An empirically supported conceptualisation of robotic process automation (RPA) benefits

Abstract

The usage of robotic process automation (RPA) in organisations has rapidly increased in recent years and is projected to grow in the foreseeable future. Organisations are adopting RPA with a motivation to reduce cost, improve efficiency, productivity and service quality. Although, there is a significant body of literature that discuss RPA benefits, there exists a lack of empirical studies on RPA benefits gained by organisations. This paper presents the findings of an exploratory case study that investigates the benefits of RPA at an Australian University. Research data was collected through series of in-depth interviews from a diverse set of stakeholders. We classify the identified benefits into strategic, managerial, organisational, and operational benefits. Furthermore, our findings explained the existence of multiple unanticipated benefits that augment the anticipated benefits during pre-introduction, introduction, and operational stages of an RPA implementation. The findings also discovered the existence of interrelationships amongst different benefits.