Abstract

Organizations have shown increased interest in implementing Business Process Automation (BPA), particularly through the adoption of Robotic Process Automation (RPA) technologies. While RPA has proven its successful applications in many sectors and cases with delivering many benefits to companies, including reducing process time and costs, some associated challenges have either caused the failure of its implementation or undermined its advantages. This study conducts a literature review to identify common challenges organizations face in implementing RPA initiatives. The results of the thematic analysis reveal ten key challenges, including concerns regarding job displacement, knowledge and experience gaps, process selection difficulties, communication barriers, security and privacy concerns, technical limitations, organizational barriers, supplier and regulatory challenges, resistance to cultural change, and maintenance and continuous improvement. The findings of this study provide valuable insights for practitioners and researchers alike, informing strategies to address challenges and optimize RPA implementation. Future research could extend this analysis longitudinally, explore industry-specific challenges, evaluate the effectiveness of mitigation strategies, and investigate the broader implications of RPA adoption on organizational dynamics and performance.