An Analysis of the Implementation of Robotic Process Automation in Shipping Logistics. A Case Study
PACANA Andrzej, PILCH Milosz, Anna G. PIETRASZEK
Abstract. This article presents the results of a case study on the implementation of robotic process automation (RPA) in sales logistics and the shipping of finished products to customers at a company in the aerospace and defense industries. The RPA implementation encompassed the automation of ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) tasks, including issuing finished products from stock, generating Certificates of Conformity (CofC), and archiving and printing the generated certificates. The study was conducted to assess the impact of RPA on process efficiency and to evaluate the involvement of logistics staff during weekly shipments [1-3]. An analysis of data extracted from the ERP system revealed that although the use of RPA did not shorten the time required to sell and validate a single finished product set, it nonetheless significantly reduced the amount of human labor involved in the process. Based on historical data, before the RPA implementation, logistics employees processed a certain average number of sets per day while also performing other duties. After implementation, finished-product sets could be processed automatically one after another throughout the day without interruption, which enabled nearly twice as many sets to be sold in a single day, while also eliminating the need for employee involvement in monotonous tasks related to sales and certificate generation. The findings confirm that implementing RPA in sales and shipping logistics significantly contributed to increased productivity and the effective use of human resources. The example analyzed constitutes an important element of enterprises’ digital transformation and Industry 4.0.
Keywords
Robotic Process Automation, RPA, Automation, Sales Logistics, Logistics 4.0, Operational Efficiency, Digital Transformation
Published online 1/25/2026, 8 pages
Copyright © 2026 by the author(s)
Published under license by Materials Research Forum LLC., Millersville PA, USA
Citation: PACANA Andrzej, PILCH Milosz, Anna G. PIETRASZEK, An Analysis of the Implementation of Robotic Process Automation in Shipping Logistics. A Case Study, Materials Research Proceedings, Vol. 62, pp 262-269, 2026
DOI: https://doi.org/10.21741/9781644904015-34
The article was published as article 34 of the book Terotechnology XIV
Content from this work may be used under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 license. Any further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the title of the work, journal citation and DOI.
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