An analysis of the benefits, challenges and methods of process selection to adopt robotic process automation

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.15675/gepros.v17i3.2934

Keywords:

RPA, Robotic Process Automation, Benefits, Challenges, Methods.

Abstract

Purpose - Robotic Process Automation (RPA) is an emerging business tool that has gained the attention of organizations aiming to improve and transform their processes. However, RPA is not a solution that fits all existing scenarios and thus carefully-considered analysis is required before its implementation. This study aimed to carry out an analysis of the benefits, challenges and methods of selecting the most appropriate processes to be prioritized in RPA implementation projects.

Theoretical framework - In addition to the basic concepts, the article was based on research in the literature that specifically deals with characteristics and methods for selecting processes to be automated with RPA.

Design/methodology/approach - This is an applied, qualitative and exploratory research study that has adopted the literature review method to identify characteristics related to RPA technology. Articles were searched for from three academic sources: Science Direct, Scopus, and Web of Science.

Findings - In addition to cost savings, the benefits identified were accuracy, productivity, and consistency. Benefits obtained in several areas of the industry were also synthesized. As challenges, common mistakes in projects where automation implementation failed and problems multiplied, such as a lack of training and support, were identified and listed. Finally, methods considering different characteristics and criteria were described in order to define organizational processes most compatible with RPA.

Research, Practical & Social implications - Thus, the study seeks to contribute to the decision-making of those wishing to understand and introduce this technology into their organizations, enabling them to appropriately select processes to be automated with RPA.

Originality/value - Despite the rapid development of the market in relation to process automation, no single model or guide for the proper selection of processes to be automated with RPA was identified, and each method found in the literature has specific characteristics.

Keywords - RPA; Robotic Process Automation; Benefits; Challenges; Methods.


Author Biography

Renato de Campos, São Paulo State University - UNESP

Possui graduação em Engenharia Mecânica pela Universidade Estadual de Campinas (1991), mestrado em Engenharia Mecânica pela Universidade Estadual de Campinas (1993) na área de automação e doutorado em Engenharia Mecânica na área de gerência da produção pela Universidade Estadual de Campinas (1998). Atualmente é professor assistente da Universidade Estadual Paulista Júlio de Mesquita Filho e professor e coordenador do curso de mestrado em Engenharia de Produção da Unesp. Tem experiência na área de Engenharia de Produção, com ênfase em Planejamento, Projeto e Controle de Sistemas de Produção, atuando principalmente nos seguintes temas: sistemas de informação, gestão da produção, modelagem de empresa, e jogos de empresa. É membro do IFIP TC8 WG8.9 Enterprise Information Systems - Capítulo Brasil.

References

AGUIRRE, Santiago; RODRIGUEZ, Alejandro. Automation of a business process using robotic process automation (RPA): A case study. In: Workshop on engineering applications. Springer, Cham, 2017. p. 65-71. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-66963-2_7

ANAGNOSTE, Sorin et al. Robotic Automation Process-The next major revolution in terms of backoffice operations improvement. In: Proceedings of the International Conference on Business Excellence. Sciendo, 2017. p. 676-686. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/picbe-2017-0072

ASATIANI, Aleksandre; PENTTINEN, Esko. Turning robotic process automation into commercial success–Case OpusCapita. Journal of Information Technology Teaching Cases, v. 6, n. 2, p. 67-74, 2016. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/jittc.2016.5

ASQUITH, Alisha; HORSMAN, Graeme. Let the robots do it!–Taking a look at Robotic Process Automation and its potential application in digital forensics. Forensic Science International: Reports, v. 1, p. 100007, 2019. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fsir.2019.100007

AUBERT, Benoit A.; RIVARD, Suzanne; PATRY, Michel. A transaction cost model of IT outsourcing. Information & management, v. 41, n. 7, p. 921-932, 2004. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.im.2003.09.001

BALASUNDARAM, Sathiyaseelan; VENKATAGIRI, Sirish. A structured approach to implementing Robotic Process Automation in HR. In: Journal of Physics: Conference Series. IOP Publishing, 2020. p. 012008. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1088/1742-6596/1427/1/012008

COSTA, Carlos J; ORTIZ, Felipe C. Magrin. RPA in Finance: supporting portfolio management: Applying a software robot in a portfolio optimization problem. In: 2020 15th Iberian Conference on Information Systems and Technologies (CISTI). IEEE, 2020. p. 1-6.

GEYER-KLINGEBERG, Jerome et al. Process Mining and Robotic Process Automation: A Perfect Match. In: BPM (Dissertation/Demos/Industry). 2018. p. 124-131.

HALLIKAINEN, Petri; BEKKHUS, Riitta; PAN, Shan L. How OpusCapita Used Internal RPA Capabilities to Offer Services to Clients. MIS Quarterly Executive, v. 17, n. 1, 2018.

HUANG, Feiqi; VASARHELYI, Miklos A. Applying robotic process automation (RPA) in auditing: A framework. International Journal of Accounting Information Systems, v. 35, 2019. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.accinf.2019.100433

LAMBERTON, Chris; BRIGO, Damiano; HOY, Dave. Impact of Robotics, RPA and AI on the insurance industry: challenges and opportunities. Journal of Financial Perspectives, v. 4, n. 1, 2017.

LEOPOLD, Henrik; VAN DER AA, Han; REIJERS, Hajo A. Identifying candidate tasks for robotic process automation in textual process descriptions. In: Enterprise, business-process and information systems modeling. Springer, Cham, 2018. p. 67-81. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-91704-7_5

LASERFICHE. What is Robotic Process Automation. Accessed dated on 29/8/2022 from https: https://www.laserfiche.com/ecmblog/what-is-robotic-process-automation-rpa/

LESHOB, Abderrahmane; BOURGOUIN, Audrey; RENARD, Laurent. Towards a process analysis approach to adopt robotic process automation. In: 2018 IEEE 15th International Conference on e-Business Engineering (ICEBE). IEEE, 2018. p. 46-53. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1109/ICEBE.2018.00018

MA, Yi-Wei et al. System design and development for robotic process automation. In: 2019 IEEE International Conference on Smart Cloud (SmartCloud). IEEE, 2019. p. 187-189. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1109/SmartCloud.2019.00038

MADAKAM, Somayya; HOLMUKHE, Rajesh M.; JAISWAL, Durgesh Kumar. The future digital work force: robotic process automation (RPA). JISTEM-Journal of Information Systems and Technology Management, v. 16, 2019. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4301/S1807-1775201916001

RATIA, M.; MYLLÄRNIEMI, Jussi; HELANDER, Nina. Robotic process automation-creating value by digitalizing work in the private healthcare?. In: Proceedings of the 22nd International Academic Mindtrek Conference. 2018. p. 222-227. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1145/3275116.3275129

RIEDL, Yannik; BEETZ, Richard. Robotic process automation: Developing a multi-criteria evaluation model for the selection of automatable business processes. 25th Americas Conference on Information Systems, AMCIS 2019, p. 1–10, 2019.

ROMAO, Mário; COSTA, Joao; COSTA, Carlos J. Robotic process automation: A case study in the banking industry. In: 2019 14th Iberian Conference on information systems and technologies (CISTI). IEEE, 2019. p. 1-6. DOI: https://doi.org/10.23919/CISTI.2019.8760733

SIDERSKA, Julia. Robotic Process Automation—a driver of digital transformation?. Engineering Management in Production and Services, v. 12, n. 2, 2020. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/emj-2020-0009

SOBCZAK, Andrzej. Robotic Process Automation implementation, deployment approaches and success factors–an empirical study. Entrepreneurship and Sustainability Issues, v. 8, n. 4, p. 122, 2021. DOI: https://doi.org/10.9770/jesi.2021.8.4(7)

STOLPE, Annette et al. Lightweight IT and the IT function: experiences from robotic process automation in a Norwegian bank. In: Norsk konferanse for organisasjoners bruk at IT. 2017.

SYED, Rehan et al. Robotic process automation: contemporary themes and challenges. Computers in Industry, v. 115, p. 103162, 2020. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compind.2019.103162

USKENBAYEVA, Raissa et al. Applying of RPA in administrative processes of public administration. In: 2019 IEEE 21st Conference on Business Informatics (CBI). IEEE, 2019. p. 9-12. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1109/CBI.2019.10089

VAN DER AALST, Wil M. P.; BICHLER, Martin; HEINZL, Armin. Robotic Process Automation. Business and Information Systems Engineering, v. 60, n. 4, p. 269–272, 2018. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12599-018-0542-4

VARIS, Jesse. Automating processes in web-interfaces with Robotic Process Automation Abstract. Information Technology, p. 33, 2018.

WANNER, Jonas et al. Process selection in RPA projects - Towards a quantifiable method of decision making. 40th International Conference on Information Systems, ICIS 2019, p. 1–17, 2020.

WILLCOCKS, Leslie P.; LACITY, Mary; CRAIG, Andrew. The IT function and robotic process automation. 2015.

WILLCOCKS, Leslie; LACITY, Mary; CRAIG, Andrew. Robotic process automation: strategic transformation lever for global business services?. Journal of Information Technology Teaching Cases, v. 7, n. 1, p. 17-28, 2017. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/s41266-016-0016-9

WILLIAM, Woelly; WILLIAM, Linda. Improving corporate secretary productivity using robotic process automation. In: 2019 International Conference on Technologies and Applications of Artificial Intelligence (TAAI). IEEE, 2019. p. 1-5. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1109/TAAI48200.2019.8959872

Downloads

Additional Files

Published

2022-09-27

How to Cite

Grande, V. A., Campos, R. de, Facin, A. L. F., & Batistela, G. C. (2022). An analysis of the benefits, challenges and methods of process selection to adopt robotic process automation. Revista Gestão Da Produção Operações E Sistemas, 17(3), 89. https://doi.org/10.15675/gepros.v17i3.2934

Issue

Section

Articles