Robotic process automation (RPA) enhanced with artificial intelligence has ceased to be a complex project and has become a recurring business opportunity for the channel. The value now lies in transforming technology into packaged solutions with a clear and accessible return on investment for SMEs.

Channel partners are translating use cases in areas such as finance, customer experience (CX), and operations into simple, integrated, and rapidly deployable offerings. The mantra is repeated: the differentiator will not be the tool, but the ability to package automated processes ready for consumption.

Limited Adoption: Data from the Bank of Spain

According to the Bank of Spain's economic bulletin, nearly 20% of surveyed Spanish companies use AI systems, a rate lower than Germany but higher than Italy. However, in most cases, AI use is still in the experimental phase. Adoption is higher in technology services and in large, productive, and young companies. The main obstacles are the lack of skilled labor, high implementation costs, and data unavailability.

Álex Benito, Director of IBM and Advanced Networking Solutions for Iberia at TD SYNNEX, points out that the combination of RPA with AI represents a great market opportunity, "but its adoption in the SME segment in Spain remains asymmetric relative to its real potential." This gap is explained by three factors: the perception of technical complexity, the difficulty in justifying ROI in organizations with limited resources, and the scarcity of specialized internal talent. "SMEs do not lack the will to adopt; what they lack is structured support that translates technology into tangible business value," concludes Benito.

From Complex Projects to Packaged and Consumable Solutions

Data from Gitnux indicates that 76% of organizations had adopted RPA in at least one function by the end of 2023. "The challenge for manufacturers and the channel is fundamentally a challenge of 'packaging' and accessibility," says Benito. At TD SYNNEX, they have been working with their partners to transform automation proposals that required lengthy consulting projects into modular, preconfigurable solutions with predictable costs.

"Our Destination AI program, structured around the pillars LEARN, SOLVE, DELIVER, and EVOLVE, was born precisely with the purpose of adapting support to the maturity level of each organization and providing the channel with the necessary tools to bring AI and automation to companies that do not have robust IT departments," explains Benito. "The goal is for SMEs to consume automation as a service, not as a project."

The use cases with the most traction in SMEs are those designed to optimize high-volume, low-human-value administrative processes: invoice management, data entry into systems, customer service through conversational copilots, and automation of order and logistics flows. These are the most common entry points.

Nature of the Challenge: Technological or Business

"The technology is mature, available, and increasingly accessible — Benito acknowledges —. The real challenge remains a business one: strategic prioritization, process redesign, and above all, cultural change management." At TD SYNNEX, they observe that SMEs that advance the most in automation are not the most technologically sophisticated, but those with committed leadership and a trusted partner to guide them in identifying use cases with real impact.

Agentic AI, which is moving from personal productivity to enterprise-level automation, is significantly lowering the technical barrier to entry. This phenomenon aligns with trends such as those analyzed in Workday and AI: Keeping Your Agents Close to Your Most Valuable Data, where the importance of data proximity for automation success is highlighted.

The Role of the Channel in the Next Two Years

The channel faces a dichotomy: act as a technology integrator or as an "orchestrator" of end-to-end automated processes. Benito opines: "In the next two or three years, the channel should not have to choose between being a technology integrator or a process orchestrator: it must be both, although the balance is increasingly shifting towards orchestration. Companies will not buy isolated automation technology; they will demand partners capable of understanding their end-to-end business processes, identifying friction points, and building solutions that resolve them."

TD SYNNEX's Direction of Technology report specifies that 75% of partners consider AI essential for their future growth. "Those already positioned as process orchestrators will have a significant competitive advantage," concludes Benito. This vision is complemented by what we have seen in the real estate business of AI, where large tech companies capitalize on demand regardless of who leads the models.

For SMEs, the path to automation goes through partners that offer packaged solutions and structured support. As Benito points out, technology is no longer the bottleneck, but the ability to translate it into tangible business value. In a context where national security and scientific veracity set the agenda, responsible and well-orchestrated automation becomes a key differentiator.

Original source: ComputerWorld. Analysis and adaptation by ForgeNEX.