Are you tired of sending the same email every week? How about 搜索ing for information from past audit documents? Lucky for you, a resolution for these work woes (and many more) has arrived. Companies are taking efficiency and cost saving to another level thanks to an emerging digital technology called Robotic Process Automation (RPA), more informally known as: bots.
RPA works by using rules-based software robots, 或机器人, to automate business processes to increase efficiency, 减少人为错误, 并节省人力成本. 此外, RPA can work with Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems in order to automate a plethora of business processes.
例如, bots can take information from the aforementioned weekly email and insert it into an ERP system to be used companywide across various systems. 根据CIO的说法.com文章“什么是RPA ?? A Revolution in 业务流程自动化,” some of the biggest names in the game such as Walmart, 德意志银行(Deutsche Bank), 国歌, 沃尔格林, 先锋, AT&T and American Express Global Business Travel are among the many companies already seeing the benefits of using bots.
However, RPA may not be for every company. As we continue further into the digital age, technology seems to be slowly taking over jobs once managed by thousands of employees. 因此, management must grapple with the decision of potentially saving on staffing costs versus eliminating jobs for its employees. 另外, proper installation and set-up of bots can be highly complex and take significant resources. At this point, the long-term economic effects of implementing RPA is far from certain.
Although RPA can provide efficiency for companies, they also come with additional risk considerations for internal auditors that span across every risk area. Some of these risk considerations can include:
While RPA may seem to be solely the IT department’s territory, it is critical that internal auditors engage in discussions with company management regarding their implementation of RPA and become aware of the potential risks posed to the company in order to properly plan and execute auditor responsibilities.
If you have additional questions related to RPA, we welcome the opportunity to discuss and advise on risk assessment. 请浏览我们的 风险咨询bet9平台游戏页面.
资料来源:Boulton, C. (2018). 什么是RPA? A revolution in business process automation. (在线)首席信息官. 可在:http://www.首席信息官.com/article/3236451/business-process-management/what-is-rpa-robotic-process-automation-explained.html.
新兴技术. (2018). An Oversight Tool for Audit Committees.
