Towards stability, predictability, and quality of intelligent automation services: ECIT product journey from on-premise to as-a-service

Abstract

The intensive transformations of software products have been widely discussed in academia and business from various perspectives, yet with limited reference to low-code technologies, such as robotic process automation (RPA). The intensive growth in the size and importance of RPA and low-code industry puts their offering transitions from traditional on-premise to modern software-as-a-service models at the core of its paradigm evolution. Our single case study presents the transformation from 'On-Prem' to 'RaaS-P product for intelligent automation (IA) services, conducted by the leading Nordic consultancy ECIT Group, elaborating on its triggers, journey, stakeholders, as well as implications on cost, quality, and customer satisfaction. Triggered by internal experiences, cost, and market pressures, the case allowed us to discover that while RPA technology has rapidly grown to become a commodity at a wide amount of business organizations, the RPA service providers need to aim at resolving the issues and addressing challenges of their customers, not technology itself. It brings forward the 'Robot as a Service - Process Automation' product, with a novel approach to SLA, focused on availability, job stability, recovery, and transaction quality.