Las Vegas/Amsterdam - 13 June, 2023 - A majority of organisations say they plan to fully embrace the Autonomous Enterprise in the next 10 years. This is according to new global research from Pegasystems, presented at the annual PegaWorld iNspire in Las Vegas. Research firm Savanta asked 600 decision-makers around the world about their knowledge regarding the Autonomous Enterprise and their plans and drivers for implementation.
The Autonomous Enterprise is flexible and able to continuously optimise itself by applying AI and automation to customer interaction, operational and service processes. The survey shows that 58% of respondents expect to describe themselves as an 'Autonomous Enterprise' within the next 10 years. Only 15% say they are currently already at this stage and 36% expect to reach this point in five years. What is clear is that the acceptance of Autonomous Enterprises is growing. Significantly, almost three quarters (73%) of respondents say they already currently have plans towards an Autonomous Enterprise. When asked what position they think they will be in 10 years, an overwhelming majority (96%) answered the same.
One of the reasons for the advance of this new era of self-optimising technology is the growing realisation that problems are caused by inefficient use of technology.
'Quick fixes' do not exist - When asked about their primary investment strategy in terms of technology, almost half (46%) cited either 'quick fix' technology to solve specific problems, or off-the-shelf software solutions for specific applications. 40% admit that such 'quick fixes' have led to inefficiencies in their operational processes and, for more than a third (35%), to increased risks. As a reason for choosing such 'quick fixes', 40% said they were quick to implement. Also, 31% said their options were limited because they had to stick to a predetermined list of suppliers. Only 4% of respondents said they would never invest in one-off, disjointed technology solutions.
Higher costs - A quarter of all respondents said they spend between 51% and 100% of their annual IT spending on managing IT solutions that are no longer fit for purpose. 41% say investments in stand-alone legacy systems have resulted in higher costs.
Where are our customers going? More than one in three (36%) respondents say they lie awake at night because they fear losing customers to competitors because of a poor customer experience. A quarter of respondents worry anyway that old technology, systems and channels across silos have already led to mismatched customer experiences (30%), poor customer service (26%) or loss of customers and revenue (26%).
Unified platforms in which systems and channels are connected to automate workflows and decisions within an organisation, improve themselves and align with business strategy are becoming extremely or very important in improving operational inefficiencies, says 84% of respondents. With the majority (75%) realising that AI will play a role within their organisation in the next five years (40% even say it will play a "crucial role"), the rise of the Autonomous Enterprise seems to be gaining momentum.
"In a world moving at the speed of AI, manual tasks, static decision-making and temporary solutions are becoming a hindrance. Tomorrow's successful organisations are autonomous enterprises that have flexibility and focus, bringing people together to deliver seamless customer experiences through hyper-personalised interactions and highly efficient operational processes. This requires not only a change in technology, but also a different mindset. An Autonomous Enterprise constantly adapts and improves itself, with the aim of providing the best experiences for both customers and employees."
