Transforming work order management with RPA

Client background

Headquartered in the Northwest, this organization has been serving government clients for over 25 years.

The business challenge

The client's commitment to innovation led to the inception of their new asset management program. This award-winning initiative, built on the ISO 50001 framework and framed by the Uptime Elements, was powered by the IBM Maximo suite. Internally referred to as their enterprise management system, this work order management program was honored as the 2022 Maximo World award winner for Best New Implementation.

Despite the accolades, the client faced a significant challenge. The requirement to operate dual systems, both their internal system and a government client’s work order management system resulted in extensive dual entry support. This dual operation escalated data entry costs, especially given the sheer volume of work orders processed annually.

Strategy and solution

To eliminate the burdensome dual entry requirements, client's turned to robotics process automation (RPA). With a clear vision, they sought an experienced RPA implementor with a track record of successful integrations for government clients. The project had its complexities, including remote development via a Common Access Card (CAC) enabled system and the challenge of downloading commercial software on a government network. However, with the authority to operate (ATO) secured, the client and the developer successfully deployed the automation software on the secure customer network.

Within just three months, phase one of the project of creating new work orders in the government work order management system was up and running. Phase two of project involved keeping all the work order status updates in sync between the two systems and was fully deployed in an additional 10 weeks. The results included:

• Projected annual cost saving of $411,888
• Anticipated labor savings equivalent to 4.5 full-time equivalents (FTEs) a year
• ROI in less than five months
• Elimination of the labor-intensive and costly manual double data entry method.

Furthermore, this pilot project set the stage for an enterprise model, currently scaling to other projects and clients within the Department of Defense. The resources saved from the dual entry are now being redirected to higher-order tasks, which provide more value to their clients and increase their job satisfaction.

The client’s journey with RPA is a testament to the transformative power of technology when applied with vision and precision. Their collaboration with Baker Tilly not only addressed immediate challenges but also laid the foundation for future innovations.