PurposeThe objective of this article is to identify through a literature study which factors determine the success of process automation in management systems.Design/methodology/approachA systematic approach is applied to analyze the available literature on the topic. The first stage of the study consisted of analyzing publications aiming to identify aspects that may influence the implementation of automated process management tools in management systems. In the second stage, a synthesis of the information was performed, resulting in a set of representative factors of the aspects identified.FindingsAs a result of the literature review, determinant aspects were identified for the implementation of process automation in organizations in general. These elements are summarized in the following factors: Characterization and diversity of the context, Organizational Performance, People Engagement, Knowledge Management, Automated Process Management and Information Technology.Originality/valuePrior knowledge of the determinants and associated aspects has the potential to optimize process automation, as it eliminates unnecessary steps and allows better application of the available resources.