Prioritizing Office Work Automation: Strategic Factors and Functional Insights from Polish Enterprises

The automation becomes a strategic necessity due to workforce shortages, regulatory complexity, and growing operational demands. The companies face increasing pressure to identify which office functions should be automated first. This study investigates the prioritization of office work automation within the context of digital transformation in contemporary enterprises. The purpose of this paper is to identify and evaluate the key factors and organizational areas that should be prioritized in office work automation, considering their impact on both operational efficiency and strategic value. Based on a literature review and a survey conducted among 137 Polish enterprises, the study highlights the most critical factors and functional areas for automation. Using a five-point Likert scale, respondents assessed 25 variables related to automation readiness and its anticipated impact. The results indicate that finance, controlling, logistics, and sales-related processes hold the highest potential for automation due to their repeatability and data-driven nature. In turn, human resource management remains less automation-prone due to its interpersonal and contextual complexity. The study contributes a practical framework for prioritizing automation efforts and highlights directions for further research in the implementation of office automation.