The first robotic process automation and artificial intelligence event for higher education professionals was hosted by the University of NSW on the 22nd of June.
The feedback was very positive and many gained a deeper understanding of the nuances of implementing these technologies into an organisation. Highlights of the session included :
Michelle O’Connor from the University of NSW shared her experiences in implementing RPA for the first time. Her key messages were that with the right support you can automate a process in a matter of weeks, do not wait for someone else in your organisation to do it for you, engage technology and security groups early and training internal staff to build your robots is great for staff morale and development.
Josh Tiechman shared how Monash University chatbots have reduced student call volumes by up to 70% on a targeted call queue. Chatbots are a unique challenge that require the blending of a massive array of technologies and different skills. The key message is to refine your solution to a deep level rather than deploy solutions that only answer surface level questions. Misinterpreting a customer’s “intent” poorly means they never come back.
Shiv Chandra shared the University of Melbourne’s journey in scaling the use of robots. His key message was that deploying reusable code blocks and implementing peer code review improves the maintainability of the code base. It also speeds up the development time of new robots as many of the components required are already tested and can be rapidly pieced together. Having a central team who manages code quality and deployment has allowed the university to scale their operations and reduced the reliance on individual coders.
Valuable group discussions were held during the day covering topics such as creating an automation strategy, choosing the right processes to automate, setting up a governance group, choosing the right software and blending process improvement with automation.
The next event is being planned for October 2018 in Melbourne. If you are a higher education professional register your interest by emailing info@rpasolutions.com.au