Catching enthusiasm

On 27th of May 2020 the first training module initiated by the Automation Academy Team took place. The two lecturers faced just as many participants. A course with potential for expansion, especially in terms of communication and practical relevance. With a lot of passion and driven by the prospect of discovering many automation possibilities at A1 Austria, the training content was better tailored to target groups, virtualized, made more flexible and advertised in a variety of ways. Just a few months later, 250 interested people were already diving deeper into the world of automation. By now, there have been more than 2,000 participants, numerous implemented automation processes and a sustainable change in thinking. What were your most exciting insights, Sara, Dietmar and Peter?

A training with many aspects

For many, automation and robotics sound complicated and technical and awaken unpleasant ideas of a machine world that replaces the human workforce. The more important it is to clear the air about these preconceptions and raise awareness. Sonja Wallner, CFO at A1 Austria, also responsible for automation and data analytics, describes the transformation process as follows: »Automation is a decisive step towards a successful future. A lot of data is needed to drive automation efficiently and effectively. Especially when it comes to data, an error-free application is essential for an optimal result. Those who deal with this topic need not be afraid of it, but can recognize the opportunities to develop personally and our company«

Dietmar Baumbruck
Accounting and Investment Management at A1 Austria

»You don’t have to be a technician to recognize problem areas.«

Dietmar is the Sherlock Holmes of accounting. With his ears and eyes open, his sense for optimization potential in his own area is sharpened, and in case of doubt, his trusted colleague is still called in. »I took part in the Academy because I wanted to get to know the technical tools we use for automation better. That way, I can take an even better look at where recurring workflows slow down the process.« Dietmar is proud of the introduction of a standardized form for floor damage to automate more than 1,100 bookings in 2022. For the future, he hopes: »that many smaller processes will also be taken over by robots, freely according to the motto ‘Little things also make crap’.«

Sara Pavlovic
Self-Service Developer at A1 Austria

»At first it’s difficult, then it gets messy, and in the end it’s great.«

Already during her studies, Sara was interested in process mining and also dedicated her master thesis to automation. »I interviewed colleagues who have used robots in production. They are all positive about RPA (Robotic Process Automation) because robots are used for “boring” tasks.« Sara is curious and ambitious to understand and simplify processes. Hence, her participation in the Automation Academy was also the impetus for her to expand her own career plans and to develop into a self-service developer.

Peter Schachinger
Process Manager and Self-Service Developer at paybox Bank

»Rebuilding processes in an automated way is as creative (and easy) as playing with Lego.«

Fundamentally interested in improvement, Peter signed up for the Automation Academy, hoping to learn more about the technology and apply it to his area of responsibility. These were not only fulfilled, but exceeded! He established quickly a direct connection to his own work and has caused his learning curve grew steeply upward. »I was thrilled by how professionally the A1 colleagues set up the platform technologically. For us, it is therefore an invaluable advantage that, on the one hand, we can use the infrastructure within the A1 Group, and on the other hand, as self-service developers, we can implement our potential ourselves.«

It is therefore also within our own sphere
of influence how we use the opportunities
offered for personal development and the further
development of our company.