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HyperAutomation to Real-Time Agentic Automation - A CTO's Perspective

  • juliecumberland
  • Sep 3
  • 2 min read

Updated: Sep 4



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Hyper-Automation to Real-Time Agentic Automation: A CTO’s Perspective


The technology world rarely stands still. For years, enterprises have pursued HyperAutomation — stitching together RPA, BPM, AI and integration platforms to accelerate digital transformation. Yet despite billions invested, the results often underwhelm. Too many processes remain slow, too many silos persist, and too many legacy systems are left untouched.


The next wave is different. Real-Time Agentic Automation changes the game. Instead of layering bots on top, it augments legacy systems directly — allowing people and software agents to work together in real time. The promise is not more tinkering, but genuine transformation.


Unlocking Legacy Without Rip & Replace

Most CIOs and CTOs inherit IT estates built over decades: mainframes, custom CRMs, and dozens of brittle integrations. The instinct may be to modernise wholesale, but the cost and risk are prohibitive. Agentic Automation offers another path: wrap and extend.


By creating real-time hyperforms that orchestrate complex journeys across multiple systems, enterprises unlock existing IT investments rather than rip them out. Telefónica, for example, used this approach to integrate over 60 legacy systems for customer service — cutting handling times by 80% while avoiding costly migrations.


More Than Bots

RPA alone was never enough. A swarm of bots mimicking keystrokes quickly runs into fragility, limited scope, and governance headaches. Real-Time Agentic Automation moves beyond this.


It empowers agents and digital workers to act in tandem, resolving customer and back-office processes in minutes rather than days. Unlike brittle bots, it provides resilience, auditability, and scale across thousands of concurrent journeys.


The ROI is Tangible

Boards no longer accept “digital transformation” as a vague aspiration. They demand return on investment, fast. With Agentic Automation, enterprises consistently report:


  • Complaint and service handling cut from days to minutes

  • Single-call resolutions above 90%

  • Significant reductions in agent attrition and training costs

  • Faster compliance reporting, thanks to built-in governance


Trust & Governance at the Core

CTOs are rightly cautious. Governance, resilience, and auditability cannot be afterthoughts. Agentic Automation platforms are designed with these controls built in, ensuring regulatory compliance while driving performance.


CTO’s Action Checklist

  1. Audit current digital transformation initiatives. Where are RPA and BPM failing to deliver?

  2. Apply Agentic Automation to high-friction processes that span multiple legacy systems.

  3. Measure ROI early — track resolution times, NPS, and agent satisfaction.

  4. Scale pragmatically across business units, using the same orchestration fabric.

  5. Report impact to the board in hard financial and customer experience terms.


Verdict

The lesson is clear: HyperAutomation was a step, not the destination. Real-Time Agentic Automation represents the next phase — one that lets CTOs augment rather than replace, delivering rapid ROI while protecting legacy investments.

 

 
 
 
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