ON THE PATH TO ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE: THE EFFECTS OF A ROBOTICS SOLUTION IN A FINANCIAL SERVICES FIRM

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.7166/32-2-2390

Keywords:

artificial intelligence, robotic process automation, machine learning

Abstract

As ever-increasing advances in automation and artificial intelligence solutions create more opportunities for businesses to streamline their operations, the key challenges for managers are to identify the appropriate use cases for automation solutions in their organisations and to integrate the solution effectively to meet the objectives of both the firm and its employees. This case study examines the impact of implementing a machine-learning robotic process automation (RPA) solution that is aimed at reducing manual data entry tasks for employees in a financial services firm. The study employed an action research approach to follow a single team in the firm before and after the RPA implementation — a period of six months. The findings showed that RPA improved productivity in the team and created more positive work experiences for employees, as they had more time to dedicate to creative, cognitive, and customer service tasks. The study also found that the roles of employees were being redefined during the integration process, with employees reporting a high potential for broader transformation in the business as a result of the RPA implementation.

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Author Biographies

Hamieda Parker, Graduate School of Business, University of Cape Town, South Africa

Associate Professor Hamieda Parker lectures the Operations and Innovation Management courses and the Global Supply Chain Management course at the Graduate School of Business, University of Cape Town.

 

Stephanie Elaine Appel, Graduate School of Business, University of Cape Town, South Africa

Stephanie Appel is a postgraduate student at the  Graduate School of Business, University of Cape Town

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Published

2021-08-31

How to Cite

Parker, H., & Appel, S. E. (2021). ON THE PATH TO ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE: THE EFFECTS OF A ROBOTICS SOLUTION IN A FINANCIAL SERVICES FIRM. The South African Journal of Industrial Engineering, 32(2), 37–47. https://doi.org/10.7166/32-2-2390

Issue

Vol. 32 No. 2 (2021)

Section

General Articles

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