One of Australia's leading universities, the University of Sydney, has been awarded for its use of Robotic Process Automation (RPA).

Announced overnight at Blue Prism World in London, the University's Automation and Innovation (AI) Hub has been awarded Blue Prism Rookie of the Year in recognition of its service improvement project which has allowed the University to thrive in a challenging environment.

The University launched its automation focused AI Hub in 2018 to improve service levels for staff and students, release staff time back to the business; and reduce risks.

Working with partner EY Australia and using the Blue Prism Platform, the University of Sydney has automated 33 processes to date across six functional areas including Student Administration Services, Finance, Human Resources, Campus Infrastructure and ICT functions.  It is now piloting the use of cognitive services to augment the Blue Prism solutions.

According to Steve Blunt, General Manager of the University's AI Hub, winning the award is a huge achievement for the Hub, which opened just nine months ago.

“The AI Hub team has had an immediate and significant impact on service improvement, implementing a range of automated processes to improve student and staff experience while mitigating the challenges of disaggregation, complexity and volume for staff and students.

“Our decision to focus on a service improvement ethos as the overarching metric has seen the AI Hub gain momentum across the University in a very short period. Business units across the University are seeking out the automation team as they see the tangible benefits for their staff,” said Blunt.

The AI Hub was launched with a broad proof of concept approach to both maximise visibility and include a range of stakeholders.

The program automated a range of processes across functions delivering real value across multiple internal processes, including estate management (space bookings), student administration, procurement, exam management, document verifications, etc., with high customer satisfaction.

The University of Sydney has further focused on recruiting tech and business resources for the AI Hub from the University's own graduate cohort and has also initiated its own post-graduate Automation Developer Program to train and provide employment for recent graduates in robotics and automation -- among the skill sets most in demand today.

Blue Prism ANZ VP Rob Mills commented, “This award demonstrates what is possible when organisations have a clear vision, a robust roadmap and exemplary internal communications around RPA deployments. The University of Sydney is a deserving winner and we look forward to seeing the ROI and tangible business value that AI Hub continues to develop.