Robotic Process Automation (RPA) is the hot potato of the technology sector. The term RPA means replacing work performed by humans with software. Software robots are well-suited to performing repetitive rule-based tasks. Their UI is exactly the same as that of a person. A type of software robot, call robots are used for things like payment reminders, customer care and internal or external surveys. When it comes to inventing suitable applications for software and call robots alike, the sky really is the limit.
Those who follow the industry already know what our future with robots will be like. Nonetheless, in this short article, I will share some interesting figures to explain what the industry is all about and to show what kind of mega trend it is becoming.
USD 7,000,000,000
According to various market surveys, the global market value of the RPA industry will be between five and seven billion US dollars in 2023, with an average annual growth percentage of 30–35%. In Europe, the growth percentage is slightly above the global average. The growth percentage is highest in the APAC region. Some major global IT companies such as IBM and Accenture have already branched out from traditional hardware and software production to software robots.
The work of 140,000,000 people
According to estimates, software robots will do the work of approximately 140 million people by 2025. This figure is a conservative estimate on the future impact of robots on the work force. And yet, there is hardly any need to start worrying about global unemployment because case studies have shown that while businesses have adopted RPA processes, this has not translated to the disappearance of jobs. Instead, employees have been reassigned to more productive, and probably more meaningful, tasks that do not involve simple repetitive processes. Instead, they can analyse and apply the data generated by robots. According to the Oxford University, 35% of all current tasks will be automated by 2035, partly using RPA.
986 calls per second
As we speak, in the US, call robots make 986 calls per SECOND for different purposes. Assuming that each US citizen has one phone, each citizen is contacted by a robot once every four days. In typical American fashion, the ethical side of the industry has been thrown out the window, and robots are also abused. When it comes to our own call robot, we will not hand it out for morally dubious purposes; each call is designed with quality in mind and, first and foremost, to be useful for the end customer.
In Finland, call robots are mainly used for Inbound calls. When you call customer service, you are redirected to the correct channel, based on the keys you have selected, to discuss your case with a human. The most advanced robots can measure, for example, the operation of your broadband connection and, if necessary, generate an automated fault report. Only then will your case be transferred to a human. At least in theory, this should save you some queuing time and make your use of the service more agreeable.
As a closing remark, it is easy to deduct – simply on the basis of the numbers above – that RPA as a trend will have a momentous effect on working life, regardless of the field. To me, as a human being, the future of the job market looks incredibly bright as we can leave the “brainless” mundane tasks to the robots and focus on more challenging processes. After all, us humans have a higher capacity for thinking – at least for the time being!
If you are interested in RPA or call robotics, get in touch and we’ll talk!
