| RPA People, Culture and Change Management Challenges | RPA Challenges – Security, Governance and Compliance |
| RPA Challenges – Technical and Integration | RPA Challenges – Digital Transformation |
In this article we look to:
- Understand why SMEs struggle with RPA
- Learn about barriers, risks, or limitations of RPA
- And look how RPA works in business environments
What are the biggest barriers to RPA adoption
One of the most common questions organisations generally have when deciding if they should implement RPA, is looking at what are the biggest barriers to RPA adoption in organisations, and small and medium enterprises generally are also asking the same question, what are the biggest barriers to RPA adoption in small and medium enterprises?
Small businesses often face similar barriers when trying to adopt RPA, mainly due to limited resources, unclear processes, and a lack of in‑house technical expertise. Many SMEs struggle because their workflows are inconsistent or undocumented, making automation harder to design and maintain. Employees may also resist change if they fear job loss or don’t understand the benefits. Budget constraints, outdated systems, and the misconception that RPA is only for large enterprises add further obstacles. Together, these challenges make RPA adoption feel complex, even though the technology can deliver significant value when introduced gradually and with proper support.
Why do SMEs struggle to implement RPA?
After looking at initial challenges, the next phase an organisation may go through implementing RPA, is reasons SME’s fail at RPA implementation, and specifically why automation projects fail in companies after overcoming the initial barriers.
The main factors causing RPA failure in small businesses is because their processes are less standardised, making automation harder to apply consistently. The implementation challenges for RPA in SMEs usually relate to limited budgets and scarce technical expertise add extra pressure, especially when legacy systems require complex integration work. Many SMEs also underestimate the planning, governance and change‑management effort involved. When employees worry about job impact or lack training, adoption slows even further. Together, these factors make RPA feel riskier and more resource‑intensive than expected.