Automation refers to tasks humans typically perform being performed instead by machines. By extension, hyperautomation is the orchestration of advanced technologies—like artificial intelligence, machine learning, natural language understanding, computer vision, conversational technology, and code-free development tools, and others —in order to automate tasks and processes that are outside the capability of humans alone. It’s the coordination of advanced technologies to work in concert; to automate with massively enhanced impact.

On a fundamental level, the nature of disruption creates conflict, and the friction around hyperautomation is heightened even more. Most of the controversy surrounds the automation of tasks that people don’t believe machines can do well or don’t trust machines to do. Many organizations also avoid contending with hyperautomation by declaring “we’re not ready for this.”

The bottom line, however, is that avoiding the inevitable widespread adoption of hyperautomation puts you at risk of losing market share to companies implementing hyperautomation successfully—putting themselves in a league beyond even their nearest competitors.

Companies that are hyperautomating are not only accomplishing more with less, it’s also easier for them to further automate new and more sophisticated processes and tasks. This scenario sets-off a force multiplier that sends them on a path toward operational superiority.

When companies find their stride with hyperautomation, it becomes exponentially harder for their competitors to reach them.