Abstract
Interest in AI-driven automation software is growing constantly across all industries, as these technologies enable companies to almost automate administrative processes completely and significantly increase operational efficiency. However, many implementation attempts fail due to a lack of understanding of how these technologies affect the various socio-technical aspects that are intertwined in an organisation. This leads to a widening gap between value propositions of automation software and the ability of companies to exploit them. For long-term success, collaboration between humans and software robots in the organization must be optimised. Therefore, the social, technical, and organizational impact of Robotic Process Automation was investigated. Following a socio-technical systems approach, a model was developed and validated in a use case of a company in the mechanical engineering sector. Knowing the influencing factors before launching large-scale automation initiatives will help practitioners to better exploit efficiency potentials and increase the long-term success.
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Acknowledgments
The presented results are part of the research project “RPAcceptance”. The IGF project 21512 N of the Research Association FIR e. V. at RWTH Aachen University, Campus-Boulevard 55, 52074 Aachen, is funded via the AiF within the cooperative industrial research fund (IGF) by the Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK) based on a resolution of the German Bundestag. The responsibility for the content of this publication lies with the authors. We would like to thank the AiF for the kind support throughout this research project.
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Götzen, R., von Stamm, J., Conrad, R., Stich, V. (2022). Understanding the Organizational Impact of Robotic Process Automation: A Socio-Technical Perspective. In: Camarinha-Matos, L.M., Ortiz, A., Boucher, X., Osório, A.L. (eds) Collaborative Networks in Digitalization and Society 5.0. PRO-VE 2022. IFIP Advances in Information and Communication Technology, vol 662. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-14844-6_9
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