Process Digitalization Through Robotic Process Automation

In the context of digital transformation, innovative technologies, such as the Internet of Things and cloud computing, are seen as drivers for far-reaching changes in organizations and business models. Among these technologies, Robotic Process Automation (RPA) is an approach to process automation in which manual activities are learned and automated by so-called software robots. These robots emulate the inputs on the presentation layer, so that no changes to existing application systems are necessary for automating processes. The idea is to transform existing process execution from manual to digital, which differentiates RPA from traditional Business Process Management (BPM) approaches, where process-driven adjustments are required at the business logic level. In recent years, RPA has been intensively discussed in research and practice. Various RPA solutions are available on the market as software products. Especially for operational processes with repetitive processing steps in different application systems, good results have been documented using RPA, such as the automation of 35% of the back office processes at Telefonica. Due to the comparatively low implementation effort combined with a high automation potential, there is an increasing interest in RPA in practice (e.g., banks, telecommunications, energy supply). This chapter discusses RPA as an innovative approach to process digitalization and gives concrete recommendations for actions in practice. After an introduction to general architectures of RPA systems, application scenarios are discussed in respect of their automation potentials but also limitations. Specific aspects of a structured selection procedure in the face of a growing market for RPA products are highlighted and complemented by a concise market overview. The use of RPA in practice is illustrated by means of three concrete application examples.