Robotic process automation ( RPA ) is a key part of many digital transformation initiatives, as it promises to deliver cost savings without having to modernize the underlying architecture and systems. The problem with this approach of focusing only on automating business processes, without addressing the underlying software systems or capabilities, is that this can make it even harder to change the underlying systems by introducing additional coupling. This makes any future attempts to address the legacy IT landscape even more difficult. Very few systems can afford to ignore change and hence RPA efforts need to be coupled with appropriate legacy modernization strategies.