Intelligent automation market set for large growth as process orchestration drives success
Most businesses lack necessary talent for digital transformation as Gartner forecasts IT spending to increase almost 10 percent in 2025
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PEX Network’s weekly news bulletin rounds up the latest research, reports and publications in operational excellence (OPEX), digital transformation, artificial intelligence (AI) and automation, business process management (BPM), process mining and process intelligence and more.
This week includes:
- Intelligent process automation market set for strong growth
- Process orchestration key to automation success
- Most businesses lack necessary talent for digital transformation
- IT spending to increase almost 10 percent in 2025
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Intelligent process automation market set for strong growth
The intelligent process automation market is predicted to be worth a staggering US$45 billion by 2032, growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 0.146 over the next seven years. That’s according to new research from SkyQuest which examined pricing strategies, profit margins, production dynamics and value chains to forecast the market’s future trajectory. Regions covered in the report include North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific and South America.
“The intelligent process automation market has demonstrated strong growth, driven by increased demand across industries like renewable energy, telecommunications and automotive,” SkyQuest wrote. “With advancements in material science and engineering, intelligent process automation components are becoming indispensable for their unique properties, including high thermal conductivity and electrical insulation.” As global adoption of sustainable technologies and electric vehicles grows, the market’s potential applications are set to expand, it added.
Watch Tariq Munir, APAC financial planning transformation lead at PepsiCo, discuss measuring the impact of intelligent automation
Process orchestration key to automation success
Process orchestration – the tying together of both automated and manual tasks as well as different business processes to help achieve end-to-end automation – is a key success factor for automation. The Camunda 2025 State of Process Orchestration and Automation Report found that 80 percent of organizations are concerned about the impact of “digital chaos” as business process complexity increases.
The research found that, while 79 percent of organizations have implemented significant automation, many lack effective ways to control, manage and sustain it. Also, 82 percent recognize the need for better tools to manage how their processes intersect. For organizations that are delivering or unlocking additional value through automation, a key success factor is process orchestration, it added.
“Although the business benefits of process orchestration are well recognized, our report reveals maturity levels of process orchestration vary from one organization to another,” wrote Camunda’s Kurt Peterson. “The reality is very few companies so far have successfully implemented process orchestration on an organization-wide scale.” For concepts like hyperautomation and the autonomous enterprise to succeed, end-to-end process orchestration is essential, providing the control, visibility and integration necessary to manage complex systems and realize the full potential of automation, he added.
Watch Madison Lundquist, principal research lead, process and performance management at APQC, reflect on process governance
Most businesses lack necessary talent for digital transformation
The majority of organizations lack the necessary to drive successful digital transformation projects, according to the 2025 State of Digital Transformation report by TEKsystems, a division of Allegis Group. TEKsystems conducted an online survey in late 2024 with 855 technology and business decision-makers, discovering that more than half (56 percent) of companies need at least some new types of talent in multiple areas for their digital transformation efforts. The biggest skills gaps were in AI/machine learning, cyber security, data analytics/data science automation and big data, the research found.
“2024 was a year of significant and meaningful change as we watched IT leaders grapple with the convergence of AI, cloud computing, machine learning and automation technologies,” said Ricardo Madan, SVP and head of TEKsystems Global Services. “Our latest findings signal that C-suite leaders are making decisions around technology investments not just to stay current but as a way to drive organizational growth, efficiency and relevance and stand out among competitors.”
Watch Cherise Crenshaw-Holmes PhD, founder of Modern Work Consultancy, discuss the importance of building inclusion into digital transformation strategies
IT spending to increase almost 10 percent in 2025
Worldwide IT spending is expected to total $5.61 trillion in 2025, an increase of 9.8 percent from 2024, according to the latest forecast by analyst firm Gartner. Segments including data center systems, devices and software will see double-digit growth in 2025, largely due to generative AI hardware upgrades, Gartner stated. However, these upgraded segments will not differentiate themselves in terms of functionality yet, even with new hardware, it added.
“While budgets for CIOs [chief information officers] are increasing, a significant portion will merely offset price increases within their recurrent spending,” said John-David Lovelock, distinguished VP analyst at Gartner. “This means that, in 2025, nominal spending versus real IT spending will be skewed, with price hikes absorbing some or all of budget growth. All major categories are reflecting higher-than-expected prices, prompting CIOs to defer and scale back their true budget expectations.”
Generative AI is sliding toward the “trough of disillusionment” which reflects CIOs declining expectations for the technology, but not their spending on it, Lovelock claimed. “For instance, the new AI ready PCs do not yet have ‘must have’ applications that utilize the hardware.”
Commenting on the research Vivek Behl, VP strategy at WalkMe, said: “With less direct investment in generative AI, and more on underlying enablers such as AI-optimized data centers, we can see an essential truth. As with any gold rush, the real AI winners will be the ones selling the shovels – helping businesses dig deep and use AI to its fullest.”
At the same time, any organization invested in AI needs to be wary of the trough of disillusionment, Behl added. “Now the initial hype has passed, CIOs and employees who find that AI investments haven’t met their expectations have lower expectations of the technology. Organizations need to make sure employees can actually use the AI tools they are given. A focus on digital adoption will help guarantee AI investments bring real returns.”
Watch Lisa Williams, global operations talent strategy and employee experience director, manufacturing and engineering operations at Dow, outline embracing new technology
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