automation Archive

Automation Introduces New Business Risks

Automation has the essentials for introducing different kinds of business risks and risk at a different order of magnitude. The new risks manifest differently and have greater consequences than in a normal business process. The issue is the difference between type 1 and type 2 errors. Type 1 error. This is a normal error

Automation Bias

We’re at an inflection point in the ITO and BPO services world where we’re about to see a new level of technology: automation. On the whole, automation is a good thing. But there are some significant aspects we should be aware of. One is automation bias. And it’s dangerous. When we move to automation,

How Are Automation Services like Christmas?

The industry is abuzz with enthusiastic discussions around the potential for robotics, cognitive computing, and robotic process automation (RPA). You can’t go to a conference – whether it’s IT, BPO, or shared services – without hearing a vigorous and spirited discussion around service delivery automation (SDA). Given the promise of SDA for people replacement,

Software Eats Everything

A widely quoted phrase these days is “software eats everything.” It refers to the great value that software delivers. I believe it also applies to the profound impact it’s making in the services world. Software is disintermediating the industrialized labor arbitrage model and also infrastructure services. Let’s look at the huge implications for the

Wipro Commits to Service Delivery Automation

I recently spent a very productive day with Wipro as they showed examples of their commitment to service delivery automation – a commitment I observed as more than in any other service provider. HOLMES, their recently unveiled artificial intelligence platform is just the beginning of this serious commitment. Here are three very important aspects

RPA Breaks Link between FTEs and Service Transactions

Robotic Process Automation (RPA) is becoming a big deal in the services industry. For the last 10 years, the Indian IT industry attempted to affect pricing by breaking the link between FTEs and the services they provide. They tried outcome-based or transaction-based pricing. As I have blogged in the past, although this is interesting

Avoid the “Gotchas” in Purchasing Next-Gen Tech Services

The new technologies sweeping the market hold great promise of competitive advantages. But there’s a disturbing trend occurring in the services sales process for these technologies that poses a risk for buyers. Look out for providers talking about cloud, mobility, big data, the Internet of Things, and social in the same breath as SaaS/BPaas,

Automation Feeds Desire for Onshore Services

There’s a lot of rethinking going on in North American businesses in light of new technologies. In Everest Group’s conversations with clients and in round table discussions we’ve been holding in the industry, we find that these mature companies believe automation gives them the ability to bring their work back on shore. After more

Why Hasn’t Automation Made Much Progress in Services?

I hear people in the services industry asking why automation hasn’t taken off yet. Actually, as long as I’ve been in the industry since the 1980s, we’ve been working on automation. Back in 1983 we were talking about automating business processes and the elimination of most of the people in the services value chain.

Infosys’ New Strategy Connects all the Dots

I recently had a chance to sit down with Infosys’ CEO and his team, and they shared with me their new/renew strategy. From what I understand, it resonates with where the market is heading. This is remarkable as it addresses the vexing problems and risks service providers now face in trying to change their