APPLICATION OF ROBOTIC PROCESS AUTOMATION TECHNOLOGY: EXAMPLE OF INVOICING

Abstract

Abstract: Background: Digital business transformation is a concept whose impact is undeniable in almost every business sector. This period of transformation is sometimes called the digital era, which is characterized by a wide range of digital possibilities, from which the trend of robotization, which is becoming increasingly important and emphasized, must not be left out. In this context, robotic process automation technology (RPA) undoubtedly constitutes one of the most important aspects of the digital transformation of business. RPA aims to free people from performing repetitive, structured and low-cognitive tasks that tend to bore employees and thus result in more errors. Purpose: The aim of this paper is to familiarize with the theoretical foundations of RPA technology, as well as to present the flow and method of robot development during the realization of a project of digital business transformation in a medium-sized manufacturing company. Research design/methodology/approach: For the purposes of providing the theoretical basis of robotic process automation, a literature review was conducted by searching the Web of Science and SCOPUS index databases. The pilot project that resulted from the initial stages of the implementation of the robotic process automation project follows the stages defined by researchers from the academic community. Results/conclusions: The results of the theoretical review of the literature indicate the most significant features, advantages and disadvantages of this technology, while the developed pilot project offers a presentation of ways of thinking and solving problems in the automation of the real invoicing process. Limitations/future research: Limitations refer primarily to the inability to access the company's resources during robot development, which results in a robot that requires certain adjustments in order to implement it in a real environment. Since the company did not approve the use of their ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) system in which they create invoices, alternative possibilities and resources were used for the realization of this pilot project. Acquainting the company's management with this technology through the example of robotizing the invoicing process should result in full acceptance of this project. This would lead to the need to adapt the created robot in the future to the real resources of the company and implement it in their daily business.