjures an image of a far-away future, the fact is that bots are at work every day, automating and streamlining a wide variety of processes and interactions.

That was the subject of our recent AIIM On Air interview with author and futurist, Chris Surdak. We explore what bots are, how they are at work in a variety of businesses today, and suggest ways to use bots to improve the performance of your organization.

“The technology works, and that shouldn’t surprise us,” says Chris. “Most of what RPA is built on is 20-year-old technology. Realistically it’s macros and screen scraping, and we’ve been doing that since the 1990’s."

But according to Gartner, only 4% of organizations will succeed with RPA at scale. “What that number tells us is that the technology does work, it’s just that most people can’t make it work. Therefore, now is the time to step back and evaluate what are we doing wrong and what do we need to do to really make RPA work.”

The Digital Workplace

All of this points to the rising demand for what AIIM and others are calling “The Digital Workplace,” an environment enables new, more effective ways of working, raises employee engagement and agility, and exploits advancements in intelligent automation.

If you thought that automated bots are something out of a future world of science fiction, it’s time to think again. Bots are a reality today and understanding how they work and how they can be applied to specific business processes is essential. Listen to the complete interview on the Care and Feeding of Bots here.

About Kevin Craine

Kevin Craine is a professional writer, an internationally respected technology analyst, and an award-winning podcast producer. He was named the #1 Enterprise Content Management Influencer to follow on Twitter and has listeners and readers worldwide. Kevin creates strategic content for the web, marketing, social media, and more. He is the written voice for some of North America's leading brands and his interviews feature today's best thought leaders. His client list includes many well-known global leaders like IBM, Microsoft and Intel, along with a long list of individuals and start-ups from a wide variety of industries. Kevin's podcasts have been heard around the world, including the award-winning weekly business show "Everyday MBA". He is also the host and producer of "Bizcast" on C-Suite Radio and the producer behind podcasts for Epson, Canon, IBM and AIIM International, among others. Prior to starting Craine Communications Group, Kevin was Director of Document Services for Regence BlueCross BlueShield where he managed high volume document processing operations in Seattle, Portland and Salt Lake City. He also spent time at IKON as an Enterprise Content Management consultant working with national and major accounts. He was the founding editor of Document Strategy magazine. Kevin has also been, at one point or another, an adjunct university professor, a black belt martial artist, and a professional guitarist. Kevin holds an MBA in the Management of Science and Technology as well as a BA in Communications and Marketing.