While the advantages are clear, there are other issues to consider, according to Alan Pelz-Sharpe, founder and principal analyst at Boston-based research organization Deep Analysis.

The issue with automation, he said, is that it sounds good. It even sounds logical. But it has a long history of delivering profound change while also disappointing us in equal measure. Automation is at the core of enterprise software and IT, as it has been from the dawn of automating calculation of numbers versus using an abacus. But the rationale for continued automation is seldom as clear-cut as it seems.

“Over the past several years I have made a point of regularly asking enterprises and tech vendors alike why their enterprise automation project was undertaken,” he said.