Evolving digitisation: Chances and risks of robotic process automation and artificial intelligence for process optimisation within the supply chain
Hartmann, Felix (2018)
Metropolia Ammattikorkeakoulu
2018
All rights reserved
Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2018102316176
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2018102316176
Tiivistelmä
Industry 4.0, the vision and term once created by the German government includes companies to digitise their processes, developing them from the state of a traditional, mostly non-transparent supply chain towards a data-driven, fully connected supply chain ecosystem.
A few trends have been gaining importance in the recent years within this vision, especially in the supply chain management. Standardisation and automation of processes in the form of Robotic Process Automation (RPA) as well as the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) are trends which many experts predict will be responsible for a massive future change of how processes are carried out and employees will work. This is often accompanied by the fear of employment loss and other possible risks.
This bachelor thesis analyses the impact of RPA and AI in supply chains and derives practical recommendations for implementing these technologies. Hence, the current expertise from the literature and various whitepapers was incorporated and evaluated in order to gain a deeper insight into the two technologies and their requirements for a successful implementation. This work also distinguishes the effects that the use of the respective technologies can have on the processes as well as the employees involved in them and their work. The results of the theoretical research were evaluated and validated by the conduction of expert interviews. Supply chain experts covering the field of potential users, suppliers and consultants provide an insight into their individual assessment of the current technological maturity of the supply chains, which chances and risks they see and what future developments they expect.
It can be said that the benefits outweigh the risks clearly and that companies should deal with the introduction of both technologies in their processes. In the long term, the digital transformation cannot be avoided and competitive advantages can only arise if it is initiated in the near future.
A few trends have been gaining importance in the recent years within this vision, especially in the supply chain management. Standardisation and automation of processes in the form of Robotic Process Automation (RPA) as well as the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) are trends which many experts predict will be responsible for a massive future change of how processes are carried out and employees will work. This is often accompanied by the fear of employment loss and other possible risks.
This bachelor thesis analyses the impact of RPA and AI in supply chains and derives practical recommendations for implementing these technologies. Hence, the current expertise from the literature and various whitepapers was incorporated and evaluated in order to gain a deeper insight into the two technologies and their requirements for a successful implementation. This work also distinguishes the effects that the use of the respective technologies can have on the processes as well as the employees involved in them and their work. The results of the theoretical research were evaluated and validated by the conduction of expert interviews. Supply chain experts covering the field of potential users, suppliers and consultants provide an insight into their individual assessment of the current technological maturity of the supply chains, which chances and risks they see and what future developments they expect.
It can be said that the benefits outweigh the risks clearly and that companies should deal with the introduction of both technologies in their processes. In the long term, the digital transformation cannot be avoided and competitive advantages can only arise if it is initiated in the near future.