Process automation: An evolutionary approach to digital transformation
Process automation can be transformational or evolutionary. Read this report to understand how process automation choices can impact a telco’s business.
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Process automation is central to both digital transformation and digital evolution, putting it at the heart of a debate over whether fully reimagining processes, systems and architectures is at odds with evolving existing processes for tactical gain. The answer is important because it shapes how far and how quickly communications service providers (CSPs) can go in achieving fundamental change. The debate between digital transformation and digital evolution exists partly because of the need to reconcile strategic and tactical objectives. Operations teams typically focus on strategic transformational goals, such as reducing the cost of maintaining legacy systems, gaining business agility, leveraging cloud economics and improving customer experience (CX). An API-first architecture can help them align objectives, systems and processes and enable integration to deliver zero-touch automation, lower procurement costs and much greater agility. This report examines the intersection of telco operations, digital transformation and RPA combined with AI. Our methodology leverages TM Forum survey data; interviews with experts from CSPs, their suppliers and TM Forum subject matter experts; and desk research regarding RPA and intelligent automation to explore differing approaches to business process automation and transformation, how they may conflict, and what steps CSPs can take to ensure they work together. Read it to understand:
- Differences between transformational and evolutionary approaches to process automation
- How Open API-based architectures can deliver a zero-touch experience
- What a bot is and how CSPs are using RPA and intelligent automation to capture and automate customer-facing processes
- How architectures like ODA and technologies like RPA will need to co-exist within CSPs
- Why the TM Forum Business Process Framework (eTOM) may play a crucial role in training AIs to map and analyze operations and business processes
- What steps CSPs can take to manage bot integrations with legacy systems through digital transformation