Process mining analyses the logs of systems such as ERP and CRM to show how processes actually run and where delays or deviations arise. Robotic process automation (RPA) has software carry out administrative steps that an employee would otherwise perform on screen. UiPath and Microsoft Power Automate are well-known non-European reference points.
Both techniques touch staff and access. Event logs record who did what and when, so process analysis quickly says something about individual employees, with consequences for GDPR and the works council. RPA robots log in with stored credentials and act with the rights of a user, often across several systems at once. A compromised robot management environment then opens up far more than the automation itself. The Data Act helps with exporting data, but workflows in a proprietary format remain costly to rebuild.
When choosing a European option, look at whether robots and orchestration can run in your own environment, integration with your own secrets vault, pseudonymisation of users in event logs, a complete audit trail of robot actions, and export of process models in an open notation. Also ask how long log data is retained and who may view it.