Seven predictions for robotic process automation (RPA) in 2020

1. The global economic downturn will encourage the adoption of RPA

Normally, organizations would lay off employees and struggle through, but automation is demonstrating new ways forward. As businesses face the realities of working in an economic downturn, I predict they’ll adapt their business models with automation – which will enable them to scale up robots rather than scale down human employees.

2. RPA will become the YouTube for automation

In 2020, RPA is going to claim its place as a central platform for other enterprise automation tools: it will become the repository for automation in the same way that YouTube is for video content.

The centrality of RPA will run parallel with the development of automation code that is more useful and reusable, enabling it to spread even further than it previously has. In turn, this will enable organizations to reuse code across industries and geographies. This is the front end of an even longer-term trend, as RPA becomes more accessible and extensible.

3. More organizations will combine and reuse robots

In 2020, organizations will learn how to better standardize robots and apply them across use-cases and departments, and eventually across companies and industries. This will result in more predictable deployments and easier scaling – rather than adopting automation in silos, which constrains the benefits of RPA.

4. Students entering the workforce will drive automation deployment

For most of business history, human employees have been stuck having to connect and integrate increasingly outdated technology systems via repetitive, manual work. In 2020, students entering the workforce will be familiar with better options and will force lagging businesses to transform and modernize their processes. They’ll be asking why we’re doing the same things the same ways after all these years—and many organizations won’t have adequate answers.

Given the proclivity of students to learn automation in school, as evidenced by research, they will start automating bits of their jobs. As these new employees get more efficient and effective, the now vivid benefits of RPA will outweigh any remaining hesitancy, a compelling organization to change.

5. We’ll continue to be surprised by the intelligence of machines

The powers and abilities of machine intelligence are continuing to grow. Tasks that we once thought uniquely human are quickly becoming doable by software.

The growth of AI will remain exponential, similar to Moore’s law, and there will be plenty of surprises in store. Every innovation we’re seeing in AI and computing is happening on top of innovations in quantum computing.

We’re regularly increasing the number of qubits in quantum computing, and the potential use-cases for this power are vast. Limitations that we’ve previously accepted as immutable won’t last.

6. RPA will become a topic discussed on the world stage

The impact of automation is proving to be societal in scope. In 2020, extra-governmental organizations such as the United Nations and the World Economic Forum will discuss RPA in the context of jobs, wages, and global economics.

Individual countries will also become increasingly interested in what effect automation will have on their societies. Prioritizing RPA in these socio-political contexts and policy discussions will be crucial if robots become key players in the coming economic downturn.

7. Consolidation among RPA vendors and automation-led services companies will accelerate

As larger, more established organizations move into the RPA market, they’re going to acquire and merge with upcoming RPA vendors. The leaders, identified by the Gartner Magic Quadrant for Robotic Process Automation Software, Forrester Wave, and Everest PEAK Matrix reports, likely won’t face acquisitions, because their valuations are too high.

Enterprise entrants to the RPA market will instead acquire and merge with smaller organizations to compete with these leaders. Global service integrator companies and other technology companies are already buying up automation-led services companies. In 2020, the consolidation of these challenger companies across services and technology businesses will continue.