Enhancing business continuity through intelligent process automation: Governance, risk management, and compliance frameworks

Abstract

Completing this thesis has been a long journey, one of my life's most rewarding and challenging projects. It could not have been possible without many individuals' unwavering support, help, and encouragement throughout this time. First and foremost, I dedicate this work to my daughters and son, Ana, Margarida, and Lourenço Brás, who are my greatest source of inspiration and strength. I extend my deepest thanks to them and offer this message: never give up on what you believe in. I had the privilege of working with two supervisors on this thesis, Prof. Sérgio Moro, and Prof. Ruben Pereira, and I would like to express my gratitude to both. My special thanks go to Prof. Ruben Pereira for his invaluable guidance, support, and unwavering belief in my work. His expertise and knowledge have been instrumental in bringing this thesis to fruition. I deeply appreciate his patience and availability throughout the work done and for supervising the articles that constitute this thesis. I also thank my sister Ana and extend special gratitude to my mother, Maria de Lourdes, for her unwavering support, pride, and love, which have been a constant source of motivation. Finally, my deepest thanks go to Anabela for her faith, patience, and endless support. In addition, I would like to acknowledge and thank COPELABS for their financial support, which was essential to making this research possible. Their investment has significantly contributed to advancing this work, and I am deeply appreciative of their backing throughout this journey. Additionally, I want to express my sincere thanks to my colleague Rui Ribeiro for his invaluable contributions and encouragement during this journey. His support has been instrumental in the completion of this thesis. To all my friends, with a special mention to Rute Trindade, I extend my gratitude for your support and comprehension throughout this journey. I also want to express my appreciation to all individuals and organizations who contributed to this thesis. Your invaluable involvement made this achievement possible. Last but not least, I wish to express my heartfelt gratitude to my uncle, Carlos Manuel Cascaes Brás, who has been my primary source of inspiration. His encouragement, when I was young, always pushed me to explore new horizons, such as learning programming, languages like English and Arabic, listening to music, and researching deeper into many other subjects. As a professor, he demonstrated to me the vital importance of supporting his students and imparting the most valuable life lessons - being responsible, well-mannered, and pursuing knowledge. His unwavering belief in the transformative power of education has profoundly shaped my life journey, and his example has been a guiding light throughout this thesis. This thesis is dedicated to all of you. Thank you for being a vital part of this remarkable journey.

No cenário empresarial contemporâneo, marcado por uma rápida transformação digital e interrupções frequentes, as organizações enfrentam desafios significativos em manter a resiliência operacional. A adoção da Automação Inteligente de Processos (IPA) surgiu como uma estratégia crucial para otimizar processos de forma eficiente. Contudo, a integração da IPA introduz complexidades nos "frameworks" de continuidade de negócios, exigindo estruturas robustas de governança, gestão de riscos e conformidade. Esta tese investiga a integração da IPA nos "frameworks" de Continuidade de Negócios, alinhando essas tecnologias com padrões industriais estabelecidos como IEEE 2755.2:2020 e ISO 22301:2019 para fortalecer as estratégias de continuidade de negócios. Utilizando uma combinação de metodologias que incluem Revisão de Literatura Multivocal, Pesquisa de Design Científico e entrevistas estruturadas, esta investigação explora os efeitos da IPA na governança, gestão de riscos e capital humano. Oferece um entendimento detalhado de como as organizações podem utilizar a IPA para melhorar a eficiência dos processos enquanto mitigam os riscos associados. O estudo aborda também os desafios únicos de auditoria num ambiente automatizado, especialmente o papel evolutivo dos auditores em garantir a conformidade no setor financeiro. Além disso, examina os riscos específicos introduzidos pela automação e apresenta insights sobre "frameworks" eficazes de gestão de riscos que as organizações podem implementar. Adicionalmente, a tese destaca a importância das estratégias de gestão de mudanças para facilitar a adaptação da força de trabalho à automação, enfatizando a necessidade de iniciativas abrangentes de formação e capacitação. Esta pesquisa avança significativamente na comunicação sobre automação e gestão da continuidade de negócios, unindo tecnologias de automação e práticas de continuidade de negócios. Ela fornece às organizações "frameworks" práticos e estratégias para melhorar a sua resiliência, governança e eficiência operacional num mundo cada vez mais automatizado.