42 must-know business process automation statistics [2024]

Business process automation (BPA) is rapidly transforming the way organizations operate. By automating repetitive and time-consuming tasks, businesses can devote more time to strategic initiatives, improving efficiency and reducing costs. If you’re hesitant to invest in new automated technologies, we compiled business process automation statistics that will show you how effective these tools can be.

To stay on top in today’s competitive landscape, business and procurement automation tools are essential. Read on to learn how automation is helping with workflows and improving various departments and industries and how AI is taking automation to the next level.

Key business process automation statistics

Below, we highlight some of the most important business process automation statistics.

1. Over 40% of finance professionals and 33% of accounting professionals say automating purchasing and procurement processes is a top priority. (Zip)

2. Roughly 44% of procurement decision-makers say efficiency and complexity are primary challenges for their procurement processes. (Amazon Business)

3. The biggest challenge 63% of finance professionals say they face is their workflow. (FinancialCents)

4. Approximately 27% of companies use BPA as part of their corporate or strategic push for digital transformation. (Camunda)

5. AI adoption from businesses increased by 22% between 2023 and 2024. (McKinsey)

6. Over 80% of decision-makers know what business process automation is. (Regina Corso Consulting)

H2: Procurement automation statistics

Procurement is a cornerstone of business operations but often involves complex, repetitive, and time-consuming tasks. However, the advent of automation technologies has revolutionized this sector. Procurement automation makes purchasing, managing supplier relationships, and analyzing data easier than ever, and even reduces errors.

The following stats highlight current trends in procurement automation, why organizations need it, and how procurement professionals feel about using this new technology:

7. About 25% of accounts payable departments don’t use automation, and 73% say their team struggles to ensure purchase orders and invoices match. (Zip)

8. Experts project the procurement software market to grow 7.6% per year and reach a value of $9.5 billion in 2028. (Verified Market Research)

9. When surveyed, 75% of procurement executives planned data analytics and improvement initiatives in 2024. (The Hackett Group)

10.Over 50% of companies planned to increase supply chain management technology investments in 2024. (MHI and Deloitte)

11. Roughly 95% of decision-makers say they have to outsource procurement activities to third parties. (Amazon Business)

12. Nearly 20% of finance and accounting professionals say they don’t have access to automation software, meaning all purchasing processes are done manually. (Zip)

13. Over 85% of companies say they’ll spend more than $1 million and 42% say they’ll spend more than $10 million in supply chain management technology. (MHI and Deloitte)

14. Over 40% of decision-makers outsource procurement activities due to limited capacity. (Amazon Business)

15. Almost 90% of procurement professionals rated spend analytics as the most important insight generated by their data processes. (The Hackett Group)

16. Nearly 55% of procurement professionals utilize automation for processes they previously did manually. (Amazon Business)

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Workflow automation adoption trends and statistics

The demand for automated workflows is rising due to the digital transformation of businesses. Automation reduces errors, leading to fewer bottlenecks and faster turnaround times. Let’s delve into the current state of workflow automation adoption, examining how it’s leading to specific benefits for various industries.

17. The global market size for workflow automation was valued at $19.76 billion in 2023 and is projected to reach over $45 billion by 2032. (Straits Research)

18. Almost 35% of finance professionals said poor systems and processes are the top workflow issues they face. (FinancialCents)

19. More than 40% of the work in the United States can be automated, augmented, or reinvented with the help of generative AI. (Harvard Business Review)

20. Over 50% of employees said workflow issues lead to poor work-life balance. (FinancialCents)

The benefits of business process automation

Businesses of all sizes can benefit from BPA, and the following stats demonstrate how: 

21. About 30% of IT professionals say employees at their companies are saving time with automation software and tools. (IBM)

22. Automating workflows can reduce errors by 70%. (Gitnux)

23. Organizations see a 6.7% increase in customer engagement and satisfaction in areas where they use automation. (Capgemini)

24. Over 90% of IT professionals reported that process automation frees employees to take on more complex and strategic jobs. (Camunda)

25. Companies save 30% cost-per-hire by using automation for screening and hiring candidates. (Deloitte)

26. Almost 90% of IT professionals report they’ve seen increased business growth due to automating various processes. (Camunda)

Workflow automation statistics by department and industry

To gain a deeper understanding of the extent and impact of workflow automation, let’s examine some BPA stats across departments and industries.

27. Close to 60% of HR professionals collaborate with IT leaders to see how they can utilize automation. (Fortune)

28. The healthcare automation market is estimated to reach over $110 billion by 2034. (Precedence Research)

29. Over 75% of accounts payable teams use automation to improve their workflows. (Stampli)

30. The highest demand for automation comes from research and development teams at 39%. (Salesforce)

31. Sales and marketing (34%), product and service development (23%), and IT (17%) adopt generative AI the most. (McKinsey)

32. 95% of IT professionals saw increased productivity after implementing process automation. (Regina Corso Consulting)

The potential challenges of automation

While automation offers numerous benefits, it also presents certain challenges, like concerns about job displacement. To do right by their workers, many organizations are seeking solutions to some of the following automation obstacles:

33. It’s expected that 83 million jobs will be lost to automation over the next five years. (World Economic Forum)

34. Implementing automation that takes on repetitive, manual tasks can cost organizations between $30,000 and $250,000. (SMA Technologies)

35. Experts predict that over 7.5 million data entry jobs will be lost in the next five years, more than any other role affected by automation. (World Economic Forum)

36. Almost 45% of companies anticipate layoffs induced by AI. (ResumeBuilder)

37. Experts predict that the industry with the most jobs lost and new jobs created due to automation is media, entertainment, and sports, at 35%. (World Economic Forum)

AI in business process automation

Artificial intelligence is a key technology behind business process automation, allowing it to analyze data and improve over time with machine learning. Here are some of the ways AI is changing the world of BPA: 

38. Executives from various industries estimate that 70% of their employees will use AI to automate or augment work tasks by 2028. (UKG)

39. About 90% of automation professionals are using or planning to use artificial intelligence within the next year. (UiPath)

40. Less than half of employees globally say they use AI-powered devices for day-to-day work. (UKG)

41. Most businesses can implement generative AI within one to four months. (McKinsey)

42. Approximately 45% of people plan to use AI to help respond to messages and emails, and 31% plan to use it to write emails. (Forbes)

Automate your procurement workflows with Zip

As you can see from these business process automation statistics, automation is transforming the way organizations operate. From efficiency gains to cost reductions and improved data accuracy, automation can keep your business competitive and make your employees’ lives much easier.

At Zip, we offer a range of products that utilize AI-powered automation to make your procurement workflows easier. Whether it’s Procure-to-Pay or Intake-to-Procure, we have you covered. Request a demo today.

Automation statistics FAQ

If you still have questions about business process automation statistics, we provide answers below.

What percentage of business-related tasks are automated?

Roughly 34% of all business-related tasks use some form of automation to improve workflows.

Is there a high demand for business process automation?

Overall, yes. A 2022 study from Salesforce found that over 90% of organizations said demand for automation from different departments increased over the last two years.

How do you measure the success of automation?

The success of automation can depend on which department is using it. Some quality metrics you can measure across departments include reduced labor and operational costs, error rate reduction, employee productivity, and improved data accuracy.