The Impact of Intelligent Process Automation on Purchasing and Supply Management – Initial Insights from a Multiple Case Study

This is an Author Accepted Manuscript of a conference paper presented at the Logistics Management and published by Springer Link. The definitive authenticated version is available online via http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-85843-8_5

The Covid-19 pandemic drives the need for Intelligent Process Automation (IPA). However, the technology’s adoption for purchasing and supply management (PSM) is still in the initial stage and has hardly been explored. Therefore, this empirical multiple case study builds on 19 organizations, including private and public procurement departments, consultancies, and IPA providers, to examine the impact of IPA on the PSM function. The findings provide comprehensive insights and reveal suitable operational and strategic application areas as well as several benefits related to IT systems and data, operational efficiency, process quality, and employee satisfaction. The study also identifies various technological, organizational, and environmental challenges that need to be overcome for further IPA adoption. Therefore, future research directions and managerial implications are outlined.