New ISACA research shows 1 in 3 companies use Robotic Process Automation

Sydney, Australia (23 September 2020) – An increase in the adoption of Robotic Process Automation (RPA) is expected across multiple industries in the next five years, according to a survey report from global business technology and learning association ISACA.

The global survey indicates that more than half of the respondents predict their organisation will embrace RPA within five years and the top three sectors to do this will be financial/banking (67%) followed by manufacturing/engineering (41%) and insurance (39%).

RPA is software specifically developed and implemented to perform repetitive, manual tasks. In Australia companies have adopted RPA to improve safety and protect employees from high risk zones, increase speed & efficiency, repeatability, quality control and reduced waste. RPA can also provide immediate access to production data which supports a streamlined supply chain.

In fact, respondents to the survey acknowledged that RPA adoption can offer a variety of benefits, ranking the top three as:

1. Streamlining of internal business processes (70%)
2. Reduction in errors (58%)
3. Reduction in staffing costs (55%)

Though a common employee concern around adopting RPA is that it could lead to job loss, only 37 per cent of survey respondents cited this as a source of resistance to RPA adoption in an enterprise. However, among the 27 per cent of respondents whose organisations experienced moderate or extensive resistance to RPA implementation, the fear of job elimination increases to 56 per cent and becomes the primary concern.

Despite concerns, 35 per cent of respondents indicated that their organisations currently use RPA, and 59 per cent believe that their organisations will start implementing RPA within the next five years. 

The survey also found that organisations realise additional benefits when using an IT auditor to assure RPA. Yet despite this, of the organisations currently utilising RPA, only 38 per cent of respondents say that the IT auditor within their organisation incorporates RPA into the audit practice.

“Though resistance to RPA is not entirely unwarranted, the productivity and financial benefits it can provide make it a worthwhile pursuit,” says Dustin Brewer, Principal Futurist, ISACA. “That said, it is important that enterprises ensure their RPA systems are secure and that implementation supports the enterprise’s goals.”

The report, Implementing Robotic Process Automation (RPA): Trends in RPA Adoption, Uses and Implementation Challenges, reveals the findings from the survey of more than 2,000 ISACA certification holders on awareness and usage of RPA within their organisations.

To read the complimentary survey report and guidance, visit www.isaca.org/bookstore/bookstore-wht_papers-digital/whprpa. Find additional educational resources from ISACA at www.isaca.org/resources.

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About ISACA

For more than 50 years, ISACA® (www.isaca.org) has advanced the best talent, expertise and learning in technology. ISACA equips individuals with knowledge, credentials, education and community to progress their careers and transform their organisations and enables enterprises to train and build quality teams. ISACA is a global professional association and learning organisation that leverages the expertise of its 145,000 members who work in information security, governance, assurance, risk and privacy to drive innovation through technology. It has a presence in 188 countries, including 223 chapters worldwide.

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Contact:

Julie Fenwick, jfenwick@daylightagency.com.au 0468 901 655

Karen Keech, kkeech@daylightagency.com.au 0411 052 408