Automation Requires More Than Digital Inputs

The HfS Intelligent Automation Continuum is getting ever more crowded as new propositions, and new companies are coming to the fore. Two of the three dimensions of the further evolution of the Continuum are the integration of unstructured data and the movement towards cognitive computing and artificial intelligence. It is at the intersection of these two dimensions that German-headquartered automation vendor ITyX is adding to the competitive landscape.

Ityx’s AI workflow and integration platform is helping to extract and classify unstructured text-based data for call center and back-office operations by leveraging Power Text Mining Engine technology. The graphic workflow interface in the AI platform allows the design of all document-based processes that are configurable during operations regarding source, classification, data enrichment and extraction as well as export. The workflow designer integrates any kind of correspondence process into existing systems (ERP, CRM). It also integrates the system solution’s operation into a scalable system architecture. The ITyX methods use their own fuzzy plausibility check to extract data and organizational terms from documents and store these terms in existing data management solutions in an indexed manner. Various data sources are combined and developed with the AI platform knowledge management system of ITyX. 

The closest comparison we have seen to this approach is from automation vendor Celaton although with two key points of differentiation. First, ITyX can be deployed on premise and cloud-based as opposed to Celaton’s approach to only deliver from a data centers. Second, while Celaton supports unattended learning as it recognizes patterns, ITyX requires the feed of sample information to optimize the system. 

ITyX has a set of predominantly German marquee clients and is starting to build out a partner channel with the likes of  NTT Data, CSC and BrightOne. However, ITyX’s challenge is that it has not been part of the discussions on the evolution of Intelligent Automation despite its roster of German clients. This is due to the lack of marketing as well as the low maturity in its target market. The German market is only slowly starting to discuss Intelligent Automation. There are some deployments predominantly by captive SSCs but not yet the scale we are seeing in the US and the UK.

Despite the maturation of RPA, there is still a scarcity of propositions extending deployments to unstructured data. In the words of executives at ItyX, “we derive the majority of our revenues from paper”, suggesting that the extraction of data from heterogenous sources is their sweet spot. While the industry gets overexcited at times by the possibilities of analyzing organizations’ and consumers’ digital footprint, the extraction and automation of traditional sources of data remains a challenge for the development of Intelligent Automation.

As we have pointed out in our Reassessment of the Intelligent Automation Continuum, probably the most important point for the further development of Intelligent Automation is how these automation approaches can be expanded to Big Data scenarios. Artificial Intelligence in its various guises will be a critical conduit in the development. However, Big Data means analog and digital sources in equal measure. It is here where ITyX joins Celaton in providing a distinctive voice.