Problem Statement:

In today’s fast-paced business environment, companies must find ways to increase efficiency and reduce repetitive tasks to stay competitive. Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), in particular, face challenges due to limited resources and high process complexity. Manual and repetitive processes not only consume valuable time but are also prone to human error.

Automation technologies such as Robotic Process Automation (RPA) offer a powerful solution to these challenges. RPA leverages software "robots" to perform repetitive and rule-based tasks, allowing employees to focus on higher-value activities. RPA automates user interactions within a Graphical User Interface (GUI) of information systems, mimicking user actions across multiple software applications. By integrating RPA into business operations, companies can streamline workflows, reduce costs, and enhance accuracy.

Project Assignment:

This project focuses on enabling students to implement process automation solutions in a real-world context by automating two processes within Büroorganisation Strothkamp GmbH, a German SME. This will not only demonstrate the potential of process automation but also provide valuable insights into the practical challenges and benefits of automation and additionally enable chosen enterprises to streamline their workflows and increase efficiency.

In this bachelor or master project, participants will work as a group of 3-5 people to independently carry out a process automation project. The project consists of the following steps:

1. Process and Tool Analysis
   • Conduct an in-depth as-is-analysis of two processes to understand their workflows, inefficiencies, and automation potential.
   • Analyze the suitability of PowerAutomate and UiPath (and potentially other process automation tools) to automate the two processes against the background of the tools capabilities and the IT landscape at Strothkamp.
2. Automation Design and Implementation
   • Develop automation workflows for the selected processes using a process automation software (especially PowerAutomate and/or UiPath).
   • Test and refine the automated processes to ensure accuracy and stability.
3. Presentation and Lessons Learned
   • Present the work process and results of the project, including a demonstration of the automated processes, the business case, and proposed improvements.
   • Reflect on the project experience and document insights for process automation initiatives.

Learning Objectives:

Through this project, students will:

• Gain foundational knowledge of process automation and its practical applications.
• Develop skills in process analysis, workflow design, and automation implementation using process automation tools.
• Regularly interact with a real-world company to gather fast feedback and ensure problem-solution fit.
• Collaborate in a team to solve real-world challenges and present their results effectively.

Application:

If you are interested in this project, form a group of 3-5 students and apply with a short letter of motivation, explaining why you would like to participate, what previous knowledge or experience you have with process automation and what you hope to learn from the project. Please note that the project language will be German. Please submit your letter of motivation by 11th of April.

For this project you will have to sign a Confidentiality agreement. If necessary, some work will take place on site at the company (in Soest, about an hour by train from Essen).

Contact:
Ronja Rieger (ronja.rieger (at) ris.uni-due.de)

Recommended Literature for getting started on RPA: 

• van der Aalst, W. M. P., Bichler, M., & Heinzl, A. (2018). Robotic Process Automation. Business & Information Systems Engineering, 60(4), 269–272. doi.org/10.1007/s12599-018-0542-4
• Syed, R., Suriadi, S., Adams, M., Bandara, W., Leemans, S.J.J., Ouyang, C., ter Hofstede, A.H.M., van de Weerd, I., Wynn, M.T., Reijers, H.A., 2020. Robotic Process Automation: contemporary themes and challenges. Comput. Ind. 115, 103162.

Case Examples of RPA implementation:

• Lacity, M.C., Willcocks, L.P., 2016. Robotic process automation at Telefónica O2. MIS Q. Exec. 15, 21–35.
• Romao, M., Costa, J., Costa, C.J., 2019. Robotic Process Automation: A Case Study in the Banking Industry.
• Schmitz, M., Dietze, C., Czarnecki, C., 2019. Enabling digital transformation through robotic process automation at Deutsche Telekom. Digit. Cases 15–33.

Additionial Readings

• Herm, L.-V., Janiesch, C., Helm, A., Imgrund, F., Fuchs, K., Hofmann, A., Winkelmann, A., 2020. A consolidated framework for implementing robotic process automation projects. In: Fahland, D., Ghidini, C., Becker, J., Dumas, M. (Eds.), Business Process Management. Springer International Publishing, Cham, pp. 471–488.
• Madakam, S., Holmukhe, R.M., Kumar Jaiswal, D., 2019. The future digital work force: Robotic Process Automation (RPA). J. Inf. Syst. Technol. Manag. 16, 1–17.
• Plattfaut, R., Borghoff, Vincent, 2022. Robotic Process Automation– A Literature-Based Research Agenda. Journal of Information Systems. doi.org/10.2308/ISYS 2020-033
• Syed, R., Wynn, M.T., 2020. How to trust a bot: an RPA user perspective. In: Asatiani, A., García, J.M., Helander, N., Jiménez-Ramírez, A., Koschmider, A., Mendling, J., Meroni, G., Reijers, H.A. (Eds.), Business Process Management: Blockchain and Robotic Process Automation Forum: BPM 2020 Blockchain and RPA Forum, Seville, Spain, September 13-18, 2020. Springer International Publishing, Cham, pp. 147–160 (Proceedings, firstst ed. twentiethtwentieth).