Automation is one of the key tenets of digital transformation, with 80% of respondents in recent Gartner survey citing it as a top tactic for cost optimization.

But those same leaders are struggling to implement automation. The secret to success, according to a recent IDC survey, is not hiring developers to automate as many processes as possible, but enabling business users who understand the operational pain points to be able to automate the processes that create the highest return on investment.

“A lot of people on the business side, they’re not afraid of technology, they’re not afraid of getting trained,” said Maureen Fleming (pictured, right), program vice president at International Data Corp. “We have to start learning to live with this idea that business users can learn how to develop. They are developing; they’re driving value.”

Fleming and Kevin Kroen (pictured, left), partner for intelligent automation and digital upscaling at PwC International Ltd., spoke with theCUBE industry analysts Dave Vellante and David Nicholson at UiPath Forward, during an exclusive broadcast on theCUBE, SiliconANGLE Media’s livestreaming studio. They discussed the results of IDC’s survey on robotic process automation adoption and the importance of encouraging citizen developers within the enterprise. (* Disclosure below.)

Business users can best identify processes to automate

The IDC survey, which was conducted by Fleming and her colleagues, found that companies with both citizen developer and RPA initiatives were more effective in implementing automation and received a higher return on investment than those that did not. It also found an increase of 47% over two years in citizen developer programs within companies that were implementing automation.

“It’s a pervasive trend,” Fleming said.

Low code is a fundamental part of upskilling the workforce and engaging non-technical employees in the digital transformation of the company, according to Kroen.

“You have to figure out how do you create that right environment and give people the right tools,” he said.

This is an area that PwC has invested in solving through its ProEdge immersive learning platform.

“The goal here is not to turn people into professional developers. The goal is to get them engaged and make them part of the company’s digital transformation,” Kroen stated.

Here’s the complete video interview, part of SiliconANGLE’s and theCUBE’s coverage of the UiPath Forward event:

(* Disclosure: TheCUBE is a paid media partner for the UiPath Forward event. Neither UiPath Inc., the sponsor for theCUBE’s event coverage, nor other sponsors have editorial control over content on theCUBE or SiliconANGLE.)

Photo: SiliconANGLE