Automation of a Business Process Using Robotic Process Automation (RPA): A Case Study

“…The majority of academics occupied with knowledge workers and robotic process automation (RPA) seem to assume that automation will free knowledge workers from highly structured routine and manual tasks (e.g. [1,14,15] but not lead to lay-offs. For knowledge workers, the liberation from mundane tasks is especially important for their productivity [8].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Robotic Process Automation and Consequences for Knowledge Workers; a Mixed-Method Study

Eikebrokk

Olsen

2020

Lecture Notes in Computer Science

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This paper explores an overly optimistic and tenacious claim in the literature that robotic process automation (RPA) will only free knowledge workers from mundane tasks and introduce more interesting work. We explore this claim and other consequences for knowledge workers using data from a sequential quantitative-qualitative, mixed-method study in Norway. 88 RPA users from different sectors and industries where first surveyed to identify differences in utilization and effects from RPA. Then, differences were explored in 24 in-depth interviews in the public and private sectors, including financial industry, manufacturing, and oil and gas. Results indicate that RPA is used to either layoff or not reemploy knowledge workers, but also to empower knowledge workers with more interesting tasks. Private sector was different from public sector in that private, financial companies have experienced the strongest reduction in the need for employment. RPA often lead to layoffs indirectly, and to reduced need for consultants, especially in financial companies. In contrast, public companies use RPA more for innovations in their service production from increased quality in data registration, handling of invoices, and data migration between systems. We conclude that RPA is maturing as a management tool motivated by cost reductions from reduced employment, and we suggest propositions for further research.

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“…Several partially overlapping definitions of RPA can be found in the research and industry literature. For example, Aguirre and Rodriguez (2017) define RPA as a category of software tools designed ''to automate rules-based business processes that involve routine tasks, structured data, and deterministic outcomes''. Meanwhile, van der Aalst et al…”

Section: Context and Scopementioning

confidence: 99%

“…A number of case studies have shown that RPA technology can lead to improvements in efficiency and data quality in business processes involving clerical work (Lacity and Willcocks 2016; Aguirre and Rodriguez 2017). However, while existing RPA tools are able to automate a wide range of routines, they cannot determine which routines are candidates for automation in the first place.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Robotic Process Mining: Vision and Challenges

et al. 2020

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Robotic process automation (RPA) is an emerging technology that allows organizations automating repetitive clerical tasks by executing scripts that encode sequences of fine-grained interactions with Web and desktop applications. Examples of clerical tasks include opening a file, selecting a field in a Web form or a cell in a spreadsheet, and copy-pasting data across fields or cells. Given that RPA can automate a wide range of routines, this raises the question of which routines should be automated in the first place. This paper presents a vision towards a family of techniques, termed robotic process mining (RPM), aimed at filling this gap. The core idea of RPM is that repetitive routines amenable for automation can be discovered from logs of interactions between workers and Web and desktop applications, also known as user interactions (UI) logs. The paper defines a set of basic concepts underpinning RPM and presents a pipeline of processing steps that would allow an RPM tool to generate RPA scripts from UI logs. The paper also discusses research challenges to realize the envisioned pipeline.

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Automation of a Business Process Using Robotic Process Automation (RPA): A Case Study

Cited by 276 publications

References 1 publication

Robotic Process Automation

Robotic Process Automation

Robotic Process Automation and Consequences for Knowledge Workers; a Mixed-Method Study

Robotic Process Mining: Vision and Challenges

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