Robotic process automation (RPA) uses software robots, or bots, to automate repetitive, rules based business processes. As more organisations in Malaysia roll out RPA to cut costs and free up staff for higher value work, the bots themselves introduce a new category of risk: unmonitored access, unvalidated data, and process logic that can quietly go wrong at scale.
RPA programme assurance gives management and the board independent confidence that an RPA programme is governed properly, tested thoroughly, and actually delivering the return on investment it was built for.
What Is RPA Programme Assurance
RPA programme assurance is an independent review of how an organisation designs, builds, deploys and monitors its software robots.
Unlike a general IT audit, it looks specifically at bot level risks such as who can change a bot's logic, what happens when the source data a bot relies on is wrong, and whether a bot is operating within the access rights it was actually granted.
The output is a clear view of where an RPA programme is under control, where it is exposed, and what needs to change before those exposures turn into financial, compliance or reputational loss.
Our RPA Programme Assurance Services
1. IT Governance
We review whether the RPA programme has clear ownership, defined roles between the business and IT, and a governance structure that can approve, prioritise and retire bots in a controlled way.
2. Risk Management
We identify the risks specific to automated processes, from a bot processing incorrect data at speed to a single point of failure affecting a critical business function, and assess how well those risks are being managed.
3. Regulatory Compliance
We assess whether bots handling personal or financial data are operating in line with Malaysia's Personal Data Protection Act and any industry specific regulatory requirements that apply to the process being automated.
4. Change Management
We review the controls around how bots are updated, including version control, testing before changes go live, and approval sign off, so a small script change cannot introduce a large operational error.
5. Application Assurance
We validate that a bot's underlying logic performs the process the way it was designed to, and that it handles exceptions correctly instead of failing silently or producing incorrect output.
6. IT Infrastructure
We assess the resilience, access controls and monitoring of the environment the bots run on, including how credentials and privileged access for bots are managed and reviewed.
7. Data, Test and Reporting
We check that the data feeding into and out of a bot is accurate and complete, that testing before deployment is rigorous enough to catch errors, and that reporting on bot performance is reliable.
8. Security and Controls
We review access controls, segregation of duties, and credential management for bots specifically, since a bot account with excessive privileges is a common and often overlooked control gap.
Speak to BDO Today!
Get in touch with BDO Malaysia’s Technology Advisory team to find out how RPA programme assurance can support effective governance and controls across your automation programme. Whether your RPA programme is in the planning stage or already in operation, our professionals can help you assess your current programme and identify areas requiring attention.