Ida Lindgren

Public service interactions between governments and users are more complex than existing frameworks suggest. While current literature focuses predominantly on functional, isolated, task-driven encounters, this paper argues that real-world user journeys encompass a broader range of interaction types. We synthesize concepts and results from studies in digital government and public administration research and develop the Service Interaction Framework, which proposes that service interactions are driven by a core delivery goal (obtaining information or completing a transaction) but regularly involve additional facilitative, supportive, and after-care interactions. The framework categorizes interactions across six types: trigger, orientation, routing, information, transaction, follow-up, and exit. We further identify six archetypal user journey variations; simple, broken, split, staggered, non-linear, and supported. These are illustrated with examples from the Netherlands. The framework has significant implications for channel management and user journey design, calling for approaches that extend beyond core task completion to encompass the full spectrum of touchpoints.

Robotic Process Automation (RPA) is often marketed as a lightweight and easy-to-implement solution for process automation. However, this portrayal can be misleading. Our study reveals that RPA implementation shares many complexities with more comprehensive automation technologies, requiring strategic planning and organizational commitment. Through a systematic literature review following PRISMA and Kitchenham guidelines, we identify 12 organizational challenges to RPA implementation using the TOE framework and derive 7 sequential technical, organizational, and strategic conditions for its successful adoption. Four key insights include: RPA implementation (1) demands deep technical knowledge of both RPA tools and the existing digital infrastructure; (2) requires specific organizational and process-related capabilities; (3) involves multiple actors with distinct roles across 2022pre- and post-implementation phases; and (4) depends on clear policies and governance strategies. These findings highlight the importance of moving beyond simplistic narratives of RPA adoption and recognizing the multifaceted conditions that shape its success. Our review also identifies research gaps, including the need for studies on designing governance frameworks, aligning automation technologies with different process types, and supporting hybrid human-automation solutions. The role of RPA enthusiasts in driving adoption also emerges as a critical but underexplored area. This study contributes a nuanced understanding of RPA implementation challenges and offers practical insights for organizations navigating process automation. It serves as a resource for both researchers and practitioners aiming to better prepare for the technical, organizational, and strategic demands of RPA.

Denna kunskapsöversikt är genomförd av Ahmed Kaharevic, Ida Lindgren och Elin Wihlborg samtliga anställda vid Institutionen för ekonomisk och industriell utveckling (IEI), Linköpings universitet. Vi är alla verksamma inom forskningsfältet digital offentlig förvaltning, dvs hur digitalisering inom offentliga verksamheter påverkar mötet med medborgaren, och hur dessa möten måste beaktas vid utveckling, design och användning av digitala tjänster. Vår forskning bedrivs inom forskningsmiljön RIDE – Resilient institutionell design i en digital era, som professor Wihlborg leder med grundfinansiering från Vetenskapsrådet under perioden 2024–2030. Ida Lindgren är professor vid avdelningen för informationssystem och digitalisering. Ahmed Kaharevic disputerade i Statsvetenskap i december 2025.

Two decades of intense digitalisation and automation of public service delivery have introduced new communication channels for the public to interact with the State, in the shape of digital self‐services, websites, chats and automated systems. However, for welfare benefit applications, many citizens still prefer to use traditional communication channels to interact with government organisations. We depart from previous research on public encounters and develop a framework that can guide and support the analysis of citizens' continuous channel behaviour throughout the public encounter. We combine and further develop (1) an existing model for analysing digital public encounters and (2) a typology for describing typical communication needs that arise when citizens apply for benefits. We use composite vignettes based on empirical findings from an extensive research project on welfare benefit applications conducted in Scandinavia. The result is an analytical framework that can be used to analyse an application process from the citizen's perspective, break it down into separate actions and illustrate why citizens make contact through various communication channels throughout this process. We thus offer contributions to research on public encounters by presenting an analytical framework that can be applied empirically to capture and analyse citizens' interactions with public organisations throughout a benefit application process. Frameworks and analyses of this kind are important to set realistic expectations on digital self‐services and find tools and methods for enhancing citizens' ability to successfully co‐produce public service through digital channels.

Automation of administrative work, using Robotic Process Automation (RPA), has been highlighted as something that can help Swedish municipalities to reduce costs and improve efficiency. The use of RPA in Swedish municipalities is still in its infancy, and much can be learned from the experiences made so far. In this paper, we present an overview of the findings from a four-year case study investigating RPA development, implementation, and use in Swedish municipalities. The aim of the paper is to describe the general drive to implement RPA in Swedish municipalities, the intended uses of RPA in this context, and challenges experienced as part of RPA implementation. Based on this description, we outline a set of organizational conditions required to work with RPA in local government. Our findings illustrate that process automation is only partly about technology. The main focus in process automation must be on mapping and developing processes and routines. RPA-technology is best seen as a tool and not as an end in itself. It is therefore important to develop the employees' abilities and knowledge regarding both processes and automation, so that the employees can drive the development forward based on the challenges and opportunities that arise in their practical work.