Adoption of Intelligent Process Automation in the Telecommunications Industry in Sri Lanka—A Systematic Literature Review

Intelligent Process Automation (IPA) integrates Robotic Process Automation (RPA) with advanced technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) to automate complex business processes. Although global industries increasingly adopt IPA, empirical evidence on its implementation in the telecommunications industry remains scarce. This study employs a Systematic Literature Review following PRISMA guidelines to assess 30 peer-reviewed journal articles published between 2020 and 2025. Keyword co-occurrence, cluster analysis, and thematic mapping were employed to identify patterns and research gaps using bibliometric tools, including VOSviewer and Biblioshiny. The findings reveal two dominant themes: enhancing business continuity through automation and accelerating predictive transformation via AI. Although global literature highlights the strong association between RPA, AI, and business continuity, a significant contextual gap was identified, with minimal studies focusing on Sri Lanka’s telecommunications industry. Moreover, a theoretical gap emerged, as only a few studies employed models such as the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) or the Diffusion of Innovation. Methodologically, most studies employed qualitative approaches, with minimal use of quantitative or mixed-methods research. This review highlights the need for empirical studies tailored to the Sri Lankan context and recommends developing a conceptual framework for implementing IPA in the telecommunications industry. The study contributes to the academic discourse by identifying key gaps and offering a foundation for future research on AI-driven automation strategies in emerging markets.