On Wednesday, February 13, 2019, Tacstone organized a breakfast session on RPA & AI in Utrecht. A topic that has been getting more and more attention in recent years and where more and more organizations in the Netherlands are actually getting started. Tacstone has a rapidly growing RPA practice and thought this was a good time to share some insights with clients and interested parties. The knowledge session was structured from “do and stupid” to “think and smart.”

Understanding RPA

By Ebert Knol and Mark de Poorter (Tacstone), and Joost van Wendel de Joode (UiPath)

The meeting began with a welcome from Cees-Willem van Rooij (partner at Tacstone) and an explanation of Tacstone’s vision of RPA (more than just IT!). Then Mark de Poorter (partner at Tacstone) gave an introduction to RPA. RPA is often seen as a catch-all term. Here terms like machine learning, AI and process mining are quickly used interchangeably. Mark elaborated on what RPA is, but also what it is not and in what forms RPA can be used.

Next, Ebert Knol (RPA Business Analyst at Tacstone) talked about the way Tacstone executes RPA projects. Using practical examples, Ebert made it clear where the points of attention lie and what the pitfalls are.

Finally, Joost van Wendel de Joode (UiPath) talked about the latest developments on the UiPath platform, expectations for the coming years and the staggering growth of UiPath as an organization. Tacstone is a certified and official implementation partner of UiPath in the Netherlands.

RPA in practice

By Rob van den Wijngaard (Director Shared Service Center, Rijks Universiteit Leiden)

In his own unique way, Rob talked about how he has introduced topics such as robotics, machine learning and data analytics within the RUL in recent years. With concrete examples and practical tips, he talked about how to identify RPA opportunities and turn them into manageable projects as “living labs.” His main lesson: don’t think in limitations, but in possibilities and start small and realistic. That way you have the greatest chance of success!

AI in credit management

By Ron Torrico (Director, Assensia)

As the last speaker, Ron Torrico talked about the power of AI in credit management processes. Ron explained how they have developed analysis and scoring tools that help create an optimal mix between cost and effectiveness of credit management actions. In addition to explaining AI in general, Ron also went into how algorithms are built and work.

Afterwards there were many positive reactions! We would like to thank all participants for being at Fort aan de Klop.