Over the course of the last few years, automation has played an increasing role in business. Overall spending on the technology has already quadrupled since 2018, according to KPMG, and is expected to reach $232bn by 2025, compared to an estimated $41.3bn today.

It’s easy to see why. KPMG says organisations that can power up their automation efforts can radically improve operations, transform their business models, and become long-term winners. In fact, an overwhelming majority (92 per cent) of business leaders agree that process automation is key for them to survive and flourish – and say it is vital for a modern workplace.

“Traditional automation technologies have helped industrial companies achieve huge progress in becoming safer and more efficient,” says Dan Farrell, who heads Accenture UK’s Industry X technology team. “The good news is almost all industrial players recognise the power of automation and deploy it to some degree – where digital tech...