The Kofax 2020 Intelligent Automation Benchmark Study – Part 1: Successful Automation Requires An Integrated Vendor Strategy

Automation technology has become increasingly essential to enable organizations across all industries to compete. No longer confined to basic use cases, automation now touches virtually every facet of operations. Scrambling to keep up with accelerating rates of change, many enterprises have cobbled together poorly integrated and siloed automation capabilities. How can firms execute on their automation ambitions while maintaining a high standard of quality and long-term agility?

In January 2020, Kofax commissioned Forrester Consulting to evaluate the emerging trends, strategies, and organizational lessons learned in the rapidly evolving automation market. Forrester conducted two online surveys — one with 450 automation and AI technology decision makers and the other with 450 individual contributors across business departments. This paper is the first of three seeking to outline these findings.

KEY FINDINGS

• Automation is everywhere. Automation technology usage has skyrocketed in recent years without signs of slowing down. In the last two years alone, investment has nearly doubled. Decision makers estimate another 40% increase over the next two years across the entire enterprise — from the front office to the back office and everywhere in between.
• This rapid rise comes with considerable challenges. In their haste to keep up with external pressures, many organizations are adopting several disparate and poorly integrated automation technologies. In fact, nearly half of respondents report their enterprises are taking an ad hoc approach to automation. And they’re quickly realizing siloed approaches are leading to technical debt, delays in successful outcomes, and several unexpected challenges.
• Organizations are turning to integrated intelligent automation. Buying habits are changing. Business leaders are prioritizing partners and vendors that provide a more holistic, integrated approach to automation. Survey data strongly suggests that forward-thinking IT decision makers understand that to achieve desired business outcomes, they must invest in integrated, complementary, and scalable automation technologies to reduce technical debt, improve long-term agility, and accelerate their digital transformation efforts.