The Rotten State of Automation, and the Fix

Automation is probably the most overused word in the world of technology, but the irony is that while research shows 50% of the work in an organization can be automated to a great extent, in reality, only three out of ten businesses have started automating. Even those that have, typically focus on just one function.?

So, the current state of technology is that everyone acknowledges automation’s importance, believes they are on an automation journey, and at the same time, everyone is unhappy with what they have achieved through automation so far.

There’s a significant gap between what can be automated and what is currently being done. The key question is why this gap exists and how to close it.

The Root Cause of the Automation Deficit

Businesses are not to blame for the slow success of automation. The reality is that automation is more complex than it seems. Here are some of the most common but least spoken-about causes of automation projects slowing down or even failing:

• Legacy Software Issues: Legacy software does not integrate well with new automation solutions. Often, existing processes need extensive changes to fit into automation, which disrupts business operations.
• ROI and Timeline Concerns: Every business disruption negatively impacts the return on investment (ROI) and the timeline for automation. A recent survey from Economist Impact found that 50% of businesses felt they didn’t achieve significant value from their technology investments.
• Complex Implementation: For automation to work, it must be deployed quickly, and there must be an accompanying journey of organizational change management. While doing this, the CIO has to think about data privacy, and the CEO must ensure top-notch customer service. This is a difficult balancing act.

These issues arise because businesses generally try to implement automation in isolated pockets. They start by focusing on one function or area but don’t integrate all the different tools and systems. This piecemeal approach leads to difficulties like those mentioned above.

Gartner believes that the solution is to unify different automation tools on a single platform, as this can address all these problems.

1. It will streamline the integration between new and legacy systems.
2. It will avoid disruptions by offering a smoother and more consistent automation process.
3. It will simplify change management by centralizing tools and reducing complexity, allowing everything to be managed from one place.

Gartner calls this the BOAT framework: Business Orchestration and Automation Technologies.

What Does BOAT Ask the CIO to Do?

At its core, the BOAT framework asks CIOs to think differently about how they invest in automation technology. All decisions should be guided by three key principles:

1. Bring All Automation Tools Together: Ensure all automation tools work together on a single platform, eliminating fragmentation and making processes run more smoothly.
2. Ensure the System Can Grow with the Business: The automation system should scale with the business, handling increased complexity without disruptions or performance issues.
3. Put the Power of Data Behind Every Decision: Data should drive every decision. CIOs need to ensure that real-time, accurate data is readily available to inform decision-making and adapt to changes quickly.

The Shared Philosophy of BOAT and Low-Code

This approach has much in common with the Low-Code paradigm of enterprise application development. Low-Code, which became mainstream only in the early 2020s, allows businesses to build applications quickly with minimal coding. By 2020, Deloitte estimated that 75% of enterprise applications would be built on Low-Code platforms.

Low-Code platforms, like those offered by Amoga, allow businesses to develop software using a visual, drag-and-drop interface. This makes app creation faster and more accessible to both developers and non-developers.

These are the three pillars of Low-Code platforms.

1. Visual Interface: Developers use a drag-and-drop interface to create applications visually This means they don’t need to write code to build new features. This greatly speeds up the development process.
2. Pre-Built Components: The platform includes templates, modules, and components that are ready to use. This means that businesses can build solutions faster by reusing these elements rather than starting from scratch.
3. Data Integration: Low-Code includes visual tools to integrate various data sources and systems. This ensures seamless data flow across applications.

The result? Applications can be delivered in a fraction of the time compared to traditional coding. Developers focus on design and testing instead of tedious coding.

However, a disclaimer is necessary here: not all Low-Code platforms truly live up to these principles. The tech market is notorious for repackaging old technology under new labels. In many cases, more customization options are being added to older platforms, which are then marketed as Low-Code.

Discover True Low-Code with Amoga: Future-Proof Your Automation Journey

At Amoga, when we built our Low-Code platform, we were clear about one thing: the only way to enable organizations to cover their automation gap confidently is to do so in a future-proof manner. Seeing the same philosophy shared by leading consulting organizations like Gartner renews our confidence that technology that is easy to use for end-users, handles data robustly, and makes IT’s work 10x faster and 75% cheaper is what modern organizations need to plug their automation gaps.

We’d love to talk to you about BOAT, your automation experience, the challenges you’ve faced, and how we can help.