As organizations grapple with increasing technology costs and exponential data growth, a new strategy has entered the spotlight: modular automation. In place of sprawling, one-size-fits-all software solutions, businesses are embracing leaner, more adaptable systems underpinned by microservices architectures and Robotic Process Automation (RPA). These two innovations promise to deliver both flexibility and cost control, helping finance and HR teams streamline repetitive processes such as invoice approvals, onboarding, and compliance tracking.
Unbundling Unused Features
A key catalyst driving interest in modular automation is the realization that many companies overpay for software features they rarely—or never—use. In some legacy systems, as much as 80% of capabilities sit idle, adding complexity and draining budgets. By contrast, microservices allow organizations to “turn on” only the components they need. Whether they choose to run an RPA module for a monthly surge in invoices or a workflow tool for a new HR program, businesses pay only for the usage they actually consume.
This idea of paying for functionality in smaller increments, often called “microtransactions-based billing,” resonates with lean budgeting and agile development philosophies. It also prevents long-term license commitments and vendor lock-in, as companies can add or remove microservices modules in direct response to evolving needs.
Shifting Toward Agility and Cost Control
At the forefront of this shift is Digitech Systems, a long-time provider of Intelligent Information Management (IIM) and Enterprise Content Management. Having championed cloud-based document solutions since the late ’90s, the company now sees microservices and RPA as fundamental to modern business agility. Christina Robbins, Vice President of Strategic Communications at Digitech Systems, notes that conventional software bloat has become untenable for many organizations.
“Too many enterprises are paying for entire suites of features when they only need a few,” Robbins explains. “Microservices and RPA let them activate and deactivate capabilities in real-time, aligning tech spending more tightly with actual needs. That level of precision can create an immediate competitive advantage.”
What Is Modular Automation?
Sometimes referred to as a “consumption-as-a-service” or “composable” approach, modular automation treats technology as an adaptive ecosystem rather than a monolithic application. The ecosystem is built from small, task-specific modules—microservices—that can be independently deployed. Need to capture data from multiple invoices? Turn on an AI-powered RPA microservice specialized in invoice data extraction. Looking to route new employee onboarding documents for approvals? Enable a workflow microservice designed to manage HR tasks.
When these microservices run, organizations pay according to usage—think of it like a utility bill for computing capabilities. Once the tasks are completed, businesses can scale back or shut down modules to save on costs, effectively eliminating resource waste.
Where Microservices and RPA Truly Shine
While microservices can drive efficiency in almost every operational area, two functions—Accounts Payable (AP) and Human Resources (HR)—often reap the most immediate benefits. Both departments handle large volumes of repetitive tasks that historically require manual intervention, making them prime candidates for RPA and flexible microservices.
- Accounts Payable
- Extract Invoice Data: AI can recognize and read invoices, capture key details such as vendor name and due date, and enter them into accounting systems automatically. This eliminates human data-entry errors and speeds up payment workflows.
- Match Records: Automated three-way matching across purchase orders, invoices, and goods-received receipts ensures discrepancies are flagged early. This reduces back-and-forth emails between procurement and finance.
- Scale at Will: AP teams that face seasonal invoice spikes can activate additional capacity on-demand rather than committing to permanent software licenses year-round.
Together, these capabilities typically reduce late payment penalties and free up AP staff for higher-value tasks, such as vendor relationship management or financial analysis.
- Human Resources
- Onboarding New Hires: RPA microservices create user accounts, assign training modules, and set up benefits portals in multiple systems automatically, ensuring new hires are productive from day one.
- Compliance Tracking: Automated reminders and document management keep HR staff ahead of certification and regulatory deadlines. This is especially critical in industries with high compliance requirements.
- Seasonal Hiring Scalability: HR teams can enable extra capacity during busy recruiting seasons, then scale back when hiring stabilizes. This pay-as-you-go model is far more cost-effective than a permanent software expense.
By alleviating repetitive tasks, HR automation fosters a more strategic role for HR professionals, who can focus on recruitment, retention, and culture-building rather than data entry and follow-up.
Why Now?
Analysts predict that within the next year, as many as 60% of new Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) designs will adopt an API-first or composable model. This means vendors will increasingly offer functionalities in smaller, modular chunks. According to HK Bain, CEO of Digitech Systems, “Microservices and RPA democratize automation. A midmarket or small business can now experiment with advanced technologies in bite-sized pieces, scaling up only after they see results.”
Bain sees this as a critical shift, particularly in a climate where many organizations are under pressure to reduce overhead or modernize outdated infrastructures. By enabling both automation and microservices in small, testable increments, businesses can avoid massive one-time investments. Instead, they can iterate quickly, learning from each deployment phase before adding more modules.
Key Drivers of Adoption
- Cost Alignment: Microservices let companies pay for computing power as they consume it, rather than committing to expensive perpetual licenses. The cost structure is far more transparent and ties directly to usage levels.
- Scalable Automation: Activating an RPA microservice for short-term spikes in invoicing or seasonal hiring is more efficient than purchasing annual RPA licenses.
Challenges and Considerations
While microservices and RPA can yield significant benefits, leaders should also weigh potential challenges:
- Integration Complexity: Each microservice needs to communicate effectively with core business applications. A thorough mapping of data flows and workflows is essential for seamless performance.
- Security Management: Distributing tasks across multiple systems can increase the risk of security gaps when integrating with other business applications. Robust encryption, identity management, and role-based access are vital safeguards.
- Governance: A microservices environment calls for strong governance to prevent “service sprawl.” Clear guidelines on how and when services can be spun up help maintain control and manage costs.
Still, with careful planning and the right partners, most organizations find these hurdles more than manageable, given the potential ROI.
A Look Toward 2025 and Beyond
As we move fully into 2025, the growing emphasis on modular automation is set to reshape IT and business priorities. Industry watchers predict that market leaders will be those who can flexibly reconfigure their technology stacks in response to fluctuating demands—whether it’s a surge in invoices at quarter-end or a last-minute expansion in workforce capacity.
In this environment, AP automation and HR automation aren’t luxuries; they become pivotal pillars of efficiency. Furthermore, the success of microservices-based approaches in these two high-volume, process-intensive areas will likely inspire similar transformations in sales, IT, and customer service processes.
Getting Started: Assess, Prioritize, Deploy
Organizations interested in exploring modular automation should begin by taking a close look at current workflows. Identify bottlenecks, repetitive tasks, and areas with high manual intervention. Evaluate the potential return by comparing the current time and error rates to the projected gains from automated solutions.
Once priorities are established, businesses can deploy one or two microservices for a pilot project, gathering metrics and user feedback. This measured approach allows for tweaks and refinements before rolling out more widespread changes. Interactive tools, such as cost calculators and ROI estimators, can help decision-makers determine how quickly they might see value.
Moving Forward with Confidence
The era of bloated software suites is giving way to a more nimble, usage-based approach that emphasizes agility and precision. From boosting the speed of invoice approvals to optimizing HR tasks, microservices and RPA enable a level of operational flexibility that resonates in a cost-conscious, innovation-driven economy. By focusing on high-impact departments like AP and HR first, businesses can quickly demonstrate success and then scale their automated solutions to other areas.
Whether an organization wants to manage a global supplier base or streamline internal onboarding, the future is clear: technology that can be activated on demand and shut down when not needed will set the standard. For forward-thinking leaders, the modular automation revolution presents a prime opportunity to refashion processes, cut overhead, and free employees for more strategic, creative endeavors.
About the Author
HK Bain is the CEO of Digitech Systems, LLC, one of the most trusted choices for intelligent information management and business process automation worldwide. Celebrated by industry analysts and insiders as the best enterprise content management and workflow solutions on the market, Digitech Systems has an unsurpassed legacy of accelerating business performance by streamlining digital processes for organizations of any size.
