Published on the 12/04/2017 | Written by Donovan Jackson

Clerical tasks made much easier with software automation…

As young Australian automation company Troovo announces a big deal with an American company, it’s worth taking another look at the concept of robotic process automation (RPA). This is an emerging class of software which helps automate repetitive clerical tasks.

Descended conceptually from screen scraping, RPA is a bit different in that it provides software agents which can be trained as one would a co-worker. It is also more accessible, with the intention that non-programmers should be able to work with RPA software. By recognising objects or information in existing environments, RPA completes various tasks which previously required human intervention.

Through RPA, businesses can drive increased output, greater compliance, accuracy and strong efficiencies all driving business performance, while being equipped able to operate 24 hours a day. A single software robot can generally achieve the equivalent output of 2-5 full time employees, using processes are developed using clear business rules to achieve compliance and accuracy, with the ability for exception cases being handled by people. PwC provides a useful overview of the technology.

Founded in 2015 Troovo is an early mover in this environment (the dominant player is probably Blue Prism) and focuses on RPA for the travel industry. Winning the business of US-based security and travel risk management firm Stabilitas is therefore a big deal for the fledgling business.

In a statement, Troovo said Stabilitas has integrated its RPA engine into a risk management solution. In addition to the Stabilitas mobile app, the Troovo technology provides for tracking and alerts for travellers contributing to safety for people on the move in a solution that enables companies to track staff

member locations and advise them of potential threats.

“Using Troovo’s robotic process engine, Stabilitas ensures that our clients have immediate and real-time access to all travel-related data on thousands of employees within seconds of bookings being created or updated,” said Stabilitas COO Chris Hurst. “To save time, we [are using] AI to automate many parts of the incident detection and mass notification process.”

Troovo and Stabilitas said the solution requires minimum user effort and avoids the costs associated with direct linkages with the GDS’s (global distribution systems – the software used by the travel industry to handle bookings) that other tracking systems are burdened with. The companies said the resulting platform ‘saves thousands annually and increases the safety of employees’.

“We weren’t expecting an Australian start-up to deliver to us such an innovative and scalable solution, but that’s exactly what they did,” said Hurst.

“When it comes to minimising risk and ensuring organisations know exactly where their people are, having the most up-to-date information on travel arrangements is not just important, it’s business critical,” said Kurt Knackstedt, Troovo CEO. “The importance of keeping your staff out of harm’s way is, or should be, a priority concern for any company. Legacy systems that exist for tracking and awareness of current instabilities around the globe are quickly being outdated and deemed archaic by the pace of the evolving business and travel world.”