A proposal for the improvement of financial academic processes: process modelling and analysis in NOVA IMS
Abstract
Business Process Management is known for the improvement it causes in processes, such as cost and resources spending reduction. Providing the capability to understand processes this technique is an added value for every company. It can also be a base for future implementations such as the use of new technologies as Robotic Process Automation. The RPA comes with the potential of reducing manual, simple, recurrent, and time-consuming tasks, existent in every process, changing them to automatic actions. This work project will analyze the state of Financial Services from NOVA IMS, a faculty from Universidade Nova de Lisboa, along with its possible inefficiencies. Therefore, the objective of this work is to apply BPM technologies and techniques and acquire knowledge about the financial processes and conclude with some improvement critics based mainly on the use of Robotic process automation.
Full text
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APROPOSALFORTHEIMPROVEMENTOFFINANCIAL
ACADEMICPROCESSES
FilipeApa ícioOli ei a
P ocessModelingandanalysisinNOVAIMS
P ojec Wo kp esen edas hepa ial equi emen o
ob ainingaMas e 'sdeg eeinIn o ma ionManagemen
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NOVAIn o ma ionManagemen School
Ins i u oSupe io deEs a ís icaeGes ãodeIn o mação
Uni e sidadeNo adeLisboa
APROPOSALFORTHEIMPROVEMENTOFFINANCIALACADEMIC
PROCESSES
PROCESSMODELINGANDANALYSISINNOVAIMS
FilipeApa ícioOli ei a
P ojec Wo kp esen edas hepa ial equi emen o ob ainingaMas e 'sdeg eeinIn o ma ion
Managemen ,Specializa ioninIn o ma ionSys emsandTechnologiesManagemen
Ad iso :P o .Ví o ManuelPe ei aDua edosSan os,Ph.D.
Feb ua y2019
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The accomplishmen o his wo k was possible hanks o he con ibu ion o se e al people, o whom
I would like o exp ess my g a i ude.
Fi s , I would like o hank my p o esso and ad iso Vi o San os o he pa ience, dedica ion, and
suppo a all s ages o he c ea ion o his wo k and o all he knowledge you ha e gi en me du ing
he las academic yea s.
Thank D . Sil ia San os, esponsible o he inancial se ices o NOVA IMS, o he a ailabili y, and
suppo . Wi hou he , his wo k could no be done since she was he majo poin o collec
in o ma ion abou he inancial p ocesses.
Thank my amily o all kinds o suppo and dedica ion.
Thank my iend and colleagues ha we e he e all he ime mainly when I mos needed i .
These pe sons allowed me o comple e his wo k and g ow as a pe son. Thank you.
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ABSTRACT
Business P ocess Managemen is known o he imp o emen i causes in p ocesses, such as cos and
esou ces spending educ ion. P o iding he capabili y o unde s and p ocesses his echnique is
an added alue o e e y company. I can also be a base o u u e implemen a ions such as he use
o new echnologies as Robo ic P ocess Au oma ion. The RPA comes wi h he po en ial o educing
manual, simple, ecu en , and ime-consuming asks, exis en in e e y p ocess, changing hem o
au oma ic ac ions. This wo k p ojec will analyze he s a e o Financial Se ices om NOVA IMS, a
acul y om Uni e sidade No a de Lisboa, along wi h i s possible ine iciencies. The e o e, he
objec i e o his wo k is o apply BPM echnologies and echniques and acqui e knowledge abou he
inancial p ocesses and conclude wi h some imp o emen c i ics based mainly on he use o Robo ic
p ocess au oma ion.
KEYWORDS
Business P ocess Managemen , P ocesses modeling, Financial P ocess, Au oma ion, and Robo ic
P ocess Au oma ion.
INDEX
1. In oduc ion .................................................................................................................................... 1
1.1. Backg ound ............................................................................................................................. 1
1.2. S udy Objec i es ..................................................................................................................... 1
1.3. Me hodology .......................................................................................................................... 2
1.4. NOVA In o ma ion Managemen School ................................................................................ 3
1.5. NOVA IMS – O ganiza ion Cha ............................................................................................. 4
1.6. Financial Se ices .................................................................................................................... 5
2. Li e a u e Re iew ............................................................................................................................ 6
2.1. Business P ocess Managemen ............................................................................................... 6
2.1.1. Concep s ......................................................................................................................... 6
2.1.2. BPM Li e Cycle................................................................................................................. 7
2.1.3. P ocess modeling ............................................................................................................ 8
2.1.4. Business P ocess Model and No a ion............................................................................ 9
2.1.5. Modeling ools .............................................................................................................. 11
2.1.6. P ocess ans o ma ion................................................................................................. 14
2.2. Robo ic P ocess au oma ion ................................................................................................. 16
3. P ojec De elopmen .................................................................................................................... 18
3.1. En i ies .................................................................................................................................. 18
3.1.1. Ac o s ............................................................................................................................ 19
3.1.2. Sys ems ......................................................................................................................... 19
3.1.3. Documen s .................................................................................................................... 19
3.2. Tools ...................................................................................................................................... 20
3.3. P ocess Models ..................................................................................................................... 21
3.3.1. Mac o p ocess .............................................................................................................. 21
3.3.2. P ocesses ...................................................................................................................... 21
3.4. P oposal o imp o emen s .................................................................................................. 27
4. Conclusions ................................................................................................................................... 30
Re e ences .......................................................................................................................................... 31
5. Re e ências ....................................................................................... E o! Ma cado não de inido.
ANNEXES ............................................................................................................................................ 34
A. Documen s ............................................................................................................................ 34
1. Pu chase au ho iza ion email example ................................................................................ 34
2. Pu chase o de example ....................................................................................................... 36
3. Expense app o al eques (PAD) example ............................................................................ 37
4. Commi men documen example ......................................................................................... 39
5. Budge a y app oach documen example ............................................................................. 40
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LIST OF FIGURES:
Figu e 1 – Me hodology ou line .............................................................................................................. 2
Figu e 2 - NOVA IMS O ganiza ion Cha ................................................................................................ 4
Figu e 3 - NOVA IMS Financial Se ices Cha ......................................................................................... 5
Figu e 4 - BPM Li e Cycle ......................................................................................................................... 7
Figu e 5 - Magic Quad an o In elligen Business P ocess Managemen Sui es ................................ 12
Figu e 6 – Mac op ocess ....................................................................................................................... 21
Figu e 7 - Goods and se ices acquisi ion p ocess ................................................................................ 22
Figu e 8 - School ee paymen s p ocess ................................................................................................ 23
Figu e 9 - Sala ies P ocess ..................................................................................................................... 24
Figu e 10 - In oice p ocessing p ocess .................................................................................................. 25
Figu e 11 - Bank econcilia ion p ocess ................................................................................................. 26
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LIST OF TABLES:
Table 1 - Business P ocesses No a ions .................................................................................................. 9
Table 2 - BPMN Elemen s No a ion ....................................................................................................... 11
Table 3 - Modeling ools Ad an ages .................................................................................................... 14
Table 4 - Financial P ocesses ................................................................................................................. 18
Table 5 - P ocess Ac o s ........................................................................................................................ 19
Table 6 - P ocess Sys ems ...................................................................................................................... 19
Table 7 - P ocess Documen s ................................................................................................................ 19
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LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS
A3ES Agência de A aliação e Ac edi ação de Ensino Supe io
AI A i icial In elligence
BPM Business P ocess Managemen
BPMN Business P ocess Managemen No a ion
IDEF In eg a ion DEFini ion
OCR Op ical Cha ac e Recogni ion
RPA Robo ic P ocess Au oma ion
SaaS So wa e as a Se ice
UML Uni ied Modelling Language
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1. INTRODUCTION
1.1. BACKGROUND
“O e he las decade, he e has been a shi om “da a-awa e” in o ma ion sys ems o “p ocess-
awa e” in o ma ion sys ems.” (Van de Aals , 2003). E e y o ganiza ion has business p ocesses om
he a ac ion o cus ome s un il he p oduc s deli e ed o he consume s. A business p ocess is a se
o ac i i ies ha needed o be comple ed in o de o achie e a goal o a ce ain ou pu . Fo example,
a business p ocess o a ca selling company in ol es ac i i ies as clien acquisi ion, p esen a ions o
p oduc s, he budge de ini ion and a lo mo e. All he ac i i ies a e linked and ch onological
o ganized and, in his example he inpu is he clien in o ma ion and he ou pu he sale.
Business P ojec Managemen (BPM) is nowadays used in many di e en a eas and cases bu wi h
he same p opose - imp o e p ocesses. The imp o emen may be di e en depending on he
objec i es, whe e he mos common a e educing cos s, e o s and educing execu ions imes. The
BPM is de ined by Na hadiel Palme (Palme , 2014) as a "mix u e o modeling, au oma ion,
execu ion, con ol, measu emen and op imiza ion o business ac i i y lows in sus enance ce ain
goals…”
Wi h BPM, he pa h o imp o ing p ocesses h ough au oma ion becomes clea . Au oma ion in ol es
a se o ools, p ocesses, and insigh s ha en i onmen s use o sel -modi y and adjus , and some
en e p ises ha e s a ed using in elligen au oma ion o d i e a new, mo e p oduc i e ela ionship
be ween people and machines. One au oma ion p ocess ha is widely used nowadays besides
A i icial In elligence is RPA – Robo ic P ocess Au oma ion. While he echnology was de eloping o
some ime be o e, he eme gence o he e m "Robo ic P ocess Au oma ion" can be da ed o ea ly
2000. (UiPa h, 2016)
1.2. STUDY OBJECTIVES
Conside ing he p oblem iden i ied be o e, he emphasis o his p ojec will be he modula ion and
analysis o he inancial p ocesses o NOVA IMS. The e o e, he goal is o modula e he exis ing
p ocesses, analyze, and iden i y which p ocesses can be imp o ed and in which way. Subsequen ly,
hese imp o emen s can esul in educed execu ion imes, cos s and esou ces.
To achie e his main goal some successi e objec i es a e:
Unde s and he impo ance o BPM and Au oma ion inside a company/o ganiza ion.
Iden i y he main p ocesses in he inancial en i onmen o NOVA IMS
P ocess modeling in BMPN nomencla u e
In es iga e he possible implemen a ion o new au oma ed p ocesses, as well as,
imp o emen o old ones.
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P ocess edesign
Also denomina ed p ocess imp o emen , his s ep consis s in iden i y he changes ha can be done
o add ess he issues and achie e he desi ed pe o mance goals. This phase and he p e ious one
(p ocess analysis) a e done oge he since a e he new changes a e de ined, hey need o be
analyzed again. The ou come o his phase is a o-be p ocess model con aining he changes ha need
o be implemen ed.
P ocess Implemen a ion
In his phase, he changes equi ed o mo e om he as-is he o-be p ocess model a e pe o med. I
co e s wo aspec s which a e o ganiza ional managemen and p ocess au oma ion. The o me one
e e s o ac i i ies ha when implemen ed will change he way o wo k o all pa icipan s o he
p ocess. The second one consis s o he suppo o he o-be p ocess by IT sys ems (de eloped also in
his phase).
P ocess moni o ing
Once he edesign p ocess is unning new impo an da a is collec ed and all he pe o mance es s
a e made. E o s ha don’ i he desi ed objec i es a e iden i ied and co ec ed. This esul s in he
epe i ion o he BPM p ocess li e cycle.
2.1.3. P ocess modeling
Business p ocess models a e impo an a a ious phases o he BPM li e cycle. The e a e many
easons o model a p ocess, such as a simple unde s anding o he p ocess by he people in ol ed in
ha p ocess. (Dumas, La Rosa, Mendling, & Reije s, 2012)
Business p ocess modeling is a se o ac i i ies in ol ed in he c ea ion o business p ocess
ep esen a ions. The main pu pose is a comple e and easy o unde s and ep esen a ion o he
p ocesses. (ABPMP, 2013)The models can ha e di e en le els o de ails, om an abs ac ision o
a de ailed one. In e ms o con en , a p ocess model has di e en icons and lines ha ep esen
ac i i ies, e en s and o he elemen s o he p ocess as well as he connec ions be ween hose
elemen s.
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Many no a ions can be used o ep esen a business p ocess as we can see in igu e 2.
No a ion
Desc ip ion
Flowcha s
Simple bu limi ed se o symbols
E en -d i en P ocess Chain
E en s become he igge s o a p ocess s ep
In eg a ed De ini ion Language 3
I p o ides a mechanism o collec ion and documen ing p ocesses
Ac i i y Diag ams
Technical no a ions o ien ed o he desc ip ion o in o ma ion
sys ems equi emen s
Business P ocess Model and
No a ion
G ea o ep esen ing a model o di e en a ge s
Table 1 - Business P ocesses No a ions
2.1.4. Business P ocess Model and No a ion
As de ined be o e he BPM is he combina ion o echniques ha allows he unde s anding, analysis,
and imp o emen o se ices and an e ec i e and e icien deli e y o business objec i es.
To exp ess he business p ocess modeling di e en ypes o no a ions can be used bu o his wo k
p ojec , he BPMN ( e sion 2.0) was selec ed since i p o ides a g aphical no a ion o ep esen ing
p ocesses in diag ams ha a e easy o unde s and by all he business use s bu a he same ime
p esen ing all he in o ma ion needed o he echnical use s. (Objec Managemen G oup)
The de elopmen o BPMN has oo s in o he no a ions including UML diag ams, IDEF, UML EDOC
Business P ocess, Ac i i y-Decision Flow Diag ams, …, which makes i easie o people o ansac
om / he p e ious no a ions o his new one. (Recke , Indulska, Rosemaan, & G een, 2005). Fo
example, S heephen Whi e (Whi e, 2004) compa ed he BPMN speci ica ion o UML ac i i y
diag ams and concludes om his in es iga ion ha BPMN is mo e in ui i e han UML.
BPMN is a s anda d c ea ed by he g oup Business p ocess Managemen Ini ia i e and was published
as a s anda d by he Objec Managemen G oup (OMG) in 2011 ha ing as he la es e sion he
BPMN 2.0. Acco ding o (ABPMP, 2013), BPMN i ’s a no a ion ha can p esen a p ocess model ha
can be in e p e ed by di e en a ge audience since i has he e sa ili y o modula e di e en
si ua ions o a p ocess, easy o unde s and e en wi h he as se o symbols and o he igu es.
BPMN modeling p esen s ou se s o di e en elemen s:
Flow Objec s
Connec ing objec s
A i ac s
Swimlanes
All hese elemen s a e lis ed and desc ibed in able 2.
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Ca ego y
Elemen
Desc ip ion
No a ion
Flow
Objec s
E en
Some hing ha happens du ing
he p ocess and no mally has a
igge o impac on he esul .
The can be S a , in e media e o
end e en s.
Ac i i y
A ounded-co ne ec angle ha is
he gene ic wo k ha an
o ganiza ion pe o m
Ga eway
A diamond shape ha is used o
con ol he di e gence and
con e gen o he p ocess low. I s
mos ly used when decisions need
o be aken.
Connec ing
Objec s
Sequence
low
A solid line ha is used o show
he sequence o de o he p ocess
Message
low
A dashed line used o show he
low o messages be ween wo
di e en pa icipan s in he
p ocess
Associa ion
A do ed line used o associa e
da a, ex and o he a i ac s wi h
low objec s.
Swimlanes
Pool
Rep esen s a pa icipan and ac s
as a con aine o he ac i i ies o
ha pa icipan
Lane
A sub-pa i ion wi hin he Pool
ha ex ends his leng h ei he
ho izon ally o e ically
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Ca ego y
Elemen
Desc ip ion
No a ion
A i ac s
Da a
Objec
Elemen s p oduced o necessa y
o he ac i i y
G oup
A ounded-co ne dashed line
ec angle ha can be used o
documen a ion o analysis
pu poses
Anno a ion
P o ides addi ional in o ma ion
o he eade o a BPMN Diag am
Table 2 - BPMN Elemen s No a ion
Sou ce: Based on (Whi e, 2004)
2.1.5. Modeling ools
To accomplish he s udy ca ied ou du ing he li e a u e e iew and hus ealize he cu en s a e o
he inancial p ocesses o No a IMS School, a model o he p ocesses in BPMN will be buil .
The e o e, he i s s ep o be aken is he selec ion o a ool ha enables an e icien and e ec i e
way o build his model and a he same ime allow a simpli ied analysis o i .
Since he e a e di e en ools on he ma ke , i was necessa y o sea ch, analyze and e alua e a se
o ools o choose he one ha bes i s ou s udy p ocess.
The ollowing analysis and compa ison is based on a s udy conduc ed by Ga ne , a esea ch and
ad iso y company, wi h he objec i e o p o ide leade s ac oss he en e p ise wi h he c ucial
business insigh s, ad ice and ools hey need o achie e hei mission and build hei u u e
o ganiza ion. (Ga ne , 2019)
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Figu e 5 - Magic Quad an o In elligen Business P ocess Managemen Sui es
Sou ce: Magic Quad an o In elligen Business P ocess Managemen Sui es (Ga ne , 2019)
Popula selec ed ools o his p ojec a e Appian BPM Sui , IBM Business Au oma ion Wo k low;
O acle BPM S udio; Bizagi P ocess Modele and K2.
2.1.5.1. Appian BPM Sui :
Appian BPM Sui , om Appian, allows he c ea ion o p ocesses, d awing inspi a ion om he a ious
BPMN ools and combining hem wi h low code (d ag and d op) unc ions. I consis s in a highly
capable sui o ools ha includes p ocess modelling, Ui design and decision design. This solu ion
e en allows use s o op imize hei communica ion wi h pa ne s, ha means i s easy use. “The
Appian pla o m allows en e p ises o dynamically al e p ocesses o ongoing p ocess imp o emen
and suppo s in elligen business p ocesses ha suppo business ans o ma ion”. (Ga ne , 2019)
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2.1.5.2. IBM Business Au oma ion Wo k low:
IBM Business Au oma ion Wo k low, om IBM, “is so wa e ha combines business p ocess
managemen and case managemen capabili ies in o a single in eg a ed wo k low solu ion”. (O acle,
2020) One o he big ad an ages o his ool is he enhanced decision making by using buil -in
isibili y, ha allows he iden i ica ion o he bes p ac ices o esol e and imp o e e e y case. I also
has a cloud e sion ha suppo he same capabili ies as he s anda d op ions and is hos ed and
managed by IBM in i s IMB Cloud da a cen e s.
2.1.5.3. O acle BPM S udio:
O acle BPM S udio is a componen o he O acle BPM Sui e, c ea ed by O acle. I suppo s BPMN 2.0
and BPEL allowing he c ea ion o p ocess-based applica ions and model business p ocesses. Since i
p o ides a web-based applica ion o c ea ing business p ocesses, edi ing O acle Business Rules, and
ask cus omiza ion using p ede ined componen s, i can be used by analys s and de elope s. (O acle,
2018).
2.1.5.4. Bizagi P ocess Modele :
The Bizagi P ocess Modele is an applica ion ha allows he c ea ion o wo k lows and p ocess
models using he BPMN 2.0 no a ion. I joins he IT wi h he business because o he g ea use -
iendly and simple in e ace and he use o d ag and d op p ope ies. (Bizagi, 2018)
This applica ion app oaches he ma ke in di e en way, using i s ocus on easy usabili y and ee
usage business model as a majo poin o in e es o he consume s.
Acco ding o Ga ne and Bizagi use s, his applica ion has highes a e age cus ome sa is ac ion
sco es because o i s well- ounded usabili y and expe ience.
2.1.5.5. K2:
“K2 p o ides end- o-end capabili ies ha enable you o build you mos complex business
applica ions wi h li le- o-no code.” (K2, 2020)
The main capabili ies o K2 solu ion is he d ag and d op wo k low design, collabo a ion be ween
de elope s and business eams using ea u e- ich o ms and, because o i s ela ionship wi h
Mic oso , allows he in eg a ion wi h much o Mic oso se ices such as O ice 365 and Powe BI.
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A e he analysis o di e en ools and mo e speci ically hose men ioned abo e, in he ollowing
able we can see he summa y o he g ea es ad an ages o each one, based on Ga ne ’s analys s’
s udies. As a esul o his able we can ge a holis ic iew o all he ools.
Tools
Ad an ages
Appian BPM Sui
Pla o m wi h a s ong pe o mance ac oss all c i e ia;
High use sa is ac ion wi h he o e all pla o m expe ience.
IBM Business Au oma ion
Wo k low
Consis en web-based design;
Pa o a collec ion o ools ha can all be in eg a ed o a
uni ied expe ience.
O acle BPM S udio
S ong analy ical capabili ies;
Dynamic o ches a ion o business p ocesses;
Can also be used wi h he OIC (O acle In eg a ion Cloud, o a
b owse -based expe ience.
Bizagi P ocess Modele
F eemium so wa e;
Easy o use;
Popula be ween i s ma ke niche;
F ee access o comp ehensi e sel - aining cou ses.
K2
Easy collabo a ion be ween business and p o essional
de elope s using Sma o ms;
Mic oso pa ne ship allowing in eg a ions wi h Mic oso
p oduc s like O ice 365 and Powe BI;
Table 3 - Modeling ools Ad an ages
2.1.6. P ocess ans o ma ion
The goal is o ind he bes way he p ocess does i s wo k, i can mean simple hings as new
equipmen o mo e complex hings as new business app oaches. I can be ha d o implemen and
c ea e discom o o he adi ional mindse membe s, bu i all can be a enua ed wi h p e en i e
measu es, o example, a g adual ans o ma ion (ABPMP, 2013)
Acco ding o ABPMP, he e a e se e al ways o apply sys ema ic ans o ma ion and imp o e he
p ocesses. The mos used and ha imp o e he p ocess con inuously a e Lean, Six Sigma and TQM;
Bu we also can use he p ocesses edesign; p ocesses eenginee ing, and o he s. Nex , acco ding o
ABPMP, he me hodologies ha imp o e p ocesses (Lean, Six Sigma and TQM) will be analyzed mo e
deeply since hey p eceded and inspi ed BPM.
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Lean
O igina ed om he P oduc ion Toyo a Sys em, he main objec i e o Lean is o ob ain he igh
hings, o he igh place, in he igh ime and igh quan i y, o minimize he was e and be open o
changes (ABPMP, 2013). I iden i ies se en was es in he alue chain: o e p oduc ion, in en o y,
wai ing- ime, anspo a ion, p ocessing, mo ion, and sc ap.
The key p inciples o his way o hinking a e:
Pe ec quali y he i s ime – chase o he ze o de ec s;
Was e minimiza ion by elimina ing ac i i ies ha don’ gene a e alue;
Maximiza ion o he esou ce’s usage;
Con inues imp o emen ;
Pull p ocessing: p oduc s and se ices a e eques ed by clien s
Flexibili y
Building and main aining a long- e m ela ionship sha ing supplie s h ough collabo a i e
sha ing o isks, cos s as well as in o ma ion sha ing a angemen s.
Six Sigma
Six Sigma is a p ocess imp o emen app oach de eloped by Mo o ola, in he mid-1980s, whe e he
e o s a e o ien a ed o achie e pe ec ion in ope a ions (Neubaue , 2009). I elays on ac s and
s a is ic da a o elimina e any de ec s in any p ocess since i s manu ac u ing o adi ional and om
p oduc o se ice (ABPMP, 2013). A de ec is de ined as any hing ou side o cus ome speci ica ions.
Achie ing a Six Sigma le el o quali y means limi ing de ec i e pe o mance o 3.4 pe million
oppo uni ies (Mon es & Molina, 2006). This app oach is no necessa ily applied alone and
some imes i blends wi h he Lean leading o he app oach known as Lean Six Sigma.
TQM
To al Quali y Managemen is a se o p ac ices o ensu e ha an o ganiza ion can sa is y o e en
exceed clien equi emen s. I is conside ed a p ecu so o Six Sigma and elies on he s a is ical
analysis o he da a o iden i y de ec s and imp o emen oppo uni ies. (ABPMP, 2013) This
app oach is p ima ily ound in manu ac u ing domains. (Dumas, La Rosa, Mendling, & Reije s, 2012)
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2.2. ROBOTIC PROCESS AUTOMATION
P ocess au oma ion is one o he possible esul s a e a business p ocess has been analyzed and
iden i ied. “RPA does no eplace BPM, bu a he complemen s i .” (Willcocks, Laci y, & C aig, 2015)
RPA is a de eloping echnology, bu , as we jus b ie ly discussed, i s ill elies on he echnologies o
a i icial in elligence, sc een sc aping, and wo k low au oma ion and ele a es hese echnologies o a
new le el, ad ancing hei capabili ies in a signi ican ly imp o ed way. Deloi e sugges s ha
“Robo ic P ocess Au oma ion (RPA) is he applica ion o echnology allowing employees in a
company o con igu e compu e so wa e o a ‘ obo ’ o eason, collec and ex ac knowledge,
ecognize pa e ns, lea n and adap o new si ua ions o en i onmen s.”
Al hough he e m “Robo ic p ocess au oma ion “sugges s physical obo s doing o ice asks no mally
did by humans i is a so wa e-based solu ion. IRPAAI (Ins i u e o Robo ic P ocess Au oma ion and
A i icial In elligence) de ines RPA as a echnology ha allows he employees o a company o
con igu e a so wa e ( obo ) o u ilize exis ing applica ions om p ocessing and manipula ing da a, as
well as, communica e wi h o he digi al sys ems. All o his is done wi hou any human in e ac ion.
RPA ools can ange om solu ions ha ope a e simple and indi idual compu e s o ones ha
ope a e in he en e p ise se e and ha e wide con ac wi h he in o ma ion o a company. They can
be applied o di e en domains, o example, banking, inance, insu ance, heal hca e, and legal
se ices. RPA ools a e c ea ed o imi a e he same manual pa hs aken by a human, by using a
combina ion o use in e ace in e ac ion. (Ga ne , 2018)
Ga he , conside he main ad an ages o his ool he cos s and ime-consuming educ ion, inc ease
accu acy, compliance imp o emen and ime-consuming educ ion.
Using BPM, we can iden i y he bes business p ocesses o au oma e ha , acco ding o Accen u e,
a e ule-based and no dependen on human judgmen , ini ia ed by a digi al igge , wi h a high
olume o execu ions and s abile.
17
F om E nes & Young expe ience, he e a e i e key aspec s i al o he success ul RPA
implemen a ion:
P ocess P io i isa ion: P ocesses c i ical o business and hei in e ac ion should be clea ly
unde s ood.
Business and IT Accoun abili y: Business p ocess owne s mus eel accoun able o he
in ol emen o hei people in he RPA de elopmen and implemen a ion. They also should
be espec ul and ollow IT go e nance p o ocols.
Design and Execu ion: Mo e quickly o p o e ha RPA concep s a e iable o he
au oma ion p ojec .
S akeholde s engagemen : The alue o RPA mus be e ec i ely communica ed o all he
pe sons in ol ed in he p ojec bu also o he chie o ice s.
Bene i s ealiza ion: con inuous imp o emen mechanisms should be p o ided. Regula
upda es a e essen ial o main ain he con idence o all s akeholde s
An a ea whe e he RPA is impo an o his wo k is Financial Se ices. EY (E ns & Young Accoun an s
LLP, 2016) e e s ha RPA is quickly e ol ing in inance unc ions since his is in cons an p essu e
and he majo challenges a e o sh ink cos s and suppo dec easing ma gins. Capgemini also adds
ha o ganiza ions ha a e inno a ing using RPA can d i e 25-50% cos sa ings, educing he la ency
and ge ing highe le els o p oduc i i y.
Some RPA solu ions mos used nowadays in he inancial a ea a e lis ed and analyzed below:
Capgemini RPA Solu ion: Wi h an app oach ha helps inancial ins i u ions o de ine an RPA
oadmap, selec app op ia e ools, c ea e a pilo , se an ope a ing model, pe o m
go e nance, se up he igh eam and es he solu ion be o e launch. They gi e inancial
ins i u ions and insu ance companies a way o imp o e hei p ocesses.
BlueP ism Digi al Wo k o ce ( inancial se ices): “Au oma es many o he p ocesses ha
hold inancial o ganiza ions back. Wi h wo ld-class secu i y, comp ehensi e audi ails and
non- epudia ion, Blue P ism is designed o mee he s ic secu i y and compliance needs o
he inancial se ices indus y.” (Bluep ism, s.d.)
UIpa h en e p ise RPA pla o m: “UiPa h p o ides p ocess e iciency and lowe s cos s while
ensu ing egula o y compliance and deepe analy ical insigh . Implemen a ion wi h UiPa h is
as e and compe i i ely less expensi e han IT au oma ion p ojec s”. (UiPa h) Fo example,
he obo s can check incomes, expenses and o he da a om se e al da abases and p esen
i o he analys in eal- ime.
24
3.3.2.3. Sala ies p ocessing p ocess
Figu e 9 - Sala ies P ocess
As p esen ed in he igu e abo e, his p ocess ela es o he NOVA IMS employee’s sala y paymen .
I s a s wi h he human esou ces ha ing all he in o ma ion ega ding each employee's sala y,
which hen is inpu ed on he Sis ema Cen al de Ges ão, so i can be accessed by he inancial
se ices. Then, hey p ocess he sala ies and ela ed axes and send he inal in o ma ion o he
Uni e sidade No a de Lisboa ounda ion ha will pay he employees.
25
3.3.2.4. In oice p ocessing p ocess
Figu e 10 - In oice p ocessing p ocess
This subp ocess is ans e se o many p ocesses since i is necessa y e e y ime a ansac ion is
made. In his case, i appea s on he Goods and se ices acquisi ion p ocess. The main objec i e is o
p ocess he in oices and be su e ha he paymen happened. The p ocess s a s wi h he in oice
alida ion which gua an ees ha is he co ec one o be inse ed in he sys em. A e ha , i is
a ached o he PAD and sen o be app o ed one mo e ime be o e he paymen o he supplie .
26
3.3.2.5. Bank econcilia ion p ocess
Figu e 11 - Bank econcilia ion p ocess
The p ocess p esen ed in igu e 6 has he main objec i e o gua an ee ha e e y ansac ion has
been p ope ly made and ha he inal bank balance is co ec . Fi s ly, a eco d o e e y inancial
ansac ion made du ing a day is p epa ed. As he nex s ep, he e is a manual and de ailed analysis
o see i e e y ansac ion and alue is co ec . When inconsis encies a e ound hey a e in es iga ed
and i possible, he p ope co ec ions a e made.
27
3.4. PROPOSAL FOR IMPROVEMENTS
A e e iewing and analyzing he p ocesses p esen ed and, o e lec ha analysis in imp o emen s,
he nex sec ion o his p ojec wo k will explain which a e he main de iciencies and p opose
possible solu ions. The ocus would be au oma izing he p ocess wi h RPA solu ions, educing ime,
money and imp o e employee’s sa is ac ion and p oduc i i y.
Ano he poin o analysis will be he Sis ema Cen al de Ges ão. The NOVA IMS inancial se ices and
o he depa men s al eady ha e his cen e ed sys em whe e hey can, in a as way, sha e
in o ma ion. Howe e , i is no cu en ly being used a i s ulles po en ial.
Gene al imp o emen s o he p ocesses:
One conce n aised by D . Sil ia was he educed le el o pe sonnel esponsible o keep he inancial
se ices wo king. The cu en eam can gi e he esponse o he daily basis asks bu he e a e some
e en s du ing he yea ha o e load ha eam wi h wo k. Examples o hese e en s a e he
s uden s' ee paymen ime o wo ke aca ions. The hi e o a leas one mo e pe son can be seen
ini ially seen as an expense bu in a long- ime scena io, i would inc ease he quali y o he esul s,
he p oduc ion le el and o cou se he happiness and wellbeing o he employees.
Ano he lack, ha in his case, co ela es he sys em and he people, s a s wi h he ac ha he
sys em is a SaaS (So wa e-as-a-se ice) and so, a e implemen a ion, i has mul iple eleases
ega ding people’s needs. These ypes o solu ions as many ad an ages bu i is also needed o ake
in o conside a ion some disad an ages, o ins ance, he managemen o he use knowledge. On
NOVA IMS e e y ime he e is a new upda e, no all he use s a e no i ied and he e is no aining
ela ed o he upda es which educe wo ke s' knowledge abou he ool and inc ease he ime and
esou ces spen o do each ask.
The bes imp o emen o do ega ding his poin is o ha e sho wo kshops e e y ime a new
elease comes ou . Wi h his upg ade, no only he people will ha e mo e capaci y o daily basis
asks bu hey ha e a momen o be hea d ha esul s in a be e wo k en i onmen and also he
ga he ing o eedback ela ed o he sys em in use.
28
P ocess numbe
and name
C i ical analysis
P oposal o imp o emen s
P ocess 1 –
Se ices and goods
acquisi ion
a) Cu en ly, a NOVA IMS he
c ea ion o he PO is done
manually. An employee en e s he
sys ems, sea ch o he igh o de
and c ea es he PO.
This ask by i sel is simple bu
when he numbe o PO inc eases
i becomes mo e con using and a
sys ema ic ask ha can lead o
e o s.
b) As seen in he p ocess model
e e y ime an a ea o NOVA IMS
wan s o make a new pu chase, i
needs o send an email o he
au ho ize and jus a e he
au ho iza ion, he pu chase is sen
o he pa imonial a ea o be
inse ed in o he sys em. These
ac ions can lead o e o s and he
mos common a e he ailu e in
sending he email, loss o he email
in he middle o he numbe o
emails ecei ed du ing he day o
also send he email o he w ong
pe son.
a) Au oma ic PO c ea ion:
Wi h RPA he en i e p ocess om
c ea ing a pu chase eques o aising a
pu chase o de is done au oma ically.
The so wa e, ha would be in eg a ed
wi h he cu en sys em would
au oma ically ollow a wo k low seeking
app o al om he app o e and
p ocessing he eques o aise a PO.
A e ha , and i needed, he inancial
se ices employee can jus consul o
p in i o documen a ion eco ds. The
bene i s o his sugges ion a e educing
he ime by elimina ing a simple bu
ime-consuming ask.
b) Sys em u iliza ion a ully po en ial:
This segmen o he p ocess could be
a oided and imp o ed i e e y a ea has
i s accoun p o ile in he sys em and,
when a new pu chase wan s o be
made, i is immedia ely egis e ed in he
sys em. The au ho ize (di ec o o
adminis a o ) could also ha e p o iles
o au ho ize he o de di ec ly in he
sys em. Ins ead o using he email o
communica ion, ha has a high isk o
no being ecei ed o ead, all he
communica ions would be done in he
sys em ha also does he ollow-up
p ocess.
These imp o emen s would highly
educe ime and allow he cen aliza ion
o in o ma ion in one place, g an ing a
quick and o ganized access o i .
Addi ionally, i would allow he o he
pa icipan s in he p ocess o
unde s and be e who did he eques
and in which scope.
29
P ocess numbe
and name
C i ical analysis
P oposal o imp o emen s
P ocess 4 – In oice
p ocessing
a) The egis a ion o he in oice in
he sys em and consequen ly
a ach o he PO is also done
manually. This is a simple bu ime-
consuming ask ha could easily be
done au oma ically
a) Au oma ic in oice egis a ion:
Exploi ing obo ic au oma ion
p ocesses, any in oice ecei ed by pape
o email would be au oma ically
scanned, p ocessed wi h an OCR
echnology, egis e ed in he sys em,
and a ached o he PO. All he ac ions
au oma ically made would be sa ed in
logs o u u e audi s and possible e o s
solu ion.
Op ical Cha ac e Recogni ion, o OCR,
“is a echnology ha enables you o
con e di e en ypes o documen s,
such as scanned pape documen s, PDF
iles in o edi able da a”. (ABBYY, 2019)
This solu ion will educe he imes and
dec ease he p obabili y o e o s.
P ocess 5 – Bank
econcilia ion
a) In NOVA IMS bank econcilia ion
is a synonym o a ick-and- ie
me hod. All he ansac ions a e
analyzed and ma ch manually, a
p ocess ha akes a lo o ime and
esou ces.
a) Au oma ic back econcilia ion:
Wi h he u iliza ion o RPA solu ion, all
he p ocesses could be au oma ed. Fo
example, (Quidjes , 2019) says ha you
can au oma ically impo bank
s a emen in o ma ion and h ough
ma ching c i e ia de ined by he use ,
cash mo emen s a e easily econciled
wi h bank mo emen s h ough an
au oma ic sugges ion. This p ocess
would dec ease d as ically he ime
spen on his ask and a oid he mos
common sou ce o e o s – he human.
30
4. CONCLUSIONS
Knowing ha echnology is inc easingly p esen in ou days, we mus be able o use i o imp o e ou
daily asks. The o ganiza ions a e mainly he ones ha use he echnology, applying i in hei
depa men s, o de elop and e ol e hei ac i i ies, hus aiming o ob ain all he bene i s i p o ides.
An example o using his echnology is he BPM me hodology. The Business P ocess Managemen
me hodology has been ac i ely implemen ed in public and educa ional o ganiza ions esul ing in a
no iceable imp o emen in he se ices ha hey p o ide, as demons a ed in he a ious documen s
used and e e enced in his documen . Because i is a simple language i is unde s andable o
e e yone in ol ed in he p ocess om analys s o p og amme s, and hus leads o a posi i e syne gy
o de elopmen . This s udy also p o ed o be an essen ial ool o unde s anding he p ocesses
analyzed and so c ea ing alue o hem.
Wi h he c ea ion o p ocess diag ams, we we e able o immedia ely in e some ewe e ec i e
p ac ices and he imp o emen s needed o econs uc hem. Bizagi Modele so wa e has p o ed o
be an excellen wo king ool. Wi h he main bene i s o being simple, easy o unde s and and
o e ing di e en expo possibili ies, i becomes a g ea ally in p ocess modeling.
I was e y in e es ing o apply his knowledge o he speci ic case o No a In o ma ion Managemen
School's inancial se ices. E en hough i is an in o ma ion managemen school some o i s daily
p ocesses we e s ill ca ied ou manually and wi h he need o use di e en sys ems and esou ces o
ensu e hei luidi y. I was ealized ha p ocesses such as bank econcilia ion o e-mail exchanges
o app o al o a pu chase o de could use au oma ion o become as e , less expensi e, and ee up
o college employees who can ocus on mos impo an asks.
Wi h his p ojec only in ended o modula e he inancial p ocesses and analyze possible
imp o emen s u u e wo k could add ess hese imp o emen s, seek hei p ac ical implemen a ion,
and implemen hem hus o e ing NOVA IMS a ool o in e nal e olu ion.
31
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5. Budge a y app oach documen example
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