Organizations have been working to make things easier through automation for decades. Today, generative artificial intelligence (AI) shows great promise in assisting humans to complete tasks faster and accomplish more within their organizations. Business automation has grown: 67% of organizations are now centrally managing automation, and 59% are tracking automation work.
Businesses can use generative AI to improve and accelerate their business process automation. Systems like ChatGPT offer unparalleled efficiency and innovation because they can understand and generate human-like text. These capabilities empower businesses across diverse functions, encompassing customer service, sales, operations, supply chain, and more.
Beyond these functionalities, generative AI will also enable the rapid adoption of business process automation by introducing the capacity to create automation without excessive IT intervention. As organizations embrace low-code and no-code automation software, the dynamics of workforce activities and the types of work people do will evolve.
AI-driven process automation is the future
When computers first became mainstream in the workplace, thought leaders assessed that these machines would replace up to 98% of jobs. Contemporary perspectives echo similar sentiments. Some forecast that generative AI will likely touch every facet of industry, causing huge workforce shifts. The truth is, no one knows what the results of generative AI and other automation tools will ultimately bring. Firms like Goldman Sachs are using the trajectory of past innovation cycles as a lens to view how the impact of generative AI may unfold.
Organizations are leveraging generative AI to refine, optimize, and simplify many parts of their operations. Applications range from enhancing customer service experiences and envisioning new product designs to facilitating forecasting decision-making processes and empowering non-coders to create software.
While the outcomes of generative AI and other automation tools remain uncertain, their introduction into everyday processes is poised to contribute significantly to tackling complex contemporary challenges.
Benefits of low-code and no-code AI-driven automation
Democratizing the automation process and empowering individuals across various departments to create automations without the need for coding, often referred to as “low-code” or “no-code” automation, surfaces many opportunities for organizations. Here are some key aspects of the possibilities and benefits associated with no-code automation:
- Rapid deployment: No-code platforms enable faster automation deployment, eliminating the need for extensive coding and programming. This allows organizations to respond swiftly to changing business needs.
- Department-wide accessibility: Non-technical users like business analysts, managers, and subject matter experts can actively participate in the automation process. This fosters collaboration between IT and other departments, ensuring that automation solutions align with business requirements.
- Reduced IT dependence: No-code automation alleviates the burden on IT departments, allowing them to focus on more complex tasks. Business users can create and modify automations, reducing the backlog of requests for IT assistance.
- Cost savings: No-code automation reduces the need to hire specialized coding professionals and reduce headcount in other areas, resulting in cost savings. It also allows organizations to maximize existing talent by enabling non-developers to contribute to the automation process.
- Agility and flexibility: No-code platforms empower organizations to adapt quickly to changing business conditions. Users can easily modify and iterate on automations without extensive coding knowledge, promoting agility in response to evolving requirements.
- Innovation from the start: Business users closest to the operational processes can directly contribute to automation, fostering innovation at the organization’s front lines. IT is freed up to perform more complex work, rather than serve as the automation builder and accountability party. This decentralization of automation creation can lead to more creative and contextually relevant solutions.
- Scalability: No-code automation platforms often come with scalability features, allowing organizations to expand their automation initiatives seamlessly as business needs grow. This scalability is essential for long-term success.
- Improved documentation and transparency: No-code platforms often include visual interfaces that clearly represent workflows and processes. This enhances documentation and transparency, making it easier for teams to understand and maintain automations.
- Faster return on investment (ROI): With the accelerated development and deployment cycles enabled by no-code platforms, organizations can realize a faster return on their investment in automation technologies.
In essence, no-code automation allows organizations to distribute the power of automation creation across different roles. This approach not only accelerates the implementation of automation but also fosters a culture of innovation and collaboration within the organization.
Building out technology to support accelerated automation is a complex and time-consuming process. Fortunately, some companies offer platforms and integrations to facilitate the process.
How AI-driven automation helps organizations
AI-driven automation is profoundly impacting organizations across various industries. It provides multiple benefits that enhance efficiency, decision-making, and overall business performance. There are several ways in which AI-driven automation helps organizations.
Automating routine, repetitive tasks promises to enhance efficiency by enabling organizations to minimize manual effort and reduce errors. AI algorithms further contribute to efficiency by handling data processing and analysis at a speed and scale that surpasses human capabilities.
This also increases employee productivity, allowing them to focus on more strategic and creative aspects of their work. AI tools further assist employees in data analysis, research, and decision support.
Using AI tools to analyze extensive datasets and extract meaningful insights allows AI to significantly aid in and improve decision-making processes. The additional incorporation of generative AI into predictive analytics, can give organizations new views on trends and patterns they already follow.
That same process of analyzing data sets to derive insights for internal decision-making is also powering customer interactions. AI-driven chatbots and virtual assistants offer instantaneous and personalized customer support, elevating the overall customer experience. And automating customer queries and issue resolution ensures quicker responses, thereby improving customer satisfaction.
AI can also be used for other customer-facing tasks like creating personalized marketing strategies using its ability to analyze customer behavior. The automation of marketing campaigns ensures targeted and timely communication with customers.
Workflow automation facilitates seamless coordination between different departments and functions, enhancing overall organizational efficiency. By automating repetitive tasks and optimizing processes, organizations achieve significant cost savings in time, headcount, resources, and operational expenses.
AI-driven automation can play a crucial role in resource allocation and utilization efficiency. For example, organizations can accurately monitor inventory and enhance overall supply chain efficiency using AI-driven automation for demand forecasting, inventory management, and logistics optimization.
Lastly, AI is helping businesses discover innovations by generating insights and ideas that drive product development and business strategy. This automation removes the burden of lower-order creative tasks and allows humans to channel their efforts into higher-order creative thinking.
As AI technology progresses, the expanding scope and impact of AI-driven automation presents organizations with unprecedented opportunities for heightened efficiency and innovation. The true potential of AI-driven automation is magnified when the capability to create this automation is extended beyond traditional coding experts. No-code automation platforms will be pivotal, empowering individuals across diverse departments to actively contribute to creating, testing, and implementing automation.
How Einstein for MuleSoft and Flow can accelerate business automation
Salesforce has consistently worked to make business process automation accessible to more users. To do this they have embedded Einstein into Salesforce Flow and MuleSoft Anypoint Code Builder providing customers with low- and no-code automation tools.
Einstein for Flow is integrated into the Salesforce platform, allowing teams to create any automation process without needing code. To start automating a workflow, users describe the flow they would like to make to the Einstein chat prompt or choose from a list in Flow Builder.
From there, the workflow process will be broken down into simple steps, coded, and prepared for visualization in Flow Builder. Business teams can use Flow to set up any automation. Business teams can still use Flow for automations that call external systems once the APIs are built in MuleSoft Anypoint Platform and shared with Flow.
For example, you can remove a human triage step by automating it with Flow. Watch the process in detail in our webinar, Use AI to Accelerate Business Automation with MuleSoft and Flow.
Drive stronger customer relationships and bring more value to customers by automating workflows with MuleSoft and Flow. Learn more about accelerating your automation with Einstein for Flow.
