Leveraging robotic process Automation as an enabler of organizational Digital Transformation: a case of a Telecommunication Company in Kenya

Abstract

Organizations are adopting newer technologies in a rapidly evolving digital environment to develop new or change present business processes to meet changing business and customer expectations. Robotic Process Automation is at the forefront of these disruptive technologies and has immense potential for transforming the delivery of processes. Organizations spend significant amount of time managing processes that are highly repetitive, straightforward, rule-based and time-consuming and can be automated with RPA. However, often organizations which have embarked on their digital transformation journey, using RPA as an enabler, do not scale beyond concept proof. This research aimed at establishing a model for RPA adoption. Previous studies on technology adoption frameworks, digital transformation frameworks and concepts on RPA supported this research. Influence of RPA performance expectancy, RPA effort expectancy, RPA facilitating condition, RPA social influence and RPA risks and threats on leveraging RPA were investigated with age, gender and experience as moderating factors. To test these factors, the study took a quantitative approach where data was collected from 117 employees of the study organization using structured questionnaires. Analysis of data was carried out using SPSS tool and presented using tables, charts and percentages. Multiple linear regression result demonstrated that 92.1 per cent of the variation in the dependent variable was accounted for by independent variables. The outcome presents a framework for leveraging RPA. The inferences of these results for future research are discussed.