The Complete Guide to Intelligent Automation Use Cases and Examples in 2024

Intelligent automation is one of the most transformational technologies shaping business operations today. By combining robotic process automation (RPA) with artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning and other capabilities, intelligent automation allows organizations to automate a wide range of processes with greater accuracy, speed and adaptability.

But what exactly can you automate with intelligent automation? In this comprehensive guide, we will explore the top 25 intelligent automation use cases and real-world examples across business functions and industries. I‘ll provide detailed explanations of how leading organizations are leveraging intelligent automation to streamline operations, reduce costs and improve experiences.

Let‘s get started!

An Introduction to Intelligent Automation

Before diving into the use cases, let‘s briefly recap what makes intelligent automation so powerful.

Traditional RPA systems follow predefined rules to automate structured digital tasks like data entry and extraction. But they lack the "intelligence" to handle unstructured data or make decisions.

Intelligent automation supercharges RPA by incorporating AI and machine learning. This adds capabilities like:

• Natural language processing to understand free-form communication
• Computer vision to interpret images, video and scanned documents
• Predictive analytics to forecast outcomes and detect anomalies
• Adaptive learning to improve automated processes over time

According to McKinsey, intelligent automation can automate up to 50% of tasks across departments like finance, HR and customer service. This results in major efficiency gains, cost savings and improved experiences.

Now let‘s look at 25 of the most impactful applications of intelligent automation across business functions and various industries.

Intelligent Automation Use Cases by Business Function

Finance and Accounting

Financial operations involve massive amounts of data processing and reporting. Intelligent automation helps finance teams work faster and more accurately.

Accounts payable and accounts receivable

• Match invoices to purchase orders and automatically reconcile for AP
• Send invoices and payment reminders while tracking AR aging for collections
• Results: 55% faster invoice processing, 90% reduction in manual efforts (Source)

General accounting and reporting

• Pull data from multiple systems to generate financial statements
• Analyze trends and produce insightful visualizations for presentations
• Auto-distribute customized reports to department heads

Auditing and compliance

• Continuously monitor transactions to detect anomalies
• Automate testing of key financial controls
• Accelerate audits through automated workpaper creation

Customer Service

Delivering personalized, seamless service is vital for customer loyalty and revenue growth. Intelligent automation enables 24/7 customer support.

Omnichannel customer engagement

• Chatbots handle routine inquiries across communication channels
• Predict optimal staffing needs based on inquiry forecasts
• Prioritize high-value customers for faster service

Case management and resolution

• Analyze unstructured data like call transcripts to understand customer issues
• Pull relevant knowledge articles to assist agents
• Auto-route complex cases to specialized service teams

Self-service options

• Virtual agents guide customers to solve problems themselves
• Enable DIY order tracking, returns, and account updates
• Schedule technician visits or product installations

According to Salesforce, chatbots can resolve common customer inquiries 3x faster than email support.

Human Resources

HR teams handle a high volume of tasks as they manage the employee lifecycle. AI automation maximizes HR productivity.

Talent acquisition

• Automatically source and screen candidates from resume databases
• Schedule interviews based on hiring manager availability
• Accelerate background checks and employment verifications

Onboarding and offboarding

• Create employee accounts, assign permissions, and enroll in payroll
• Automate compliance training assignments and tracking
• Manage digital offboarding workflow for departing staff

Payroll and benefits admin

• Populate payroll with time tracking data, garnishments, 401K deductions etc.
• Support open enrollment by answering benefits questions
• Manage leave requests, vacation payouts, and related compliance

Per IBM, automating HR processes can reduce costs by 25-50% while cutting response times by 50-70%.

IT Operations

IT teams juggle a constant stream of requests, incidents and technical issues. Intelligent automation provides efficient support.

Service desk

• Classify tickets and auto-assign to appropriate IT groups
• Diagnose and resolve common tech problems like password resets
• Search knowledge bases to recommend fixes to agents

Infrastructure and cloud management

• Correlate infrastructure monitoring alerts to identify root causes
• Automate complex operational processes across cloud environments
• Optimize cloud resource allocation based on usage patterns

Security operations

• Analyze system logs and network traffic to detect threats
• Quickly gather forensic data following a potential breach
• Automate repeatable tasks like system patching and access reviews

According to IBM research, intelligent automation can realize 70% faster IT response times.

Industry-Specific Intelligent Automation Use Cases

Intelligent automation is also driving transformation across various industries. Let‘s examine key use cases and examples.

Banking

Banks use intelligent automation to improve customer experience, reduce risk, and control costs.

Personal and commercial lending

• Extract data from loan applications to pre-fill forms
• Pull credit reports and automatically calculate eligibility metrics
• Accelerate underwriting and loan approval processes

Compliance and fraud monitoring

• Screen transactions and flag suspicious patterns indicating fraud
• Automate know your customer (KYC) and customer due diligence processes
• Rapidly file suspicious activity reports (SARs) to regulators

Customer service

• Chatbots handle common questions and transactions
• Identify sales opportunities during customer interactions
• Automate targeted marketing campaigns and lead follow-ups

According to DATAFI, intelligent automation in banking improves customer satisfaction by 33% on average.

Healthcare

Intelligent automation enables healthcare organizations to improve patient outcomes and experiences while controlling costs.

Patient engagement

• 24/7 chatbots simplify appointment booking and surgical prep
• Automate patient outreach for prescription refills and follow-ups
• Tailor patient education materials based on diagnoses

Claims processing

• Extract unstructured data from forms and medical records
• Auto-adjudicate straightforward claims; route complex ones for manual review
• Accelerate reimbursement through faster claims resolution

Clinical operations

• Optimize medical equipment maintenance using IoT monitoring data
• Automate supply reordering based on stock levels
• Simplify scheduling for physicians, surgery centers and patients

According to Olive, intelligent automation in healthcare saves $7-12B annually.

Insurance

Insurers leverage intelligent automation to improve underwriting, claims management and customer experiences.

Underwriting and policy admin

• Pull data from documents to pre-populate application forms
• Use predictive analytics to accurately estimate risks
• Expedite quotes and policy issuance to bind coverage faster

Claims processing

• Guide claimants through FNOL and documentation collection
• Accelerate estimate of damages using photos, videos and IoT data
• Detect fraudulent claims using AI anomaly detection

Customer service

• Chatbots handle common inquiries and changes
• Simplify cooperation for audits or renewed policies
• Tailor recommendations during renewal conversations

Per McKinsey, insurers using automation improve customer satisfaction by up to 25%.

Manufacturing

Intelligent automation drives leaner, more agile manufacturing operations.

Predictive maintenance

• Collect real-time telemetry data from machinery
• Analyze to identify anomalies and predict failures
• Create smart maintenance schedules to minimize downtime

Quality management

• Leverage computer vision to automate visual QC inspections
• Correlate equipment sensor data to prevent deviations
• Optimize manufacturing processes using predictive analytics

Inventory optimization

• Forecast demand considering sales trends, new product launches etc.
• Automatically adjust stock levels across facilities to prevent shortages
• Trigger orders and transfers to replenish stock

According to McKinsey, automating manufacturing processes can reduce costs by 20-30%.

Retail

Leading retailers utilize intelligent automation to optimize critical functions like supply chain and customer engagement.

In-store operations

• Leverage computer vision systems and sensors for inventory monitoring
• Identify hazards like spills and overcrowding to improve safety
• Optimize checkout processing by predicting volume surges

Supply chain optimization

• Automate purchase order generation and supplier communications
• Adust delivery schedules dynamically based on sales forecasts and inventory levels
• Optimize routes and shipping plans to minimize logistics costs

Customer experience

• Simplify buy online, pickup in-store with automated confirmations
• Expedite returns processing using virtual agents
• Make personalized recommendations to drive loyalty

According to Salesforce, 52% of customers will abandon retailers after just one bad experience. Intelligent automation delivers the superior CX modern consumers expect.

Key Takeaways on Intelligent Automation Use Cases

I hope these top 25 intelligent process automation examples clearly illustrate the business potential across functions and verticals. Let‘s recap the key benefits driving rapid adoption:

• Improved productivity by automating high-volume repetitive tasks so staff can focus on strategic work
• Enhanced customer experiences through 24/7 virtual agent support and streamlined processes
• Cost reductions from eliminating slow, inefficient manual processes
• Accelerated growth by enabling staff to focus on revenue-generating activities
• Lower business risks through increased speed, accuracy and compliance

To explore options for automating processes within your own organization using intelligent automation, schedule a custom demo with our top recommended vendors. Our experienced advisors can also provide unbiased guidance to identify solutions tailored to your needs. Reach out to us at [email protected] to get started.