Financial Report Case Study

The DOD creates a large financial report that several offices use to make decisions. This report took 12 hours to complete, and it involved multiple stakeholders. Due to this tedious process, the team could only run the report once per month. It was time-consuming and took them away from other responsibilities.

Real-time data was not available, and many processes relied on that data to make decisions. Decision-makers had to rely on older data, which could be inaccurate.

First, we analyzed the process to understand the problem and determine the best tools to solve the problem. Next, we performed a deep dive into the step-by-step process of how the DOD makes decisions, how they categorize, and how they gather and use all the information during that data gathering phase.

After thoroughly analyzing the problem, we developed a step-by-step plan. We then designed a mockup with a customized interface to show the DOD. We customized the interface so they could select certain parameters and start the automation.

We used an RPA tool to mimic the same interactions that a human would perform for those steps. The RPA tool listened to those instructions and made decisions the same way a human would.

The process involved several stakeholders, each with different steps and needs. We re-engineered the process and standardized the work for all stakeholders. Then, we made any adjustments needed to ensure the solution met their needs. Our solution reconciled discrepancies and built reports. Now, the automation can meet the needs of all the stakeholders involved.

The new automation was simpler than the previous process. The automation required less training and made training easier. They no longer need employees to perform the tedious process. They only need to analyze the results.

Before implementing the automation, we trained key users to prepare them for implementation. We provided documentation, and a user manual, and gave a presentation on using the automation. User acceptance testing allowed users to get familiar with the process before full-scale deployment.

Next, we remotely implemented the solution for the DOD. Once deployed, we met with them again for the first few runs to observe and provide guidance if needed. During the maintenance phase, we kept an eye on logs, making sure that everything ran smoothly and providing updates if needed.

The automation ran financial reports and identified discrepancies. It reduced the time required from 12 hours to only 1 minute. Rather than running it once per month, the DOD can now run it multiple times per week. Other processes that use that data now have access to live data. This real-time data increases the accuracy of decision-making.

The data is now available at the click of a button. What took 144 hours for the year now takes 12 minutes if they run it once per month. This is a savings of 8616 minutes or 143.6 hours per year. The DOD offices can run the reports many times per week with almost no impact on their time.

Before, they were bogged down and had to rely on old data. Now, they have up-to-date data any time they want it, allowing the team to focus on the analytical aspects of their job.