Lancom sees automation demand rise as firms cut friction

Growth in Lancom Technology's Business Process Automation division is being driven by demand for projects that remove manual work from core business processes, reflecting a broader rise in automation spending.

Chief Executive Officer Priscila Bernardes said organisations increasingly treat automation as an operational tool rather than a stand-alone technology programme, with a focus on freeing staff to spend more time on work tied to customers and revenue.

Analyst forecasts cited by Lancom point to continued market expansion. Future Market Insights estimates the global Business Process Automation market will grow from USD $17.1 billion in 2025 to USD $52.2 billion by 2035, a compound annual growth rate of 11.8%.

Other estimates put the sector at about USD $15 billion to USD $18 billion today, with projections of more than USD $33 billion by 2030. Key drivers include digital transformation programmes, wider cloud adoption, and pressure on businesses to improve efficiency and compliance while reducing costs.

Bernardes said the strongest projects simplify work rather than add more layers of process.

"The most successful automation projects create capacity for people to focus on the work that delivers the greatest value to customers and the business," Bernardes said.

She added: "Removing unnecessary friction from everyday processes unlocks opportunities for innovation, growth, and better outcomes."

Customer onboarding

One example involved TSP Mentor, an Australian consulting services business, where onboarding relied on a single staff member to manage user provisioning across HubSpot and Microsoft 365.

The process involved repetitive tasks such as checking user records, creating guest accounts, assigning permissions, updating group memberships, and setting up folder structures. Lancom said this created a bottleneck, leading to inconsistent turnaround times and a higher risk of human error.

Lancom introduced an automated workflow triggered from HubSpot that invites users into the Microsoft tenant, manages Entra and Microsoft 365 group memberships, validates required structures, creates folders where needed, and removes outdated permissions when memberships change.

The result was a faster, more repeatable onboarding process with less administrative work and less reliance on manual intervention, according to the company.

CRM migration

A separate client project focused on replacing an ageing on-premises CRM platform ahead of Microsoft support deadlines. Lancom migrated one million records to Dynamics 365 Online, redesigned the CRM architecture, and remediated custom code.

The work also included integrations with Business Central and Customer Voice to remove manual data transfer. According to Lancom, the updated system reduced technical debt and improved security while giving the client more scope to expand the platform over time.

These examples reflect a broader pattern in automation projects, with companies targeting operational friction in processes around sales, service, or administration rather than in frontline revenue activity itself. The aim is to cut the time employees spend on routine steps, approvals, and duplicate data handling.

Internal use

Lancom has applied similar methods within its own business. Bernardes said the company has looked for internal processes that consume staff time without contributing directly to higher-value work.

"We strongly believe in applying our skills to the way we work, constantly seeking opportunities to automate away the things we don't like doing, so we can focus on the things that add real value," Bernardes said.

One internal project involved an overtime management application built using Microsoft Power Platform and integrated with the company's IT service management platform. Lancom said the system gives managers real-time visibility of requests, centralises approvals, and produces payroll-ready exports.

This replaced a process that had previously depended on month-end handling. Managers can now approve requests immediately, while finance teams spend less time on administration.

Bernardes said the project showed that not all automation gains come from large transformation programmes.

"This is a good example of how relatively small automation initiatives can deliver meaningful business value," she said.

She added that routine process changes can also improve oversight and the employee experience. "By streamlining routine processes, organisations can improve governance, increase efficiency and create a better experience for both employees and leaders."

Lancom expects demand to remain strongest where businesses face pressure to grow without adding equivalent complexity to back-office operations. That is pushing automation beyond single departmental fixes into broader process redesign across onboarding, customer management, finance, and internal approvals.

"As expectations on businesses continue to grow, organisations need to find smarter ways to scale without adding complexity," Bernardes said. "The most successful businesses use AI and automation to remove friction, improve consistency and empower their people to do their best work. Technology is at its most powerful when it enables people to focus on creating value rather than managing process."