Advanced Use of Automation to Double in Europe by 2020

LONDON, June 20, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Advanced business use of Robotic Process Automation (RPA) is expected to double in Europe by 2020, as companies seek to improve customer experience and streamline their finance operations, according to new research from Information Services Group (ISG), (Nasdaq: III), a leading global technology research and advisory firm.

ISG, in partnership with RPA software provider Automation Anywhere, surveyed more than 500 European business leaders to assess their adoption of RPA technology and services. The research reveals the percentage of European companies expecting to be at the advanced stage of RPA use will double by 2020, while fewer than 10 percent will not yet have started their RPA journey.

While Europe has been slower to adopt technologies like automation than other markets, RPA is moving into the mainstream, with 92 percent of respondents saying they anticipate using RPA by 2020, and 54 percent saying they will reach the advanced stage of adoption by then, up from 27 percent currently.

ISG's research reveals RPA budgets in Europe increased on average by 9 percent in the last year, significantly ahead of the average increase for general IT spending. Of those companies that posted an increase, 25 percent saw a double-digit increase. Third parties, such as consultants and service providers, make up more than half of this budget.

Increasingly, improving the quality, speed and efficiency of client-facing and finance functions are becoming top priorities for corporate automation buyers. Over the next 24 months, respondents say RPA is expected to have the greatest impact on customer service and order-processing functions (43 percent), closely followed by finance, treasury and audit (42 percent); procurement, logistics and supply chain (40 percent), and sales and marketing (38 percent).

Adoption of RPA is in its initial stages in Europe, with three-quarters of respondents saying they are in either the early phase (up to pilot testing) or intermediate phase (automating fewer than 10 business processes). By 2020, however, nearly three-quarters expect to be in the intermediate to advanced phase (automating 10 or more processes).

Among Europe's largest markets, 60 percent of German companies expect to be in the advanced stage of deployment by 2020 (versus 32 percent today), following by 50 percent in France (up from 22 percent) and 46 percent in the UK (up from 23 percent).

However, barriers to adoption remain. Security is a key concern, with 42 percent of businesses citing this as an obstacle to expanding their RPA use. Lack of budget and resistance to change were both cited by 33 percent, followed by concerns over governance and compliance (29 percent), lack of IT support (28 percent) and lack of executive commitment (27 percent).

Commenting on the findings, Andreas Lueth, partner at ISG, said: "Robotic Process Automation is delivering improved outcomes for enterprises across Europe and our research shows many more businesses will be taking advantage of the technology by 2020 as adoption accelerates. The increasing prominence of RPA in organizations is borne out in the fact that many businesses are now choosing to appoint Heads of Automation – a role that has appeared only in the past two years.

"This technology has the potential to revolutionize customer service and back-office functions alike, but organizations should be wary of falling into the RPA trap. The decision to deploy RPA should be treated as a strategic business initiative, with defined objectives and measures. Without this, the chance of failure is high."

James Dening, vice president, Europe at Automation Anywhere adds: "European enterprises are at an exciting juncture with respect to RPA. If implemented properly, over the next few years RPA technologies will help deliver significant value for businesses across a range of European enterprises and industries, ensuring growth in productivity, efficiency and output, and helping these firms and industries stay competitive at a local, regional and global level."

Detailed findings of ISG's RPA research can be found here

About ISG

ISG (Information Services Group) (Nasdaq: III) is a leading global technology research and advisory firm. A trusted business partner to more than 700 clients, including 75 of the top 100 enterprises in the world, ISG is committed to helping corporations, public sector organizations, and service and technology providers achieve operational excellence and faster growth. The firm specializes in digital transformation services, including automation, cloud and data analytics; sourcing advisory; managed governance and risk services; network carrier services; technology strategy and operations design; change management; market intelligence and technology research and analysis. Founded in 2006, and based in Stamford, Conn., ISG employs more than 1,300 professionals operating in more than 20 countries—a global team known for its innovative thinking, market influence, deep industry and technology expertise, and world-class research and analytical capabilities based on the industry's most comprehensive marketplace data. For more information, visit www.isg-one.com.

About Automation Anywhere

Automation Anywhere is the world's largest software provider of robotic process automation, the platform on which more organizations build world-class Intelligent Digital Workforces. Automation Anywhere's enterprise-grade platform uses software bots that work side by side with people to do much of the repetitive work in many industries. It is the only true Intelligent Digital Workforce platform because it combines sophisticated RPA, cognitive and embedded analytic technologies. Over 1,000 of the world's largest enterprises use this AI-enabled solution to manage and scale business processes faster, with near-zero error rates, while dramatically reducing operational costs. Knowing that people who have more time to create, think and discover build great companies, Automation Anywhere has provided automation technology to leading financial services, insurance, healthcare, technology, manufacturing, telecom and logistics companies across more than 90 countries for 14 years. For additional information, visit www.automationanywhere.com.

SOURCE Information Services Group, Inc.

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