NSG Group saves more than 13,000 hours annually with rpa

THE WHOLE STORY

Initially, there was some employee resistance to implementing RPA, but then one small bot accurately processed the manual, repetitive process of printing ARIBA reports, a suite of web-based statements such as orders and tracked invoices, for the Finance department. This helped save 720 hours and employees were totally convinced.

To help reduce workload, one of the first processes automated was for NSG’s active directory. The Windows tool was used to create online accounts, logins and User IDs for new employees. Manually, this process took an hour for each new user. With automation this has been reduced to just 15 minutes, saving the company 1,500 hours annually. Because of operational limitations, the process still required some human input, but the automation demonstrated how well bots can collaborate with employees on complex processes. With further improvements, the process is expected to take just one minute.

NSG’s most productive bot, and their first for their business in Brazil, was for freight invoices. Interrogating high content XML files to locate very specific data, checking it against the database before entering it into the CP system, helped save 2,000 hours of manual work. Eventually with some more fine-tuning, this automation is expected to save the company 3,000 hours every year.

Another automation use case was for user account management in SAP to delete dormant accounts. Prior to RPA, inactive accounts were deleted without prior notice, then required reinstatement when a customer contacted the company. A bot was created to generate an e-mail asking customers if they still required their accounts. Reinstatement calls were reduced by 70-80%, saving 240 hours of additional work for the IT department and of course ensuring the end user was not adversely impacted in their work.