SS&C Blue Prism RPA to Agentic Automation Journey Guide 2026

For organizations still committed to the traditional rules and structures of robotic process automation (RPA), considering agentic AI as the next evolutionary step in automation may seem daunting. However, SS&C Blue Prism is positioned to guide customers through this transformation journey—from conventional RPA to advanced agentic automation—at a comfortable, manageable pace.

Despite the significant shift this represents, the move toward agentic AI is becoming increasingly necessary. Modern business workflows have reached a level of complexity that extends far beyond what traditional RPA systems were originally designed to handle, according to Steven Colquitt, VP of Software Engineering at SS&C Blue Prism. Today's enterprises deal with unstructured data flowing from numerous sources, mirroring the non-deterministic nature of real-world interactions.

"Inputs can vary, outcomes can shift, and decisions depend on context in real-time," notes Colquitt.

Brian Halpin, Managing Director of Automation at SS&C Blue Prism, illustrates this with a practical example: processing a credit agreement that may require extracting 30 to 40 answers. Halpin deliberately uses the term "answers" rather than "data points" to emphasize the sophisticated level of reasoning that large language models (LLMs) can now perform.

🚀 The Journey Toward Autonomous AI Agents

The concept of a progressive journey continues to be central to SS&C Blue Prism's approach. "We're now giving an AI agent the outcome that we want, but we're not providing explicit instructions on how to complete it," explains Halpin. "We're not saying 'follow step one, two, three, four, five.' Instead, we're saying 'I want this loan reviewed' or 'I want this customer onboarded.'"

Halpin acknowledges the market's direction while remaining realistic about current readiness: "Ultimately, I think that's where the market will go. Is it ready for that? No."

⚠️ Key Challenges and Considerations

Several critical factors must be addressed before full autonomous deployment becomes viable:

• Trust – Building confidence in AI-driven decision-making
• Regulations – Compliance with industry standards and legal requirements
• Auditability – Ensuring transparent, traceable processes
• Stability & Security – Maintaining consistent, secure operations
• LLM Limitations – Managing hallucinations, model drift, and response variability

"There's an awful lot of learning to happen before companies go fully autonomous with real agentic workflows driven from a non-deterministic perspective," says Halpin. "But then, there will be something else, right? There will be another model. So really, it is all a journey right now."

🔄 Bridging RPA and AI: The Integration Challenge

SS&C Blue Prism serves thousands of customers who have already implemented automated processes—from centers of excellence (CoEs) to operational digital workers—and the company aims to help them transition into what Halpin calls "the world of AI."

An interesting pattern has emerged across many organizations, as Halpin observes:

"As I talk to our customers, I see a common thread where, in many cases, AI has been established as a separate unit in a company. Meanwhile, the process automation team may not even be permitted to use AI."

The challenge, therefore, becomes: "How do you help them acquire that capability and blend it into their process efficiency, allowing them to achieve the next 20% to 30% of automation in terms of end-to-end processes?"

✨ New Technology Launch: AI Agent Orchestration

Addressing these integration challenges, SS&C Blue Prism is preparing to launch new technology designed to help organizations:

• 📌 Build and embed AI agents seamlessly within existing workflows
• 📌 Orchestrate intelligent automation across enterprise systems
• 📌 Bridge the gap between traditional RPA and advanced agentic AI

Attendees of TechEx Global, held on February 4-5 as part of the Intelligent Automation conference where SS&C Blue Prism participated, received comprehensive insights into these new capabilities and gained a deeper understanding of the company's strategic roadmap for the future of intelligent automation.

💡 Key Takeaway: The transition from RPA to agentic AI represents a significant evolution in enterprise automation. SS&C Blue Prism's measured, customer-centric approach ensures organizations can adopt these advanced capabilities at their own pace while addressing critical concerns around trust, compliance, and operational stability.