--- title: "BOAT: A New Category by Gartner and the Future of Enterprise Automation" description: "Automation is evolving fast. Gartner’s BOAT consolidates RPA, AI, and low-code into a unified framework. Insights from the SS Rotterdam conference with Incentro." url: "https://hoeijmakers.net/boat-enterprise-automation/" date: 2025-03-16 updated: 2025-04-12 author: "Rob Hoeijmakers" site: "hoeijmakers.net" language: "en" tags: ["AI", "Future of Work"] --- # BOAT: A New Category by Gartner and the Future of Enterprise Automation This week, I attended a conference aboard the **SS Rotterdam**, hosted by **Incentro**, where we discussed a fascinating new concept introduced by **Gartner**: **Business Orchestration and Automation Technologies (BOAT)**. Standing on the deck, looking over the skyline of Rotterdam, it became clear to me why this new category makes so much sense. ## Why BOAT? For years, enterprise automation has been fragmented. **Robotic Process Automation (RPA), Business Process Automation (BPA), Low-Code Platforms, and iPaaS** (Integration Platform as a Service) have been evolving in parallel. Yet, their overlap has grown significantly, and organizations increasingly need a **unified framework** to orchestrate these technologies efficiently. [Gartner's BOAT category](https://www.gartner.com/en/webinar/621105/1385624) consolidates these fragmented disciplines into a single, overarching approach, allowing businesses to streamline automation across departments and systems. The fundamental idea is to create an integrated **automation fabric** that can intelligently coordinate tasks, workflows, and decisions at scale. ## Incentro’s Position in the BOAT Ecosystem [Incentro](https://www.incentro.com/en-NL), a digital transformation specialist, is well-positioned in this emerging landscape. Their deep expertise in cloud-native development, automation solutions, and enterprise integration aligns naturally with the principles of BOAT. This event reinforced their role as a key player in helping businesses adopt **end-to-end process automation** that goes beyond isolated tools and into fully orchestrated digital ecosystems. ## Companies Shaping the BOAT Landscape Alongside Incentro, several other companies are actively shaping the BOAT category, each contributing to different aspects of automation and orchestration: - [**Camunda**](https://camunda.com) – Focuses on process orchestration, enabling businesses to design, automate, and optimize workflows efficiently. - [**UIPath**](https://www.uipath.com/) – A leader in Robotic Process Automation (RPA), specializing in automating repetitive tasks with AI-powered bots. - [**Mendix**](https://www.mendix.com/) – A low-code development platform that accelerates application creation and integrates with automation workflows. - [**Snowflake**](https://www.snowflake.com/en/emea/) – A cloud-based data platform that enables data sharing, integration, and automation across enterprise systems. - [**Workato**](https://www.workato.com/) – A no-code automation platform that connects apps, automates workflows, and drives business process integration. - [**Glean**](https://www.glean.com) – An AI-powered enterprise search tool that enhances knowledge management and improves workflow automation. These companies highlight the diversity of technologies converging under the BOAT umbrella, from **workflow automation** to **AI-driven search and decision-making**. ## Glean: The Intersection of AI, Search, and BOAT Another topic that caught my attention at the event was [**Glean**](https://www.glean.com/), an AI-powered enterprise search platform. Designed to **seamlessly index company knowledge across multiple platforms**, Glean enables employees to quickly find relevant information across internal systems, much like how **Google searches the web**. At first, I wondered: **How does Glean fit into BOAT?** The connection became clear when considering how **knowledge accessibility fuels automation**. A BOAT framework that integrates Glean can **eliminate bottlenecks caused by information silos**, making automation more effective. Imagine an AI-driven automation system that can instantly retrieve the right document, policy, or customer history—without human intervention—before executing a process. That’s where Glean and BOAT intersect. ## The Broader Impact of AI and LLMs on Enterprise Automation Generative AI and **Large Language Models (LLMs)** are fundamentally reshaping how businesses think about automation. The ability of LLMs to **understand context, interpret natural language, and generate insights in real-time** is accelerating the adoption of **AI-driven automation strategies**. When combined with **BOAT**, [LLMs](https://hoeijmakers.net/a-comparative-analysis-of-top-language-models/) have the potential to take automation beyond simple workflows into true **cognitive orchestration**. This means: - AI agents proactively assisting employees by retrieving relevant data before they ask. - Automated decision-making based on contextual insights rather than predefined rules. - Intelligent process automation that adapts dynamically to business needs. ## Final Thoughts The **BOAT framework** marks a shift towards **fully orchestrated, intelligent automation**. As AI, search, and process automation converge, the future of enterprise IT will be defined by how well companies integrate these technologies into their workflows. The conference aboard the SS Rotterdam was a fitting setting to discuss this topic—a reminder that just like navigating a ship, **business automation needs a clear strategy, coordination, and the right technology to stay on course**.