Far from replacing jobs in the Public Service, artificial intelligence (AI) and robotic process automation (RPA) are helping to save time, money and resources, a Canadian webinar, supported by the Global Government Forum, has been told.
The technology move has also freed up public sector employees to focus on creative thinking, “which in turn boosts job satisfaction,” the SS&C Blue Prism Canada webinar participants heard.
One organisation that has already reaped significant benefits from its digital transformation is ATB Financial, part of the Crown Corporation of Canada, which provides financial services to more than 770,000 residents and businesses.
Managing Director, Intelligent Automation, Janka Coppens said ATB Financial began exploring the benefits of intelligent automation in 2017.
“Since then, the institution has focused on automating non-value-added tasks, enabling consistent and reliable customer experiences, and providing clients with choices in how they deal with us,” Ms Coppens ( pictured) said.
There is a similar scenario at Alberta Health Services (AHS), Canada’s leading healthcare organisation, which supports 4.6 million citizens.
Innovative IT Intelligent Automation Lead, Jesse Tutt said that up till now, AHS had been focused on corporate functions.
“Going forward, AHS intends to transform clinical functions as well by automating processes that employees hate doing,” Mr Tutt said.
“So we’re trying to enact that kind of ‘if you hate it automate it’ mentality.”
He said AHS had already freed up around 20,000 annualised hours by implementing intelligent automation.
“In the next month, we should double that, and then in six months we should triple it,” Mr Tutt said.
“That’s our goal,” he said.
“So we’re going to get some really exciting automations in our pipeline.”
Ottawa, 19 May 2022
