Looking past the hype in hyperautomation

The industry has anticipated for decades that the next generation in technological advancement and productivity will be full scale digital transformation – with a key pillar being hyperautomation. Hyperautomation is defined as a ‘business-driven, disciplined approach to rapidly identify, vet and automate as many business and IT processes as possible’ and it has been identified as a top strategic technology trend for 2022. True hyperautomation converges and utilizes many cutting edge technologies and platforms such as Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, and Robotic Process Automation to automate complex business processes.

It is important here to distinguish what we are talking about, for my industry. Automation in manufacturing isn’t new – machines and systems have enabled businesses to automate production and other processes for decades. Automation is narrowly focused on a specific task based on well-defined criteria, while autonomy, conversely, is self-sufficient and requires no human intervention. Autonomy at a business process level, as well as throughout a product lifecycle – from early design to manufacturing to quality control – is the next step to unlocking new levels of flexibility and productivity for businesses, reducing costs and time-to-market, while improving product quality. Overall spending on this technology has quadrupled since 2018, according to KPMG, and is expected to reach $232bn by 2025. IoT, artificial intelligence and machine learning have been tools at our fingertips for years, but these technologies’ full potential will only be achieved when moving from occasional singular use to cohesive full-scale smart factory adoption. This is widely recognised as the goal for autonomy, as we can see from the levels of technology investment.

It’s clear from my experience that achieving autonomy is not just a technological challenge, but one that relies on data. We at Hexagon are global leaders in digital reality solutions, developing software, data management solutions, devices, and sensors for the design, manufacturing, and quality aspects of global high value tech and manufacturing industries. Our technology touches 95% of all cars produced every year, 90% of all aircraft and 85% of all smartphones, with applications in industrial, manufacturing, infrastructure, public sector, and mobility. Central to unlocking advanced automation in any of the sectors we work with is better collection, storage and use of data – hyperautomation can be made easier to achieve with optimal use of data, but also offers a feedback loop where new, connected systems can improve data gathering and exploitation capabilities.

The true advantage of hyperautomation over traditional, siloed automation is that as a collection of tools and technologies, it can support entire workflows, processes, and enable automation and AI to be incorporated in the entire end-to-end processes. Legacy technical infrastructure and software, as well as organisational siloes, can prevent cross-departmental collaboration and stifle a business’ capacity to innovate.

The efficiency, productivity and cost advantages of hyperautomation are not limited to any one sector, although the term is highly associated with traditional manufacturing production. For car makers, who demand high levels of quality, stringent regulation, and large-scale production, advanced automation can have a massive impact across the entire production chain. It can help avoid common but catastrophic concerns such as product recalls and significant failure costs. Hexagon’s solutions can automate the quality prediction of manufacturing processes using digital twins to predict factors like the deformation and physical performance of each part. We calculate their tolerances so that the manufacturer can virtually assemble a product before actually making it – when it’s too late and costly to fix issues.

One of our clients includes ŠKODA AUTO, which we worked with to automate their quality inspection using a single software solution used throughout their Czech Republic-based factories. The HxGN Robotic Automation software significantly reduces the time sink caused by the programming and debugging of robotic systems used in measurement. It also epitomises hyperautomation in the context of Industry 4.0 as the system enables non-specialists to code and control any industrial robot to democratise industrial automation.

This is where quality, in addition to great design, engineering, and manufacturing, becomes a business issue and key partner throughout the product lifecycle. We recently acquired ETQ, a leading quality software provider, who are enabling Hexagon to take another step forward in enabling autonomy. ETQ’s advanced data management capabilities, driven by machine learning and artificial intelligence, make quality data fully actionable and available further upstream. Not only does this reduce defects, scrap, rework, and recalls, but it also enables an autonomous feedback loop, digital information trail and virtuous cycle of continuous improvement that illustrates hyperautomation at its full potential.

It can also support healthcare organisations, helping to overcome legacy, not fit-for purpose IT systems notoriously associated with public health. We’ve seen IBM and Deloitte conducting the digital transformation initiatives that will define the next few years in the move to hyperautomation, including supporting Medicaid in developing a first-of-its-kind cloud-based healthcare platform that is helping federal agencies reduce cost and complexity.

Automation efforts are often limited in addressing specific departmental challenges or aiming to reduce headcount – such as in payroll or customer administration – whereas true hyperautomation, where application is business-wide, can overcome skills shortages while enhancing all processes. The overall picture of costs for this process can be off-putting, especially for global OEMs, but where automation is an afterthought or has limited reach, the functionality will always be capped. Manufacturers who are aware of the trend may be prone to focus on the ‘hype’ of hyperautomation, but gaining a deeper understanding of how it can optimise production, design, and make the most of data, will be a clear differentiator of success over the coming years.

I believe that technologies such as big data management, AI and machine learning are at the core of hyperautomation, not just part of the definition but the key to make the step from traditional automation to smart manufacturing. Efforts to democratise access to the technologies are a key area of development for Hexagon, enabling customers to unlock the full benefits of automation by ensuring the workforce is equipped to support and optimise it. Hyperautomation can also unlock the potential of digital twins, that could replicate an entire factory or shop floor, enhanced by sufficient quality and volume of data generated by the technologies forming part of the hyperautomation. These digital reality solutions, that help enable autonomy, can also enable manufacturers to meet new demands around sustainability through the efficiencies gained at every stage, which is vital for sectors such as eMobility. Their workflows are automated end-to-end, which support electric vehicle manufacturers to bring down costs, helping consumers but also delivering on the sustainability promise of EVs.

Data optimisation, quality, and trust, as well as connecting processes will allow manufacturers to make the best decisions. The barriers to entry will pale over time in comparison to the potential gains from hyperautomation, for the bottom line and the workforce’s daily lives. For companies wanting to innovate, it frees up time and resources for people wanting to push the boundaries of their products and technical capabilities. Classic threats to industry such as external factors like COVID-19 and trade wars, are answered in a more flexible and agile way once autonomy is fully

embraced. It can be the key to a more sustainable, efficient organisation unlocked through machine learning, AI and data analysis. Autonomy must be the goal for manufacturing and the next stage of evolution for game-changing autonomous processes in the future.

With data being at the heart of hyperautomation, we’re striving to connect quality and manufacturing intelligence data across the full enterprise for any of our customers, delivering value to them through insights utilising digital twins, AI, and providing specific answers to challenges such as material savings, time to market, output quality, perception and branding. The recognition of this trend by the global industry supports Hexagon’s vision of autonomy, and is a testament to the potential hyperautomation can offer any business