Our MVP Thorsten Wack, from Bosch Service Solutions, took us on a journey through the vast and complex world of automation within the Bosch Group one of the world’s largest industrial companies with over 400,000 employees spread across numerous legal entities. Bosch is widely known for its automotive innovations, home appliances, and power tools, but behind the scenes, a quiet revolution in automation is underway.

Starting about eight years ago, Bosch embraced Automation Anywhere, gradually building a federated system of Centers of Excellence across its many divisions. Thorsten’s team at Bosch Service Solutions acts as the central service provider, supporting thousands of automation use cases and nearly two thousand developers most of whom are citizen developers, not traditional coders.

Their automation journey has evolved steadily, with recent upgrades to the latest Automation Anywhere platform and enterprise knowledge tools installed on-premises. Around twenty core developers have been trained on new AI-powered features like AI Agent Studio and Workflow Composer, sparking excitement about the possibilities ahead.

But this journey hasn’t been without challenges. Thorsten candidly shared the hurdles Bosch faces: internal competition from other platforms like Microsoft Power Platform, a sprawling tool landscape leading to duplicated efforts, the complexity of configuring new automation features, and the difficulty in pinpointing high-value use cases that deliver clear business returns. Additionally, the shift to consumption-based licensing models adds a layer of commercial complexity.

One striking example Thorsten shared was a support ticket automation use case. Here, bots extract and classify ticket data using Bosch’s own AI models, automating responses and updates. This solution, built with API calls and RAG models, is a precursor to a more advanced version planned with Automation Anywhere’s enterprise knowledge tools—a glimpse into the future of Bosch’s automation landscape.

Throughout the conversation, a recurring theme emerged: Bosch seeks use cases that go beyond simple productivity boosts. They aim for projects that can significantly reduce full-time workloads like cutting down manual task from a large group of people to a smaller team accompanied by handful of AI-powered workers. This focus on measurable return, rather than just cost-cutting or personal productivity, guides their automation strategy.

The discussion expanded as other attendees shared their own experiences. Matt Stewart reflected on the importance of starting small with achievable use cases that build momentum, rather than chasing massive but slow-to-deliver projects. Both Matt and Thorsten emphasized the critical role of clean, harmonized master data and well-structured documents without which even the smartest AI can stumble.

As the session wrapped up, the sense of community and shared learning was clear. Bosch’s journey is ongoing, with plans to broaden training and adoption once production readiness is achieved. The Automation Anywhere community stands ready to support, offering training camps, user groups, and a platform for sharing challenges and successes.

Thorsten’s story is one of cautious optimism balancing innovation with the realities of a large, complex organization. It’s a reminder that while automation and AI hold great promise, success comes through careful planning, collaboration, and a focus on delivering real business value.