Many NZ enterprises have dabbled in automation but aren’t seeing results. Learn how to move beyond “random acts of automation” and build a mature, AI-enabled automation program that delivers lasting business value.
New Zealand enterprises have invested heavily in automation - but few have realised its full potential. After years of pilot projects and quick wins, many are asking the same question: why hasn’t automation delivered the transformation we expected?
At Ilaria, we’ve seen this pattern across sectors - from utilities to education to financial services. But, the reality is that many organisations across all sectors are still operating in a world of random acts of automation - disconnected initiatives that solve local problems but fail to scale or create real impact. The next stage is not just more automation - it’s AI-enabled automation: smarter, connected systems that make decisions, learn from data and deliver measurable business value.
To move from bots to business value, NZ enterprises must mature their automation programs into intelligent, governed ecosystems - where people, processes and AI-powered technology work in sync to create lasting productivity and growth. This blog explores how NZ enterprises can move beyond “random acts of automation” and build intelligent, scalable automation programs.
Before exploring how automation and AI can deliver enterprise maturity, it’s worth grounding in the broader productivity picture in NZ:
● 40% below the OECD average: NZ’s labour productivity (GDP per hour worked) remains among the lowest in the developed world.
● 1% annual growth: Productivity has improved by only around 1.0% per year since the mid-2000s - well below comparable economies.
● 60% behind small advanced economies: NZ continues to trail peers like Denmark and Ireland - countries that have accelerated through innovation, automation and AI adoption.
Automation maturity - enhanced by AI - can help close this gap. It enables enterprises to do more with the resources they already have, build resilience into their operations and free capacity for innovation.
Many NZ organisations embraced automation early but stalled before seeing enterprise-scale value. The pattern is consistent: a burst of early enthusiasm, followed by fatigue when pilots don’t scale. Why?
At Ilaria, we’ve seen that combining process excellence with AI insight and strong governance is the critical inflection point - the moment automation begins to generate sustained business value. To move forward, organisations must view automation (and AI) as a strategic capability - combining process excellence with AI insight and strong governance.
The path to automation maturity begins with clarity. Before deploying bots or AI models, organisations must map how work actually happens and remove waste. Lean process design ensures that every automation is solving the right problem - and that AI can be layered on top to add intelligence.
For example, a NZ-based financial services firm re-engineered its customer verification process before automating it. By introducing AI-based document recognition and validation, the organisation cut verification time by 60% and reduced manual errors, creating a scalable, compliant process that improved both resilience and customer experience.
Automation maturity is an evolution - from isolated tasks to intelligent, adaptive ecosystems. Here is how to build a mature automation program:
Start with targeted automation pilots in high-impact areas - such as onboarding, approvals or claims processing. Introduce AI gradually to enhance accuracy and insight e.g. using natural language processing for document handling or anomaly detection.
Establish an Automation and AI Centre of Excellence (CoE) to coordinate efforts, manage risk, and set data and ethical standards for AI use. This ensures scalability and accountability.
Move from isolated bots to orchestrated, intelligent workflows. Platforms such as UiPath provide AI-infused orchestration across systems, while Microsoft Power Platform allows both IT and business users to co-create AI-powered apps and workflows that adapt to business needs.
Use analytics and AI insights to continually refine processes and identify new opportunities. Dashboards built in Power BI or within UiPath’s analytics suite track ROI, highlight performance gaps, and drive continuous improvement.
Achieving this level of maturity requires a solid technology foundation - one that seamlessly connects people, processes and intelligent platforms to orchestrate and scale automation across the enterprise.
Technology is the enabler that turns automation from isolated efficiency gains into enterprise-wide transformation. For example:
● UiPath: Combines AI and automation to orchestrate high-volume, complex workflows. It integrates machine learning and predictive models directly into digital workers, enabling proactive, intelligent decision-making.
● Microsoft Power Platform: Brings together low-code automation, analytics and AI Builder, enabling teams to develop intelligent applications that connect data, people and processes without heavy IT overhead.
At Ilaria, we’ve seen that UiPath generally excels in enterprise-grade orchestration and governance, while Power Platform empowers businesses to automate and innovate safely within Microsoft’s ecosystem. Together, they enable NZ enterprises to start small, learn fast, and scale confidently - turning automation into an intelligent productivity engine that drives both stability and growth.
Mature automation programs go beyond efficiency - they deliver measurable value through AI-enhanced insight and agility:
● Capacity: Free people to focus on innovation, strategy and customer experience.
● Consistency: Standardise decision-making through AI-driven recommendations and automated validation.
● Competitiveness: Build agility and scalability in a market constrained by labour shortages and uncertainty.
● Continuous improvement: Use AI to analyse workflow data and uncover new optimisation opportunities.
For NZ enterprises, AI-powered automation is not just a toolset - it’s a capability that builds resilience, strengthens productivity and creates a foundation for long-term growth.
Random acts of automation may deliver small wins - but true transformation comes when automation and AI work together to create measurable business value.
By embedding lean process design, strong governance and intelligent technology, NZ enterprises can evolve from experimentation to sustainable, data-driven productivity.
At Ilaria, we help organisations turn automation into a strategic advantage combining process expertise, AI integration and proven platforms to move from bots to business value.
To see how automation and AI fit within New Zealand’s broader productivity story, read this blog.
Want to assess where your automation program sits on the maturity curve? Talk to us about our free diagnostic Automation Health Check.
Automation executes defined tasks; AI adds intelligence - interpreting data, learning patterns, and making decisions. Together, they enable smarter, more adaptable workflows.
Lack of governance, poor process design and absence of AI integration limit scalability and value delivery.
AI improves automation accuracy and insight through tools like machine learning, predictive analytics and natural language processing - turning bots into intelligent digital workers.
UiPath and Microsoft Power Platform integrate automation, analytics and AI capabilities to help enterprises scale intelligently without replacing legacy systems.
