In today’s second and final installment of our process intelligence series, we look at how process intelligence functions in the business setting, looking at the various technologies that can be used, the benefits it delivers, and how to design a successful strategy for implementation. Let’s get started.
AI in Process Intelligence
Process intelligence leverages artificial intelligence and cognitive algorithms to help deepen the benefits gained from RPA and intelligent automation. While these algorithms use specific techniques and methods, their goals for process intelligence are the same, focusing on providing the most efficient workflow possible for any given stage of a business process.
Natural Language Processing (NLP)
Natural language processing is all about teaching computers and programs to understand nuances and context in human language, helping them have a softer more human-like touch. When it comes to RPA and automation, NLP is used to extract and organize variously structured and unstructured data so that it can then be used for deeper analysis and insights.
Optical Character Recognition (OCR)
OCR is a machine learning technique designed to extract text from images. Image formats can vary, including everything from art to signs to textbooks. OCR helps you transform virtually any kind of scannable document with any kind of image into a text file. OCR is particularly useful for processing large amounts of differently formatted images and text, like receipts. It can even extract handwritten data.
Natural Language Generation (NLG)
While OCR extracts text from images, NLG transforms data into language. NLG creates content using data and templated workflows with intent-driven approaches. NLG can be seen in common applications like weather reports and financial data that use data to produce language-based reports. In process automation, NLG might be used for automating customer communications, creating business intelligence dashboards and more.
Process Intelligence and the EZFlow Platform
Discovery can be an extremely powerful undertaking, uncovering pitfalls and problems and illuminating the path for success. However, it can also be an extremely tedious one, requiring hefty investment of time and effort and fraught with potential missteps, especially when building workflows from memory.
With EZFlow, process discovery has never been easier, and with smart tools for deep analysis, it’s never produced more valuable results.
Real-time Overview
Know what happens where, when and how so that you can spot potential problems, and choose what to keep, what to change, what to re-engineer, what to automate and more.
Make Confident Changes
With visuals and easy-to-follow recommendations, get a solid understanding how change will impact your business and which areas would benefit most from automation.
Keep Full Control
Automate only what you choose. Stay in full control—leverage the technology for its powerful features, and still ensure there is human intervention anywhere it is needed.
Start Where You Are
If you have your own process, simply upload it. If you don’t, EZFlow can generate it for you, systematically recording your processes start to finish.
Automating Automation
Get a head-start on your automations with pre-built bots, which are initiated in Process Intelligence and ready for review in the Automation Engine.
Continual Improvement
With each discovery session using Process Intelligence, you’ll gain deeper insights and new efficiencies, for a continuous cycle of improvement.
Process Intelligence as a Driver of Digital Transformation
The urgency around digital transformation is no longer a modest one. Businesses everywhere recognize the need to upgrade their tech stacks and many have even started the process, implementing RPA and other automation initiatives.
The scenario that many of them now find themselves in is one of half-baked benefits, where slow drips of modest improvements keep the idea alive—but there is little to no transformation happening.
Siloed Robotic Process Automation (RPA) initiatives can only help so much, because they often do not look beyond the point automation or task level. True digital transformation is an orchestrated effort that takes the entirety of the business into consideration.
While you can deploy process intelligence tools separately and apart from a larger strategy, this is probably not a wise investment. Instead, process intelligence should be a part of your business process automation strategy, and automation should be part of your overall strategy for digital transformation.
Components of a Successful Process Intelligence Strategy
Success with Process Intelligence
Success with process intelligence comes down to strategy, like most technology implementations. However, with process intelligence it is particularly key to note that for its most transformational value, process intelligence should be deployed as a component of a larger strategy for intelligent process automation.
A solid plan.
For any plan to work, you must first actually make the plan. This plan should consider the kinds of technologies you need to integrate, the stakeholders who should take part in the decision making, and how the company at large will participate in the roll-out. This plan can be flexible and should be able to flex with needed changes, but it should be comprehensive enough to guide your efforts with clear objectives leading the way.
Stakeholder alignment.
From IT to marketing, you will have interested parties with their own individual objectives for digital transformation. When it comes to process intelligence tools, ensure that everyone’s interests are heard and validated and work together at each stage of your rollout. This will limit friction and enhance collaboration.
Metrics for success.
While there are many ways to calculate ROI, it’s especially important with technology to consider the total value of ownership in your calculations. For a deeper discussion on ROI and measuring success with RPA and intelligent automation, see our white paper: Calculating ROI for Business Process Automation.
Getting Started With Process Intelligence
Whether you’ve experimented with process intelligence tools, or are ready to get started, having a technology partner who can help you make thoughtful decisions around integrations and implementation can be the difference between success and failure.
In an environment where so many automation efforts seem to fail, stack the deck in your favor with proper enterprise-level planning and by finding the right partners. For questions about how to get started, or a free demo of EZFlow in action, contact us at EPSoft Technologies.
Download your copy of our full white paper here: Improving Process Automation With Process Intelligence.