AIOps (formerly 1Desk) is a powerful IT operations tool, but it also integrates with finance software to give employees a new and innovative way to perform basic tasks. Read this article to find out how AIOps and IPsoft’s cognitive-based digital colleague Amelia transform finance operations.
We’ve written at length about AIOps' impressive end-to-end IT operations capabilities, as well as its extensive HR and back office functionality. In this piece, we’ll examine how AIOps integrates with a company’s finance and expense management software to improve operations.
As we’ve detailed in previous posts, AIOps connects IT teams and virtual engineers in a collaborative environment that fosters seamless and automated technology-based processes. AIOps allows your company to automate password resets, responses to network downtime, and other IT-related issues. The goal is to help IT teams fix everything automatically, and if human engineers are required to be involved, the system monitors, learns and extracts data from their manual efforts. The goal is that every manually performed resolution is recorded, analyzed, and utilized to build new automations and foster ongoing improvement.
IPsoft’s cognitive-based digital colleague Amelia observes and studies every action that takes place in AIOps, so she’s up-to-speed on what’s happening within the system. She’s also the connection between back-office employees and the company’s information systems.
AIOps and Amelia Simplify Financial Software-Related Tasks
Today, workers use disconnected tools to handle different finance-related business processes. There’s an expense management tool for submitting receipts. There’s a time tracking tool for setting schedules and requesting time off. There’s a payroll tool for compensating employees. In today’s modern enterprise, many finance and administrative employees access these tools separately, as each have various procedures and approvals that must be followed. What’s more, application or system errors often take an inordinate amount of time to correct, slowing transactions and operations. Amelia and AIOps serve as a connection between these tools to help automate and simplify these processes.
AIOps and Amelia are there to simplify tasks that often require email volleys, phone calls, and other time-consuming interactions.
Amelia is the first interaction your employees will have when interacting with accounting and expense management software. Rather than send an email to the accounting department, your employees will ask Amelia a question, e.g. “Amelia can you help me submit receipts from my last business trip?” This process cuts out unnecessary steps that cause bottlenecks and prevent workers from being as productive as possible.
When integrated end-to-end across IT operations and finance functions, Amelia is able to answer basic questions with information that resides in digital systems.
Employee: Amelia, has expense report 275 been processed?
Amelia: It was processed yesterday. You should receive your reimbursement within two business days.
She can also help workers perform basic tasks, such as requesting vacation days, which upon approval can then be recorded within an enterprise payroll system for proper recordkeeping.
Employee: Amelia, I need PTO for August 15, 16, and 17.
Amelia: August 17 is a Saturday. Would you like me to request PTO for August 15 and 16?
Amelia can also perform more complex tasks, such as ingesting and logging receipts and expense claims in order to rapidly process information without involving multiple systems. For example: If an employee is away on business, he or she can upload images of his or her receipts, and ask Amelia to classify them according to the correct reimbursement code. Amelia will then cull the information into one claim and notify the employee’s manager for expense approval.
Employee: Amelia, please file the following receipts as a new expense reimbursement claim.
Amelia: There are four images attached. Under which code or codes would you like the expenses processed?
Employee: Please process 1.jpg, 2.jpg and 4.jpg under dining. Please process 3.jpg as ground transportation. (If an employee is using a chat interface, Amelia can present a list of uploaded expenses and ask the user to click on the items and match them to the appropriate codes.)
Amelia: No problem! Can you tell provide me with a title for this expense report?
Employee: Client meeting in Las Vegas.
Amelia: Thank you! I’ll alert your manager now.
AIOps and Amelia are able to perform most common and complex tasks within finance-based systems. They can help your employees change direct deposit information within the payroll system. They can help workers schedule shifts without requiring them to navigate complex system-wide shared calendars. They can find and present employees with seldom-used documents, such as tax forms or company benefits documents. AIOps and Amelia are there to simplify tasks that often require email volleys, phone calls, and other time-consuming interactions.
When you deploy AIOps, you help your employees improve how they work. Your employees will be able to access finance-related information quickly, cut down on time spent filing paperwork, and submit documentation without bulky spreadsheets and emails. As a result, employees will work in a faster, smarter and more efficient fashion – and with the time saved on these processes, no doubt they’ll be more satisfied with their jobs too.
