Credit: IDG
The Ministry of Social Development (MSD) is going to market for a process automation technology solution provider and advisor.
The ministry is seeking an advanced desktop assistant (ADA) that mimics the way people interact with systems and applications to perform high volume repeatable tasks. For instance, it should be able to log into applications, enter data, calculate, complete tasks, and copy data between applications or workflows.
MSD is seeking a supplier to partner with who will implement and provision the ADA for testing in a six-month pilot at one contact centre and two processing units and to deliver support services.
"The pilot aims to create efficiencies for front-line staff by assisting with the completion of high volume, repeatable manual processing tasks," an MSD request for proposals said.
"The pilot will provide a ‘test and learn’ opportunity for MSD to start small and incrementally improve its understanding and use of automation."
That experience would then be used to inform longer term decisions about straight through processing.
"There will be a further investment decision required at the end of the pilot, if the decision is to roll out the ADA to full scale, MSD wants the option to continue using the supplier for the full-scale implementation and support," the RFP said.
The tender comes as the ministry charts a path into a multi-cloud future to support its Te Pae Tawhiti business transformation.
With $70 million assigned for IT asset renewals, the ministry is spending the rest of the current financial year investing in the foundations needed to manage a multi-cloud hosting environment so it can migrate away from its current on-premise model and support cloud native services.
An updated technology strategy was also delivered to help MSD articulate the shifts needed to improve its services, enhance workforce skills, reduce IT risks and enable ways of working and to deliver transformation.
"Investment has been provided to help mitigate MSD’s critical IT risks and there are a number of programmes underway to further modernise and strengthen the availability and resilience of its core systems," the ministry reported.
The new tender said MSD was looking for highly scalable, packaged process automation technology that supported rapid development, iteration and production deployment of tactical solutions in response to immediate business needs and which offered multiple implementation options ensuring security and compliance, among other requirements.
SaaS was the ministry's first preference for a cloud-based process automation solution followed by PaaS.
