The paper introduces Robotic Process Automation (RPA), which is an emerging and cutting-edge conception of business processes automation, based on the notion of software robots or artificial intelligence workers. The paper is conceptual as it discusses the fundamentals behind this idea, synthesises the knowledge of technology, and presents it in a new context. It is based on the author's considerations and the literature review, which contributes to the insight into the basic understanding of RPA technology as well as systematises and clarifies RPA definitions, identifies market trends, formulates a set of predictions for further development of this technology, and highlights directions for future inquiry. Additionally, logical arguments are proposed for considering RPA as a technology that enables and advances digital transformation. Moreover, criteria are indicated for business processes suitable for RPA. Nowadays, the robotisation of business processes a s innovative technology is more often practically implemented than it is investigated by research. Published papers outline real examples of implemented cases of RPA technology in organisations that mainly represent service industries. These case studies allow identifying possible advantages and risks derived from RPA implementation. Recent studies also report benefits of the RPA application in terms of productivity, costs, service quality, and error reduction. Some authors propose the criteria for selecting processes suitable for automation and robotisation. This paper constitutes a foundation for new research aimed at filling knowledge gaps in this area. Responding to the call by van der Aalst, academic discourse on RPA must be initiated.

This paper introduces cloud manufacturing (CMfg) as a new manufacturing paradigm that joins the emerging technologies – such as the Internet of Things, cloud computing, and service-oriented technologies – for solving complex problems in manufacturing applications and performing large-scale collaborative manufacturing. Using scientific publications indexed in Scopus database during the period 2012–2017, the concept and fundamentals of CMfg are presented and discussed given the results of the most recent research. While focusing on the current state of the art, the recent research trends within CMfg concept were also identified. The review involved the methods of bibliometric analysis and network analysis. A prototype of CMfg and the existing related work conducted by various researchers are presented, and the map of co-occurrence is introduced to indicate the most commonly occurring issues related to the “cloud manufacturing” term. The VOSviewer software was used for this purpose. Finally, cloud-based manufacturing areas for further research are identified.

The study provides knowledge on the adoption of the Robotic Process Automation (RPA) technology during the COVID-19 pandemic in 110 Polish service companies. As this research was the first of its kind in Poland, the objectives of the CAWI survey were to identify the technology features of the RPA technology and the related determinants and barriers influencing the adoption of the RPA as well as to determine correlations between them. Moreover, the statistical analyses involved considering whether there were differences in the evaluation of individual RPA technology features, mainly in terms of perceived usefulness, ease of use, security and functionality. The results of the study show that almost 60% of the respondents indicated that robotization tools allowed maintaining continuity of business processes during the pandemic. The highest rated were features related to usefulness of the RPA technology. Furthermore, the analysis pointed to the most frequently indicated barriers to technology implementation that were related to nonoptimized, nonstandardized and non-digitized processes with a large number of exceptions. The study contributes to scientific knowledge and has practical implications for process automation decision-makers concerned with the adoption of the Robotic Process Automation technology. The obtained results can help them to understand the potential drivers of and barriers to the adoption of software robots by enterprises and may be an important determinant for companies’ managers in the field of implementing such solutions.

The main objective of the article was to present the possibilities and examples of using Tecnomatix Plant Simulation (by Siemens) to simulate the production and logistics processes. This tool allows to simulate discrete events and create digital models of logistic systems (e.g. production), optimize the operation of production plants, production lines, as well as individual logistics processes. The review of implementations of Tecnomatix Plant Simulation for modeling processes in production engineering and logistics was conducted and a few selected examples of simulations were presented. The author’s future studies are going to focus on simulation of production and logistic processes and their optimization with the use of genetic algorithms and artificial neural networks.

Constant and unpredictable changes on the labour market are causing a direct impact on the actionsand measures taken by employees and organisations, since these have to adapt to new emerging models in orderto ensure the continuity of their activity. This study aimed to obtain experts' opinion and consensus on thirteenresearch theses relating to the labour market, economic growth and education system in Poland. The researchaddressed, among other things, the issues of work ethos, adjustment of professional qualifications to the rapidlychanging needs of the labour market, employing foreigners, return from abroad of highly qualified specialists,the situation of disabled people on the labour market and flexible forms of employment. The study presented inthe article was based on the Delphi method. The method is a kind of expert study in which intuitive expertopinions are treated as a legitimate contribution to the formulation of a vision of the future of the researchsubject. The results obtained in the research may be interesting for political decision-makers, publicadministration employees, employees of district and provincial labour offices as well as all those interested inthe Delphi method and the future of the labour market.