A Manchester automations consultancy is expanding after introducing robotics into the public sector.
Agile Automations is set to expand its scope of work with KCS, one of the largest UK suppliers to schools, nurseries, and public sector organisations.
Founded in 2015, Agile Automations helps businesses identify and streamline manual processes by creating ‘bots’ to do the heavy lifting. Based in Blackfriars House, Manchester, the company has made two new hires in the last 12 months and works with clients from financial institutes to property developers, and now the public sector.
KCS, a subsidiary of Commercial Services Group, gives access to more than 20,000 products and resources, as well as 30 procurement frameworks. Since working with Agile Automations, it has cut manual processing time by up to 50% using robotic process automation (RPA).
The new technology has reduced KCS’s need for temporary staff, saved on printing costs and improved the customer experience. It also means publicly funded organisations such as schools, local government, and emergency services are receiving their vital supplies quicker than ever.
Over three months the Agile Automations team developed an intelligent email order automation which can now be adapted and used by hundreds of businesses cross-sector. The solution consists of two bots, one of which continuously scans incoming emails for order details and a second which allows a user to review any automatically rejected orders.
Kevin Attwood, customer experience director at KCS said: “The solution is versatile and scalable. We are considering further areas within our organisation that would benefit through automation solutions from Agile Automations and we continue to form a long-term strategic partnership.”
According to the 2022 Gartner Magic Quadrant Report, RPA is the fastest-growing area in the software market and the most suitable choice for operational efficiency.
Ronak Halani, COO at Agile Automations added: “It’s been a great 12 months for Agile Automations. We have grown the team and we are confident this is only the beginning of our work in the public sector. Our collaboration with KCS demonstrates the true power of bespoke automation solutions and the many benefits it brings to the workforce of the future. Not only has it led to significant time savings, but it has also added extra value to KCS customers who benefit from a speedier, streamlined response to their orders.”
