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Top1. Introduction
Robotic process automation (RPA) does not mean physical robots but software applications that mimics processes previously performed by humans, by applying artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) (Romao, Costa & Costa, 2019). In the same line of argument, Moffitt, Rozario and Vasarhelyi (2018) emphasized that RPA is a software for rule-based business processes. From banking institutions’ viewpoints, RPA emerged as rule-based, tedious, and mundane tasks using conditions to process commands in a structured and recognised ways (Aguirre & Rodriguez, 2017). It is therefore considered as the new evolution for addressing tedious and repetitive business processes, which give businesses more power and prospect in streamlining and reducing costs of operations (Leshob, Bourgouin & Renard, 2018). Although the promises of RPA are attractive, the technology comes with its own challenges. Leshob, Bourgouin and Renard (2018) suggest an understanding of the challenges and how they can influence implementation of the technology in an environment.
For various reasons, many financial organisations across the world are adopting Robotic process automation (RPA) (Cooper et al., 2019; Lacity, Willcocks & Craig, 2015; Leshob, Bourgouin & Renard, 2018). Some organisations adopt RPA for technology advancement (Siderska, 2020; Willcocks, Hindle & Lacity, 2018), whilst other institutions employ the technology for efficiency and effectiveness purposes (Willcocks, Lacity & Craig, 2015). In South Africa, some banking institutions, particularly the largest ones are exploring the implementation (and practice) of RPA, to advance competitive advantage. Despite the growing interest, there is a mixed bag of factors that influence implementation of the RPA, which are not well understood (Mamela, Sukdeo & Mukwakungu, 2020; Ndoro, Johnston & Seymour, 2020).
Also, implementation of RPA is relied upon because of its ability to address human-errors, due to their repetitive and tedious nature (Romao et al., 2019). Also, RPA is adopted to transfer business operations swiftly and efficiently (Coetzee, 2018). The technology has made many businesses to rethink of processes that can be automated for the purposes of value add and cost effectiveness (Van der Aalst, Bichler & Heinzl, 2018). To some organisations, RPA is implemented to relieve humans from performing challenging tasks, and to provide consistency in quality and standard while efficiently executing processes (Lhuer, 2016; Wisskirchen et al., 2017). Notwithstanding the automated nature of the technology, its implementation does require humans as it cannot activate or control itself (Xing, Marwala & Marwala, 2018).
Despite the benefits attributed to RPA, are in its ability to address some challenges often encountered by human efforts. Some of the examples are capability to trace and track events; consultative ability; ability to identify use cases; and consistent automated update of rules (Lamberton, Brigo & Hoy, 2017). These are some of the reasons perceived to pose threat to humans’ job security. Consequently, employees’ resistance to the implementation of the technology is a major challenge for many financial organisations (Kamat, 2019; Swacha-Lech, 2017). This challenge is critical in the South African environment owing to the need to develop human capacity in the country (Chigbu & Nekhwevha, 2020; Mamela et al., 2020; Ndoro et al., 2020).