2. CASE STUDY: ROBOTIC AUTOMATION
2 | W z a r d . c o . u k
Pensions New Business (Desktop Automation)
The Problem Faced
The Pensions New Business Process had grown to involve the entry of information into seven
separate applications and had become bloated, long-winded and error prone. Information
was duplicated across multiple applications; users would typically cut/paste information
between them or store key information in a notepad for later copying to other applications.
The problem was highlighted as part of a lean transformation / business architecture
assessment carried out on the entire business function in 2013. Pensions Servicing was one
of three hotspots identified as needing urgent change.
• The slow process was leading to customer frustrations
• A backlog of cases had developed an was getting worse
• Growth predicted as annuity options becoming unpopular
• Rework due to keying errors between various systems
The Approach Taken
The work was completed by the Wzard Team while working for LV= under the Fast Track
banner which was the foundation of our methodology. Extending from an organisational
review applying lean thinking gave us the opportunity to accelerate process savings through
the introduction of robotic automation. An initial Pilot was carried out in partnership with
Openspan to:
1. Identify the Problem/Opportunity
2. Evaluate the Options
3. Match Impact/Benefits to Solution
4. Run Low Cost Pilot to evaluate Impact
5. Lessons Learned and Productionise Solution
3. CASE STUDY: ROBOTIC AUTOMATION
3 | W z a r d . c o . u k
The Pilot Results Achieved
The Openspan solution provided attended
automation where the user was still involved but the
time to process a new application was reduced from
an average of approximately 8 minutes to 4. To build
initial confidence in the automation the data commit
step always handed back to the end-user to confirm.
The complex operating environment included a testing browser based applications (e.g.
Experian), Citrix Hosted Solutions (Core Systems) and Visual Basic Applications (Core
Systems). It was a challenging environment but given the complexity of legacy systems it was
crucial to be certain the applications could operate successfully. The impact was immediate:
• 47% time saving depending on skill level and case complexity
• Efficiency Improvements (Eliminate Duplication and waste)
• Improve Accuracy (Experian data check added to start of process)
• Increase Morale (Tedious tasks eliminated, staff engaged directly)
• Growth plans achieved with lower recruitment burden
• Reduced complaints and improved regulatory compliance
“Openspan allows CSRs (Customer Service Representatives) to
think less about duplicating data entry and more about getting
the technical aspects right”
- Amy Dufall, CSR [during pilot]
Sustaining the results
Transitioning to scale operation a small local centre of excellence was developed:
• Prioritisation of the next processes to be automated and the
delivery of that automation were business owned
• Operating model changed to facilitate new team with
additional responsibilities:
o Lean Process Improvement
o Pipeline Prioritisation
o Development, Testing & Deployment Skills
o IT Liaison Channel and process for Operational
Changes (changes to service delivery)
o Out of Hours Operations
• Flexible licencing model for wider business engagement
As a result the team was positioned to develop and scale further processes.
