Automated decision making (ADM) is not a new phenomenon within public administration. Millions of automated decisions are made each year, including matters on parental benefits, social security benefits and income tax. ADM is used increasingly within both government agencies and municipal agencies. In light of this development, it becomes vital to have legal mechanisms in place which ensure transparency in automated decision making. This is to make sure that decisions are correct and that the systems work in compliance with procedural safeguards such as objectivity and impartiality. This begs the question of whether new legal solutions are needed to secure transparency of automated decisions. Current ADM systems within public administration are based on static algorithms that cannot change unless they are programmed to do so. Robotic Process Automation (RPA) is such a technology, commonly used by municipal agencies. Given the development within artificial intelligence (AI), ADM systems based on AI might be the next step. Then again, taking into account the extensive problems with the non-transparency of the “black box” of AI makes this technology rather unfit for decision making within public administration. The legal system provides different ways for citizens to obtain insight into and control of public administration. The principle of public access to information provides a right for all to access official documents. The Administrative Procedure Act (2017:900) provides access to information for the party concerned with a matter and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) of the EU gives a right to information for data subjects. These rights to information can be restricted, for example by provisions on secrecy. However, the legal rights to information do not secure a comprehensive or direct transparency of the workings of ADM systems within public administration. The kind of transparency provided is rather a transparency by proxy, an indirect transparency that substitutes for a direct and functional one. For example, the provisions of the Administrative Procedure Act are not adapted to ADM, and the application of the right to access official documents entails inconsistencies. If information is provided to a citizen, there is no guarantee of understanding for example a description of an algorithm. To create a direct and functional transparency of automated decisions and the workings of ADM systems, it is vital for law and technology to evolve in interplay. A general discussion of public access to ADM systems and their implications on public trust and the rule of law is also of the essence.

Robotic process automation (RPA) är en växande trend inom alla möjliga arbetsområden. En RPA-mjukvara har kapaciteten att utföra enformiga digitala uppgifter på ett nästintill mänskligt sätt tack vare dess förmåga att jobba mot alla typer av system och gränssnitt. Potentialen är enorm, däribland för övervakning och datautvinning. Syftet med detta projekt var att utforska RPA:ns möjligheter gällande övervakning, samt dess framtida potential. För det byggdes en så kallad RPA-robot i utvecklingsmiljön UiPath Studio för att automatisera processen att hämta väderinformation från tre olika väderwebbsidor, och testa robotens styrkor och svagheter. Resultatet blev en färdig robot som uppnådde kraven som ställts på den, samt visade det på en bra prestanda vid typiska förutsättningar där en körning genomsnittligen låg på under en minut. Det visade dock också att RPA har tydliga brister, som vid förändringar av struktur och diverse störningar, och det visade att implementation spelar väldigt stor roll i hur roboten hanterar diverse situationer. Det som härledes från resultatet var att RPA är en något stel men samtidigt otroligt användbar teknologi som är bra för det den är ämnad för. Den har stor potential, särskilt i kombination med andra teknologier som artificiell intelligens, som kan täcka RPA:ns begränsningar, och ämnar sig utmärkt till alla typer av processer. / Robotic process automation (RPA) is a growing trend withing all fields of work. An RPA-software has the capacity to perform monotonous digital tasks in a nearly human manner thanks to its ability to work across all systems and interfaces. The potential is huge, for surveillance and data mining among all other areas. The purpose of this project was to explore the possibilities of RPA regarding surveillance, as well as its future potential. For that, a so-called RPA-robot was built in the tool UiPath Studio to automate the process of fetching weather information from three different weather websites, and to test the strengths and weaknesses of the robot. The result was a finished robot which reached the established requirements and showed good performance under typical circumstances, where one run of the robot on average took under one minute. However, it also showed that RPA has clear flaws, such as when structure changes and when affected by various disturbances. What can be deduced from the result was that RPA is a somewhat stiff but also incredibly useful technology which is good for what it is meant for. It has great potential, especially in combination with other technologies like artificial intelligence, which can fill the gaps of RPA’s limitations, and it works well for all types of processes, among them data mining and surveillance.

This thesis aimed to study how Robotic Process Automation (RPA) can be successfully utilised by a large international company. By adopting a single case-study research approach the author have examined a large international company's utilisation of RPA; what value it associates with the technology, together with bottlenecks and risks that may prevent the company from receiving such value. The case-intrinsic focus rendered a comprehensive set of findings in relation to the research target, which was then compared and contrasted to a thoroughly established theoretical background. The study can report a relative high degree of correspondence with previous research, although important data points either find little bearing or none at all in said research. Most notably, the case-company viewed value associated with RPA utilisation to go beyond immediate yields and thus identified incentives from indirect value. Furthermore, obstacles like inefficient communication and coordination networks, together with lack of time and low-quality development, were identified as significant findings with little base in previous research. In conclusion the study claim to have provided a deeper understanding of key features and concepts necessary to consider for successful RPA utilisation. / Syftet med denna uppsats är att studera hur Robotic Process Automation (RPA) kan framgångsrikt användas av ett stort internationellt bolag. Genom att anamma en fallstudie (single-case study) som forskningsansats har författaren undersökt ett stort internationellt bolags användning av RPA; vad för värde bolaget associerar med teknologin, samt vilka flaskhalsar och risker som kan förhindra bolaget att uppnå detta värde. Med ett intrinsikalt fokus på det enskilda fallet renderades ett omfattande set av forskningsresultat i relation till forskningssyftet. Studien kan rapportera en relativt hög korrespondensgrad gentemot tidigare forskning, även om signifikanta datapunkter antingen finner lite uppbackning eller ingen alls i tidigare forskning. Mest anmärkningsvärt, i relation till värde, är att bolaget anser värdet med RPA-användning sträcka sig förbi omedelbara effekter. Således finner bolaget incitament från indirekt värde. Även flaskhalsar och risker så som ineffektiv kommunikation och koordination, samt tidsbrist och lågkvalitativ RPA-utveckling, identifierades som signifikanta forskningsresultat med lite uppbackning i tidigare forskning. Sammanfattningsvist menar studien på att ha bidragit till en djupare förståelse av nödvändiga koncept att överväga för en framgångsrik användning av RPA.

The digital transformation, providing disruptive digital technologies, changed customer needs, and new digital entrants, is starting to affect the insurance industry. Although, the insurers are struggling to become digital and excel on technologies such as Artificial Intelligence. Therefore, the purpose of this thesis was to identify and investigate the factors necessary for incumbent insurers to achieve digital transformation and excel on related technologies, to stay competitive in the fast-changing environment. The overall theoretical foundation was built on the ability to create dynamic capabilities to achieve digital transformation. The study further linked the dynamic capabilities theory to the context of the change currently happening in the insurance industry, achieved by performing a single case study on a Swedish incumbent insurer. The case study included two units of analysis which investigated (1) how, and under which circumstances, the identified key factors were met, and (2) how the attempts of implementing Artificial Intelligence have been perceived, received and achieved. Both qualitative and quantitative data collections were performed, but where the qualitative was predominate. The findings proved that the incumbent insurer is at the start of its digital transformation and does realise the need to transform. However, it was found that many of the essential dynamic capabilities’ activities are limited at the case company and that hierarchical structures, riskaversion and legacy systems are hindering the insurer’s attempts to transform. Some good initiatives though proved that the insurer is starting to build more dynamic capabilities, but there are also many areas where the company must improve. A central contribution to the study was further the realisation that the implementation of Artificial Intelligence was well related to the parts of the dynamic capabilities’ theory. As digital transformation is an ongoing journey of strategic change, once more dynamic capabilities are in place, the incumbent insurer will be ready to excel on the possibilities that digital transformation entails. / Den digitala transformationen har börjat påverka försäkringsbranschen och medför nya omvälvande digitala tekniker, förändrade kundbeteenden och nya digitala konkurrenter. Många försäkringsbolag kämpar därför med att bli digitala samt att förstå sig på nya tekniker, så som Artificiell Intelligens. Syftet med denna studie var därför att identifiera och undersöka vilka faktorer som är nödvändiga för väletablerade försäkringsbolag att klara sig igenom den digitala transformationen, och adaptera nya uppkommande tekniker som förändringen medför. Detta för att kunna behålla sin marknadsposition och klara sig i en snabbförändlig värld. Huvudsakligen var den teoretiska grunden för detta arbete byggt på förmågan att kunna skapa dynamiska förmågor för att överleva den digitala transformationen. Vidare så sammankopplade studien teorin om dynamiska förmågor till den pågående förändringen inom försäkringsindustrin, genom att utföra en fallstudie av ett väletablerat försäkringsbolag i Sverige. Fallstudien innefattade två analysdelar beskrivna enligt följande: (1) Hur, och under vilka förhållanden, uppfylls de identifierade faktorerna och (2) hur har försöken att implementera Artificiell Intelligens uppfattas, mottagits och uppnåtts av försäkringsbolaget. Både en kvalitativ och kvantitativ datainsamling utfördes, där den kvalitativa delen dominerade. Resultaten visade på att det studerade försäkringsbolaget är i början av sin digitala transformation, men har insett betydelsen av att behöva förändras. Det blev även bekräftat att många av de grundläggande dynamiska förmågorna var begränsade hos företaget samt att hierarkiska strukturer, riskundvikande och legacy förhindrar möjligheten att förändras. En del goda initiativ visar att företaget börjar bygga dynamiska förmågor men att det finns många områden där ytterligare fokus krävs. En stor insikt i studien var att implementationen av Artificiell Intelligens var relaterad och stämde väl överens med faktorerna identifierade i teorin. Den digitala transformationen är en pågående resa av strategiska förändringar, och försäkringsbolaget kommer kunna ta del av dess möjligheter när fler dynamiska förmågor uppnås.

[pt] Atualmente, na era da quarta revolução industrial, também conhecida como Indústria 4.0 (I4.0), a tecnologia Robotic Process Automation (RPA) tem sido considerada uma importante ferramenta de transformação digital em operações e cadeias de suprimentos, em função da sua abordagem leve para automatizar e otimizar tarefas repetitivas, agilizar e aprimorar os processos internos, e controlar processos de negócio de ponta a ponta, o que permite a redução de custo e do risco operacional. Impulsionado pelo COVID-19, o mercado de tecnologias RPA continua sendo um dos segmentos que mais cresce no mercado de software corporativo. Entretanto, na literatura acadêmica ainda há poucos trabalhos referentes ao tema RPA com a abordagem voltada para a cadeia de suprimentos, ainda que seja cada vez mais utilizado na área de compras com foco na automatização dos processos. Além disso, apesar de existirem modelos de aceitação de tecnologia (e.g., TAM e TAM2), que possuem critérios relevantes para apurar a inovação, ainda existem poucos estudos que combinem esses critérios com métodos de apoio multicritério a decisão para propor uma metodologia mais robusta para seleção de tecnologias na era I4.0. E, pela análise da literatura ainda não há pesquisas relacionando critérios para adoção de tecnologias RPA e abordagem multicritério em grupo pelas lentes da teoria da difusão da inovação. Diante disso, o objetivo desta pesquisa é propor uma metodologia para avaliação de plataformas de RPA no contexto da I4.0 e pelas lentes da teoria da difusão da inovação. Esta metodologia é testada a partir da seleção de uma plataforma de RPA para aplicação no processo de compras de uma empresa operadora offshore de petróleo, gás e energia eólica. A metodologia da pesquisa envolve métodos mistos, com abordagem multicritério em grupo, a qual combinou dois métodos: Fuzzy Delphi e AHP-express, e a coleta de dados através de questionários estruturados elaborados a partir dos relatórios das empresas de consultoria Gartner (2021) e Forrester (2021) referentes as plataformas de RPA presentes no mercado. Os resultados da pesquisa indicaram que a plataforma de RPA Workfusion foi a melhor plataforma a ser aplicada na área de compras da empresa, o que pode estar relacionado a sua boa performance nos critérios: processamento de dados estruturados, automação assistida e aplicativos de RPA desenvolvidos para usuários de front-end. Por outro lado, a plataforma de RPA Blue Prism foi a pior avaliada, possuindo baixa pontuação nos critérios: disponível na cloud, dashboards integrados e automação autônoma. Assim, do ponto de vista prático, o trabalho contribui com uma nova metodologia seleção de plataformas de RPA para o setor de compras, a qual possui relevância para literatura acadêmica e traz a sua contribuição para indústria que em futuros estudos, deve ser aplicada a mais empresas da indústria de petróleo, gás e energia eólica. / [en] Today, in the era of the fourth industrial revolution, also known as Industry 4.0 (I4.0), Robotic Process Automation (RPA) technology has been considered an important tool for digital transformation in operations and supply chains because of its lightweight approach to automate and optimize repetitive tasks, streamline and improve internal processes, and control end-to-end business processes, which enables cost and operational risk reduction. Driven by COVID-19, the market for RPA technologies continues to be one of the fastest growing segments in the enterprise software market. However, in the academic literature there are still few works referring to the RPA theme with the approach focused on the supply chain, even though it is increasingly used in the purchasing area with a focus on process automation. Moreover, despite the existence of technology acceptance models (e.g., TAM and TAM2), which have relevant criteria to assess innovation, there are still few studies that combine these criteria with multicriteria decision support methods to propose a more robust methodology for technology selection in the I4.0 era. And, from the literature review there is still no research relating RPA technology adoption criteria and group multicriteria approach through the lens of innovation diffusion theory. Given this, the objective of this research is to propose a methodology for evaluating RPA platforms in the context of I4.0 and through the lenses of innovation diffusion theory. This methodology is tested from the selection of an RPA platform for application in the procurement process of an offshore oil, gas and wind energy operating company. The research methodology involves mixed methods, with a group multicriteria approach, which combined two methods: Fuzzy Delphi and AHP-express, and data collection through structured questionnaires elaborated from the reports of the consulting companies Gartner (2021) and Forrester (2021) regarding the RPA platforms present in the market. From the research results, the RPA platform Workfusion was selected as the best platform to be applied in the purchasing area of the company that is the object of study, due to its good evaluation in the criteria: structured data processing, assisted automation and RPA applications developed for front-end users, however the RPA platform Blue Prism was in the lowest level of the ranking of the 14 RPA platforms evaluated, due to its low score in the criteria: available in the cloud, integrated dashboards and autonomous automation. Thus, from a practical point of view, the work contributes a new methodology for selecting RPA platforms for the procurement industry, which has relevance for academic literature and brings its contribution to industry that in future studies, should be applied to more companies in the oil, gas and wind energy industry.

Hälso- och sjukvården är ett verksamhetsområde med en hög arbetsbelastning och en ökadadministrativ börda. Robotic Process Automation (RPA) är en teknologisk innovation somerbjuder en lösning till detta genom att automatisera manuella processer. Inom hälso- ochsjukvården finns en mängd administrativa processer och rutiner som har potential attautomatiseras till förmån för kärnverksamheten; vård av patienter. Om hälso- och sjukvårdenspersonal spenderar mindre tid på administrativa uppgifter kan mer tid nyttjas till patientcentreratarbete. I takt med att fler verksamheter anammar RPA ökar behovet av en djupare förståelse förverktyget och vilka processer som lämpar sig för automatisering. För att välja lämpliga processerför automatisering med RPA krävs en inblick i verksamheten samt prioriteringar avverksamhetens processer, vilket i många fall kan vara en utmanande uppgift. Med denadministrativa hälso- och sjukvårdspersonalens djupgående inblick i och erfarenhet av de dagligaverksamhetsprocesserna kan de processer som bör prioriteras för automatisering med RPAidentifieras. Denna studie utforskar vilka vårdrelaterade administrativa processer som lämpar sigför automatisering med RPA. För att sätta RPA i ett bredare sammanhang av organisatoriskförändring och framsteg presenteras teori om verksamhetsutveckling och nyttorealisering. Vidaregranskas tidigare studier om RPA för att belysa det nuvarande kunskapsläget samt verktygetsroll, tillämpningar och konsekvenser. Studien har en kvalitativ ansats och en forskningsdesign iform av en fallstudie. För att besvara syftet med studien utfördes semistrukturerade intervjuermed fem respondenter från administrativ personal hos en hälso- och sjukvårdsorganisation.Studiens resultat belyser den administrativa vårdpersonalens perspektiv. Resultatet visar att deprocesser respondenterna anser är lämpliga att automatisera inom hälso- och sjukvården blandannat är inrapportering till kvalitetsregister, hantering av kallelselista och schemaläggning avvikarier. Resultatet visar även att respondenterna anser att det för att välja rätt process förautomatisering är viktigt att beakta hur automatiseringen av processen påverkar verksamhetenoch personalen, huruvida automatiseringen underlättar för personalen och hur mycket tid somkan sparas på att automatisera processen. Vidare framkom det att respondenterna även tycker attkriterier såsom om processen är repetitiv, utförd frekvent eller om den är regelstyrd kan varaviktiga att beakta vid val av process för automatisering med RPA. Med studiens resultat sombakgrund diskuteras och reflekteras det om mer verksamhetsområdesspecifika ramverk medkriterier för urval av processer för automatisering behövs. / Healthcare is a field with high workloads and increasing administrative burdens. Robotic ProcessAutomation (RPA) is a technological innovation that offers a solution by automating manualprocesses. Within healthcare, there are numerous administrative processes and routines that havethe potential to be automated to benefit core operations: patient care. If healthcare personnelspend less time on administrative tasks, more time can be dedicated to patient-centered work. Asmore organizations adopt RPA, there is a growing need for a deeper understanding of the tooland which processes are suitable for automation. Choosing suitable processes for RPAautomation requires insight into the operations and prioritization of processes, which can oftenbe challenging. With administrative healthcare personnel's in-depth understanding andexperience of daily operational processes, the processes that should be prioritized for RPAautomation can be identified. This study explores administrative healthcare related processessuitable for RPA automation. To contextualize RPA within broader organizational change andprogress, theories of business development and benefit realization are presented. Additionally,previous studies on RPA are examined to shed light on current knowledge, the tool's role,applications, and consequences. The study takes a qualitative approach with a research design inthe form of a case study. To address the study's purpose, semi-structured interviews wereconducted with five individuals from the administrative staff of a healthcare company. Thestudy's findings highlight the perspectives of the administrative healthcare personnel. It showsthat the processes the respondents consider suitable for automation include reporting to qualityregisters, managing appointment lists, and scheduling substitute staff. The results also indicatethat the respondents believe it's important to consider how automating a process affectsoperations and staff, whether it facilitates staff work, and how much time that can be saved byautomation. Furthermore, the respondents think criterias such as whether the process isrepetitive, performed frequently, or rule-based are important when selecting processes for RPAautomation. Based on the study's findings, there is discussion and reflection on whether morespecific frameworks, with criteria for selecting processes for automation, tailored to differentoperational areas are needed.

Homologous recombination (HR) is an essential mechanism for accurate repair of DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs). However, HR must be tightly controlled because excessive or unwanted HR events can lead to genome instability, which is a prerequisite for premature aging and cancer development. A critical step of HR is the loading of RAD51 molecules onto single-stranded DNA regions generated in the vicinity of the DSB, leading to the formation of a nucleoprotein filament. Several DNA helicases have been involved in the regulation of the HR process. One of these is human FBH1 (F-box DNA helicase 1) that is a member of SF1 superfamily of helicases. As a unique DNA helicase, FBH1 additionally possesses a conserved F-box motif that allows it to assemble into an SCF complex, an E3 ubiquitin ligase that targets proteins for degradation. FBH1 has been implicated in the restriction of nucleoprotein filament stability. However, the exact mechanism of how FBH1 controls the RAD51 action is still not certain. In this work, we revealed that FBH1 actively disassembles RAD51 nucleoprotein filament. We also show that FBH1 interacts with RAD51 and RPA physically in vitro. Based on these data, we propose a potential mechanism of FBH1 antirecombinase function.

El propósito del siguiente trabajo es evaluar la factibilidad y viabilidad de emprender un proyecto textil al cual denominaremos INSPIRE, estará centrado en el segmento de ropa urbana, sus atributos diferenciales serán: diseños únicos hechos por artistas locales, calidad del algodón peruano y el espíritu de ayudar a la sociedad. INSPIRE apunta a un segmento de consumidores que buscan una marca que los ayude a expresarse y al mismo tiempo vivir sus valores e intereses. Se decidió abordar el tema, pues a nivel mundial, la moda urbana viene siendo tendencia desde hace más de 40 años y el Perú no es la excepción. Si bien en el país ya existen iniciativas en este segmento, la presente investigación prueba que, con un diseño impactante y que logre diferenciarse de las alternativas que se encuentran en el mercado, se puede lograr una posición y reconocimiento entre los seguidores de esta moda. Es importante mencionar también, que se escogió incursionar en el rubro textil por ser uno de los sectores de mayor dinamismo y crecimiento en los últimos años en el Perú. Para lograrlo se utilizaron diversos tipos de herramientas que validarían la factibilidad de la idea, entre las cuales destacan: FODA, análisis PESTEL, análisis PORTER, Business Model Canvas, Value Proposition Canvas, la rueda de comunicación, mapa de valor, construcción de insights, construcción de superioridad relativa, entre otros. Luego de analizar todos los factores de impacto en la creación de una nueva marca, podemos concluir que es viable y factible la creación de INSPIRE. / The purpose of the following work is to evaluate the feasibility of launching the textile brand INSPIRE into the Peruvian urban clothing segment. The brand will distinguish by the following differential attributes: unique designs made by local artists, high quality of Peruvian cotton and the social side of helping society in every purchase. INSPIRE aims to a segment of consumers who are looking for a brand that helps express themselves and at the same time share their same values and interests. The topic selected, urban fashion, has been a global trend for more than 40 years and Peru is not the exception. Although there are already initiatives in the country, the present research proves that with a striking design the brand differs positively from the alternatives in the market. A position and recognition among followers of this fashion can be achieved. It is important to mention that the textile sector has had great dynamism and growth in recent years in Peru. In order to accomplish this goal, several tools were used to validate the proposal: SWOT, PESTEL Analysis, PORTER Analysis, the Business Model Canvas, the Value Proposition Canvas, the Communication Wheel, Value Map, the Construction of Insights, the Construction of Relative Superiority, among others. After analyzing all the factors involved in the creation of this new brand, we got to the conclusion that there is a potential market where INSPIRE would fit. Keywords: Streetwear, urban clothing, Peruvian brand, design, inspire, responsible business plan. / Trabajo de investigación

No description available.

Automation of work processes has become an important part of increasing business competitiveness, efficiency and quality. One type of technology used for this is Robotic Process Automation (RPA). It is a relatively new technology that, through a defined workflow, performs the tasks instead of a human being. The technology does not require integration but interacts with systems through the interface, just as a person would. Existing research has focused on the potential of RPA and not as thoroughly on challenges that can relate to the implementation of the technology. Therefore, the purpose of this analysis regards the identification of possible challenges relating to RPA, their nature and when they may occur. To collect empirical data, four semi-structured interviews with participants in a previous RPA-project were conducted, as well as observations of a consulting company presenting its RPA product for a potential client and trying to identify potential workflows to automate at a workshop with customers. This consulting company has recently made an investment to provide RPA as a product and believes that it has great potential but has come to the realization that there are challenges surrounding the implementation of the technology. The result of this study could identify a number of challenges that existing research indicated before. These challenges related to organizational change of business, technical implementation, and competence. In addition to that, another challenge could be identified regarding profitability. Finally, the result suggests that clear communication in the various implementation phases makes it beneficial to avoid these challenges and the negative impact they may have on the RPA-project and its result.