RPA keeps data error-free and saves working time – software robot Pena is a well-liked colleague at Hartela

The introduction of robotic process automation was first considered at the construction company Hartela three years ago. The development work was postponed slightly with the change of the financial system, but now the hard-working and tireless “Pena” assists financial administration employees in tasks related to reporting, among other things. 

“We wanted to make manual work steps easier”, says Hartela’s Service Center Manager Leena Joki. “In the past, VAT checks could take an entire working day, while Pena now does the same job in minutes and also looks for errors at the same time. Our accountants have liked the robot very much. It has also changed my own thinking – I used to think that a robot may only be able to perform certain tasks, but so far, the duties we have come up with for the robot have been a great success. Of course, tasks that require artificial intelligence are a separate area.”

The software robot supplied by Enfo is currently responsible for six different cases at Hartela. The robot performs most of its tasks once a day but, for example, transfers documents more often. It sends reports to shared email addresses in the morning, either confirming that it has done its job or giving an error message if it has not been able to complete the task. This allows you to check that Pena has been “busy” from your email first thing in the morning. 

With the robot, the reporting frequency was increased in financial administration: “We have a lot of monthly reporting and I wonder whether it could actually be implemented every day. For example, we used to do VAT reconciliations once a month due to being busy. The monthly report then had many errors that could take a long time to find and correct. Now, the software robot can run reports and look for errors once a day, keeping the data more accurate and error-free at all times.”

Robotics as part of the job description

At Hartela, robotics is also part of an employee’s job description. However, the employee is not actually responsible for coding.

“The employee acts as a kind of a support person for Pena. For example, the employee handles error messages sent by the robot that we can take care of ourselves. Or, say, if a new VAT code was introduced, the support person could add it to the robot’s process. That person provides support in new robotics projects and helps trace out the process”, Joki describes. 

Enfo was selected as a partner for robotic process automation as Enfo and Hartela also cooperate in other projects. 

“I have been 100% satisfied with Enfo, and Enfo’s consultant Mikael Mäkelä gets an A+ from me for his work. I can honestly say that all the cooperation is going really well”, praises Joki. 

Leena Joki gives four tips for organizations planning to introduce robotic process automation:

• Potential cases do not necessarily have to be considered through volumes, we did not find any like that either. I reviewed with our accountants where they want help and where it would be possible to reduce the workload. We also picked tasks they found unpleasant and which they would be happy to give up. 
• It is a good idea to go through the processes without thinking about it from a cost perspective at first – choose one pilot case, as it will really open your eyes. 
• The integrations between software should also be considered from the point of view of robotics. We always first think about whether it makes sense to have an interface integration or whether we could take advantage of robotics. Implementing interface integrations can be difficult and costly. A robot may be a more cost-effective and agile solution. 
• It is good to remember that all the work steps must be explained to the robot, so the process should be thought out and also drawn step by step as a flow chart. It must be decoded at the level of how a person would logically perform it. The software robot performs all the same clicks as a person, from logging in to the application all the way to closing it.

“Pena is always involved when we think about new solutions. With the new system, for example, we considered what manual work steps will be left for Pena. I would recommend trying RPA”, Leena Joki encourages.

Hartela is a nearly 80-year-old Finnish family-owned company that builds both homes and commercial properties. Its operations are regionally oriented, focusing especially on Helsinki, Lahti, Turku, Rauma, Tampere and Oulu. The company employs approximately 600 construction professionals.
 

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