The Rise of Citizen Developers and Exact RPA

Over this past year I've been reflecting on the changing technology landscape we are witnessing today and many of the advancements our Exact customers have made over the last five years. How time flies in the business software market.....

It has been a little over four years since the initial release of Exact's Robotic Process Automation (RPA) software for Exact Synergy.

For those not familiar, Exact Synergy is our business process management application for international mid-market companies. With a heavy focus on business workflow and document management, Synergy is the "glue" that binds many company business processes together.

Since the introduction of Exact RPA for Synergy, we have witnessed impressive results for companies who are embracing RPA technology to improve and automate in their businesses.

But maybe one of the most impressive results has come in the last few years, as we have seen a significant rise of the "citizen developer." If you're not familiar with this term,

(Courtesy of my handy Microsoft Copilot),

"A citizen developer is a business user who can automate tasks without being a coding expert. These individuals possess a good understanding of business processes and can identify areas suitable for automation. They can be found in various departments within an organization, from finance and marketing to human resources and customer service."

At Exact, we are seeing an emergence of citizen developers across many of our customer sites around the world. While my personal, primary focus is in North America and the United Kingdom, customers all over the Americas, EMEA and APAC regions are democratizing process automation into the hands of more people. Our customers are able to place RPA technology into the hands of less technical business professionals, who can use their business smarts and decide on process automation activities. With very little help, these professionals can make quantifiable impacts to their businesses. Here's why this is an exciting time for both employees and employers alike.

For employees, lower-code automation software is giving business professionals a higher-valued role within their organization. The perceived value of these roles typically translates into better salaries, more frequent job recognition and more employable, marketable, professional experiences. Employees are also gaining a sense of job satisfaction as they become the authors of process automation and operational efficiency. And what's more, they have an active voice in the development of their company's digital transformation journey.

For employers, the implementation of low-cost, RPA technology tools has measurable business results as well. Automation software has a relatively low total cost of ownership and is reducing administrative costs by way of operational efficiencies, but it can also have a major role in revenue growth.

In terms of cost reductions, RPA technology is helping to automate infinite business processes that exist between a company's traditional ERP transactions. We also see where RPA based solutions helps companies in M&A activities by integrating new business entities with central master data management processes, administration setup and the on-boarding of new employees.

From a revenue standpoint, the use of RPA technology is even more exciting. At Exact, we have witnessed where our RPA software is having measurable increases on annual revenues due to our customers' ability to "extend their enterprises." Our customers are using RPA technology to improve communications, visibility and automation between suppliers, distributors and customers. On a personal level, this has been one of the more exciting developments that we have seen in the past few years....and the best part is that I believe we are just scratching the surface in terms of quantifiable impacts.

In summary, as RPA software continues to grow in our market, so too will be the growth and rise of citizen developers. This is an exciting time to be a business professional, as RPA software gives more people "a license to be creative," leaving a lasting impact on their businesses and more options for employment growth.

#SynergyAnywhere #ExactRPA #ExactIsEverywhere

https://www.exact.com/us/software/exact-synergy/exact-rpa