Open Access

Rafael Götzen, John von Stamm, Ruben Conrad, Volker Stich

• Interest in AI-driven automation software is growing constantly across all industries, as these technologies enable companies to almost automate administrative processes completely and significantly increase operational efficiency. However, many implementation attempts fail due to a lack of understanding of how these technologies affect the various socio-technical aspects that are intertwined in an organisation. This leads to a widening gap between value propositions of automation software and the ability of companies to exploit them. For long-term success, collaboration between humans and software robots in the organization must be optimised. Therefore, the social, technical, and organizational impact of Robotic Process Automation was investigated. Following a socio-technical systems approach, a model was developed and validated in a use case of a company in the mechanical engineering sector. Knowing the influencing factors before launching large-scale automation initiatives will help practitioners to better exploit efficiency potentials and increase the long-term success.