The Future Digital Work Force: Robotic Process Automation (RPA)

Abstract The Robotic Process Automation (RPA) is a new wave of the future technologies. Robotic Process Automation is one of the most advanced technologies in the area of computers science, electronic and communications, mechanical engineering and information technology. It is a combination of both hardware and software, networking and automation for doing things very simple. In this light, the research manuscript investigated the secondary data - which is available in google, academic and research databases. The investigation went for totally 6 months, i.e., 1-1-2018 to 30-6-2018. A very few empirical articles, white papers, blogs and were found RPA and came across to compose this research manuscript. This study is exploratory in nature because of the contemporary phenomenon. The keywords used in searching of the database were Robotic Process Automation, RPA, Robots, Artificial Intelligence, Blue Prism. The study finally discovered that Robots and Robotic Process Automation technologies are becoming compulsory as a part to do business operations in the organizations across the globe. Robotic Process Automation can bring immediate value to the core business processes including employee payroll, employee status changes, new hire recruitment and on boarding, accounts receivable and payable, invoice processing, inventory management, report creation, software installations, data migration, and vendor on boarding etc. to name a few applications. Besides, the Robotic Process Automation has abundant applications including healthcare and pharmaceuticals, financial services, outsourcing, retail, telecom, energy and utilities, real estate and FMCG and many more sectors. To put in the right place of RPA in business operations, their many allied technologies are working at the background level, artificial intelligence, machine learning, deep learning, data analytics, HR analytics, virtual reality (second life), home automation, blockchain technologies, 4D printing etc. Moreover, it covers the content of different start-ups companies and existing companies - their RPA applications used across the world. This manuscript will be a good guideline for the academicians, researchers, students, and practitioners to get an overall idea.摘要 机器人流程自动化（Robotic Process Automation, RPA）是未来技术领域的新浪潮。作为计算机科学、电子与通信、机械工程及信息技术领域最前沿的技术之一，机器人流程自动化融合了软硬件、网络与自动化技术，旨在简化各类事务流程。基于此，本研究针对二手数据展开调研，此类数据可从谷歌、学术及科研数据库中获取。本次调研周期共计6个月，即2018年1月1日至2018年6月30日。期间仅找到少量与RPA相关的实证论文、白皮书及博客，并以此为基础撰写了本研究稿件。鉴于该主题属于新兴现象，本研究属于探索性研究。本次数据库检索使用的关键词包括：机器人流程自动化、RPA、机器人、人工智能（Artificial Intelligence）以及Blue Prism。本研究最终发现，机器人与机器人流程自动化技术已成为全球各组织开展业务运营的必备组成部分。机器人流程自动化可为核心业务流程带来即时价值，涵盖员工薪酬核算、员工状态变更、新员工招聘与入职、应收账款与应付账款管理、发票处理、库存管理、报告生成、软件安装、数据迁移以及供应商入驻等诸多应用场景。此外，机器人流程自动化的应用场景极为丰富，覆盖医疗保健与制药、金融服务、外包、零售、电信、能源与公用事业、房地产以及快速消费品（Fast Moving Consumer Goods, FMCG）等众多行业。为确保机器人流程自动化在业务运营中得到合理应用，诸多配套技术在幕后提供支撑，包括人工智能（Artificial Intelligence）、机器学习、深度学习、数据分析、人力资源分析、虚拟现实（Virtual Reality，即Second Life）、家庭自动化、区块链技术以及4D打印等。此外，本研究还涵盖了全球各地初创企业与成熟企业的机器人流程自动化应用案例。本研究稿件可为学者、科研人员、学生以及行业从业者提供全面的参考指引。