The IT function and robotic process automation

Abstract

The academic researchers at the Outsourcing Unit (OU) aim to assess the current and long-term effects of business services automation on client organizations.While using software to automate work is not a new idea, recent interest in service automation has certainly escalated with the introduction of new technologies including Robotic Process Automation (RPA) and Cognitive Intelligence (CI) tools.Many potential adopters of the new types of service automation tools remain skeptical about the claims surrounding its promised business value.Potential adopters need exposure to actual and realistic client adoption stories.Academic researchers can help educate potential adopters by objectively researching actual RPA and CI implementations in client firms, by assessing what the software can and cannot yet do, and by extracting lessons on realizing its value.