Worldwide Business Automation Platforms Forecast, 2025-2029

This IDC study provides a forecast for the worldwide business automation platforms (BAP) software market for 2025-2029. "The addition of AI agents in combination with automation technologies of BAP will play a major role in increasing and broadening automation across enterprises. Over the forecast period, investments to improve operational efficiency will begin shifting to innovation," according to Maureen Fleming, program vice president, Worldwide Business Automation Research.

IDC Market Forecast Figure

Executive Summary

Advice for Technology Suppliers

Market Forecast

• Labor-Centric Automation
• Decision-Centric Automation
• Business Value Engineering

Market Context

• Drivers and Inhibitors
  • Drivers
    • Agentic Automation Will Drive the Next Generation of Business Automation
    • Requirements for Automation and Process Improvement Will Increasingly Be Defined with Business Value Engineering
  • Inhibitor
    • Standalone Automation Technologies Face Source of New Competition as LLMs Evolve
• Significant Market Developments
• Changes from Prior Forecast

Market Definition

• Business Automation Platform Software
  • Business Value Engineering Software
    • Modeling and Architecture Tools
    • Process Mining
    • Task Mining
    • Observability
  • Decision-Centric Automation
    • Business Rules Management Software
    • Predictive Analytics Software
  • Labor-Centric Automation
    • AI and Agentic Automation
    • Business Process Automation Platforms
    • Robotic Process Automation Software
  • System-Centric Automation

Methodology

• Historical and Forecast Market Values and Exchange Rates

Related Research