Automating financial processes within Administrative Center HvA and UvA
3 working software
robots delivered
Demo videos as showcase
for other departments
TOPdesk and SAP
To optimally facilitate all students and employees of the Hogeschool van Amsterdam (HvA) and the University of Amsterdam (UvA). So that they can fully focus on following and offering the best possible education. That is the objective of the Administrative Center (AC) of the HvA and the UvA. The AC is responsible for student administration, financial administration and personnel and salary administration. The ambition as well as the nature of the work at the AC fits well with the promise of Robotic Process Automation(RPA). In the RPA Homework Training, provided by Tacstone during the corona period, the curiosity of some participants from the AC was further aroused. The next step: starting an RPA project themselves.
First gain experience in an RPA Pilot
With a good grounding in the applications and impact of RPA, the AC decided to take the first step in early 2021.
“The main objective of the pilot was to gain practical knowledge and experience in-house. We wanted to experience at first hand how the design, development and testing of software robots works. And of course the cooperation between the project participants from the AC and our knowledge partner Tacstone Technology. We carefully documented and evaluated every step and result of this project. This has given us tremendous insight and I am confident that we are ready for the next step.”
Raymond van den Horn | Head of FA General Ledger / FA Accounts Payable
In addition to knowledge and practical experience, the project also delivered three automated financial processes. Including attractive demo videos that clearly show how the software robot works. Nice for those directly involved, but above all effective to show other interested parties within the HvA and UvA – and there are many! – show how RPA works and how software robots can operate the AC’s ICT systems.’
Choice of hyperautomation platform from UiPath
Prior to the project, the AC conducted a comparison of several RPA software vendors. Based on this comparison, the decision was made to go with the
Excellent collaboration between HvA-UvA and Tacstone Technology
The successful execution of an RPA pilot requires good preparation and intensive cooperation between the parties involved. The RPA pilot at HvA-UvA was an off-the-shelf project. The HvA-UvA not only brought in specific knowledge about the processes and systems, but was also really involved and committed to making the project a success. Tacstone’s practical knowledge and experience with educational processes and applications such as SAP and TOPdesk, in addition to its experience with dozens of RPA projects, proved to be very valuable.
“The collaboration with Tacstone was effective and extremely pleasant. The Tacstone Technology team actively thought along with us in the preparation phase. And during the implementation phase, they connected well with our way of working, such as with our sprint planning. Through a weekly meet-up, everyone was always well informed about the progress and bottlenecks. That contributed to the good result, and within the agreed budget. Moreover, I am pleased that the robot scripts that were developed can not only perform the ‘happy flow’, but are sufficiently intelligent and robust to also handle the many exceptions in the processes.”
Peter Busser | Consultant SAP Expertise Center
Lessons learned during RPA Pilot
Selecting the right processes. Perhaps the most important prerequisite for a successful RPA pilot. During the RPA Homework Training in 2020, the HvA-UvA had already conducted an extensive inventory and assessment of potentially suitable processes. With the input and feedback from Tacstone, this proved to be a valuable step. And afterwards, it turned out that even more profit could be achieved than initially thought, by first optimizing the processes in question and only then automating them.
Raymond additionally mentions the following lessons learned:
“Make sure you bring in the right process and system knowledge. And keep testing during the process to see if further improvements or simplifications in the process are possible. In doing so, always ask yourself: have we done everything possible? And finally, spend time not only making a good shortlist, but also making the right decision.”
Raymond van den Horn | Head of FA General Ledger / FA Accounts Payable
The software robot at work in SAP and TOPdesk
In the project, three processes of the AC were automated. These processes include intensive use of the well-known ERP system SAP and the service management or helpdesk system TOPdesk. Both systems lend themselves perfectly to the application of UiPath RPA. An additional advantage was that Tacstone already had a lot of experience with the development of RPA in SAP and TOPdesk.
One of the automated processes involves processing master data of new external/hired employees and declarants. This master data must be processed in various systems. A process with high volumes, a lot of manual work and also peak periods in which the workload for the employees involved can increase significantly. The deployment of the software robot that has been developed is expected to save about 50 hours of manual work per month.
