Irma Fabular, VP Analyst at Gartner
Increasing global uncertainties and disruptions are forcing governments to accelerate the deployment of digital solutions to support their communities and workforces. Governments are under increasing pressure to deliver value quickly with a focus on “speed to value,” and hyperautomation is seen as a promising solution.
Governments have already started modernizing platforms, automating tasks, and redesigning processes to reduce red tape, improve efficiency, and enhance citizen services. For example, governments have been deploying chatbots and using robotic process automation (RPA) to tackle process automation and work around legacy system limitations.
As government automation initiatives continue to result in tangible business outcomes, the adoption and use of hyperautomation tools will grow. Gartner predicts that by 2026, 60% of government organizations will prioritize business process automation, up from 35% in 2022.
Hyperautomation is a disciplined approach that organizations use to rapidly identify, vet and automate as many business and IT processes as possible. It involves the integration of advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), robotic process automation (RPA), low code and integration platforms to automate complex business processes.
Government organizations can balance digital investments for resiliency and flexibility while optimizing costs by automating business processes and public service models. Furthermore, digital workplace solutions, such as unified communications and collaboration, can help facilitate consistent employee experiences and engagement with constituents.
By harnessing the power of this technology trend effectively, governments can streamline their operations while improving service delivery across departments – resulting in better outcomes for the community.
Getting started with hyperautomation initiatives can seem daunting at first. Government chief information officers (CIO), engaged in digital transformation and innovation, can take steps outlined below to ensure a successful implementation.
For government organizations, hyperautomation opportunities are complicated by the siloed nature of government service delivery across various agencies and departments. Thus, government CIOs seeking to successfully exploit this trend should focus on the following key implications:
Hyperautomation offers numerous benefits to government organizations, but it comes with risks around the ethical use of data, privacy, accountability and governments’ ability to maintain the trust of the community. While these risks shouldn’t deter governments from pursuing hyperautomation, they highlight the necessity of retaining essential human components and maintaining accountability.