The management of the Annual Control of Non-Contributory Pensions (PNC) involves a large volume of work and complexity that makes it difficult to guarantee the right to maintain their pension to the most vulnerable people in Andalusia. The application of innovative technologies such as robotic automation of processes and intelligent processing of documents makes it possible to standardise and streamline procedures.
Innovation Summary
Innovation Overview
In Andalusia there are more than 100,000 citizens who receive non-contributory disability and retirement pensions. Each year, it is verified that they continue to meet the legal requirements for this by checking their cohabitation and household income data. Previously, the complexity of the process, coupled with the high volume of files and a shortage of human resources, made it difficult to guarantee pensioners' entitlement to benefits on time. In addition, it required a large number of verifications and validations, which was very costly in terms of resources and time invested.
Therefore, the Regional Ministry of Social Inclusion, Youth, Families and Equality, together with the Andalusian Digital Agency, opted to implement innovative technologies such as Robotic Process Automation (RPA) and Intelligent Document Processing (IDP) in the Regional Government of Andalusia. Its objective is to achieve a more agile and efficient management of beneficiaries' declarations so that they can maintain their pension, homogenising actions in all provinces, and contributing to achieving a fairer and more egalitarian society.
The project began in 2020 with a proof of concept in Granada, which demonstrated the potential of the automation system, and led to its deployment in the rest of the provinces of Andalusia. In successive years, the process has been remodelled to increase new automations, increasing its efficiency. In 2022, the focus was put on the definition and design, incorporating the experience of all the provinces and the lessons learned from the first implementation. This involved a complete overhaul of the process, incorporating the automation of files that had previously been beyond the robot's reach. In addition, new consultations were defined, extending the robot's performance without human intervention.
This past year, 2023, the scope was increased with the automated processing of declarations submitted by pensioners. Using innovative intelligent document processing technology, it is verified that the pensioner declares that there have been no changes to his or her family and financial situation data, and in this case, the robot checks whether they are still valid compared to the previous year. In total, it has been possible to carry out an automated review of around 65% of the declarations submitted.
The incorporation of this technology has helped to increase efficiency, scalability and agility, reducing errors, allowing professionals to focus on more valuable tasks and improving the service provided to citizens.
Innovation Description
What Makes Your Project Innovative?
The incorporation of intelligent automation technologies (RPA and IDP) has contributed to the improvement in efficiency, scalability and agility, allowing professionals to dedicate their time to carrying out tasks with more added value, which require an assessment or decision to be made by people based on their experience and knowledge of the specific field of action.
The project is not only innovative from the perspective of promoting new technological solutions, but also from the point of view of integrating an innovative culture into day-to-day work that helps to redesign and shape the way work is done. In addition, the project has served as a basis for the definition of the ‘Process Automation Methodology of the Andalusian Regional Government’ based on Lean Management and focused on obtaining results in an agile way’.
Innovation Development
Collaborations & Partnerships
The Digital Agency of Andalusia, belonging to the Regional Ministry of the Presidency, Interior, Social Dialogue and Administrative Simplification, has implemented the process jointly with the Regional Ministry of Social Inclusion, Youth, Families and Equality. Of particular note is the participation of the Directorate General for the Elderly, Active Participation and Unwanted Loneliness. With the collaboration of the technological partners Uipath, Servinform and EY.
Users, Stakeholders & Beneficiaries
- Citizenship: ensuring that all beneficiaries receive the appropriate benefit, guaranteeing this right to the most vulnerable groups for a fairer and more equal society.
- Public employees: freeing up workers' time to devote to more cognitively demanding activities.
- Andalusian administration: more efficient functioning and homogenisation of the process in all provinces, generating confidence in citizens and legitimacy in public institutions’.
Innovation Reflections
Results, Outcomes & Impacts
- 275,000 pensioner declarations managed since 2020,
- More than 5.3 million queries.
- More than 170,000 robot hours, freeing up managers from repetitive tasks and allowing them to focus on more value-added tasks.
- Up to 40 robots working simultaneously
- Reduction in the number of errors, reducing costs derived from their resolution and increasing confidence in the process.
- Homogenisation of the process in the eight provinces.
- The investment made in the project was amortised in the first ten days of implementation’.
Challenges and Failures
- Automation of a very complex process, requiring multiple consultations and validations, reducing manual intervention to a minimum.
- Lack of homogeneity of the process in the different provinces, which made it necessary to establish common guidelines for the management of these benefits.
- Reproduction in test environments of file situations with very different social and family situations, making it difficult to create representative use cases.
- Collaboration and dialogue between the more technical and citizen-oriented profiles.
- Coordination in the tasks carried out by the robot and the human manager.
- Compliance with deadlines, as there are phases that need to be carried out in different timeframes that depend on each other’.
Replication
The levels of efficiency and effectiveness achieved motivated the creation of a Centre of Excellence for Intelligent Automation, in charge of deploying a single approach for the entire Andalusian Regional Government.
The established methodology has allowed for the streamlining of the implementation of other robotisation initiatives of the Junta de Andalucía, such as the processing of grants in different areas such as employment, commerce, transport, fisheries, tourism and housing.
It is also transferable to other administrations, both from the perspective of the applicability of the methodology at state, regional or local level, as well as the reuse of automated components.
Lessons Learned
- Precise definition and design, incorporating as many cases as possible to minimise the subsequent necessary adjustments.
- Adequate validation of the tests of the developments, creating extensive batteries that allow the processes to be tested with the most varied casuistry in order to deal with the different cases raised with solvency.
- Homogenisation and establishment of a methodology that allows the teams to start from a common work scheme, reducing errors and mitigating the diversity of interpretations.
- Exhaustive monitoring of the planning and defined stages, ensuring compliance with the established deadlines.
- Cohesion and understanding in the teams, supporting change management, involving all stakeholders’.
