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AI Robotics

Case Lammaisten Energia

Robotic process automation takes care of accounting transfers once a month, independently and flawlessly


Lammaisten Energia is an ecological pioneer, so the idea of robotic process automation in business development fit the company’s values from the beginning. When the system vendor surveyed customers interested in robotic process automation, Lammaisten Energia was interested in joining the project. While several potential automation targets were identified, the transfer of accounting data was chosen as the first challenge.

 

Lammaisten Energia’s robotic process automation works with financial administration and carries out the transfer of accounting data once a month. The automation independently handles the transfer of data to accounting.

The data input is managed using a control file in Excel format. The control file specifies the working hours of the automation and, for example, whether it transfers the materials as a clipboard transfer or as an import file job.

The automation retrieves the data independently, performs the necessary checks and reconciliations, and enters the data into the accounting. The time it takes to transfer data depends on the number of data sets. For incorrect data, the automation sends a notification to the responsible person.

 

What we did

 

What we used

 

We wanted to be involved with an open mind in the development and to try new solutions. There is enough work for knowledgeable people, even if processes are automated.

Kimmo Kivikko, Managing Director, Lammaisten Energia

Possibilities of robotic process automation

Managing Director Kimmo Kivikko sees the potential of robotic process automation and believes it will free up people’s time for more meaningful tasks.

“There is a lot of talk about robotic process automation today. However, RPA has not yet been widely exploited and there is a lot of potential. I do not see automation as a necessary evil, but more as an enabler.”

Lammaisten Energia set out with automating the transfer of accounting data, but there are other items in the development pipeline. Lammaisten Energia sends approximately 5,000 to 7,000 electricity invoices to customers each month, which is one potential automation target.

Further development opportunities in robotic process automation will be reviewed together at the Bright Idea workshop in May. In addition, Lammaisten Energia’s financial administration partner, Smart Energiapalvelut, will participate in the workshop.

Thoughts on robotic process automation

“I have heard it said that automation destroys people’s jobs. The way I myself see it is that the nature of work and the competence needs will become different. In the past, knowledge was needed for routine tasks, in the future, the job involves managing the automation logic”, Kivikko says.

“At Lammaisten Energia, robotic process automation has not taken anyone’s job. We are a small organisation and we have employees doing many different tasks. We do not count the person-work-years saved, but we invest in what is meaningful and what gives the greatest added value to human labour. There is enough work for knowledgeable people, even if processes are automated.”

Lammaisten Energia’s robotic process automation project in a nutshell

Need:
Automation of transfer of accounting data.

Solution:
Robotic process automation takes care of accounting transfers once a month, independently and flawlessly.

Benefits:
The robotic process automation reduces manual work at the turn of the month, which is a busy time anyway. The employees’ time is freed up for other tasks, and accounting transfers get handled accurately and without error.