RPA for Real: Ascension Health Takes on Leading Role

Interview with A.J. Hanna, Executive Director, Ascension Ministry Services Center, of Ascension Health

A.J. Hanna has, in short succession, held two fascinating shared services roles, which summarize just where best practices are taking this ‘industry’. Up until recently, he ran the Operations Support team for the shared services group (Ministry Services Center) at Ascension, the largest non-profit healthcare system in the US. In effect, this translated into "shared services for shared services".

What it meant was that those services that were best provided via a consolidated team – like contact center work, analytics, or continuous improvement – were run separately from the operating areas.

"We basically serve those who serve our clients, to make sure that nothing takes their attention away from service," he tells Barbara Hodge. Crucially, his position was at the same level as that of the operating leads, which meant that improvement efforts were entirely collaborative.

Today, AJ runs Ascension's Innovation Engine, leveraging robotics process automation that was first introduced 2 1/2 years ago. RPA already runs through all three of the centers’ operating towers, and AJ is now focused on identifying complementary technologies to automate work at the highest quality, speed, and value possible. As this new robotics technology is spreading rapidly, Ascension’s Ministry Services Team deserves the accolades that go with having pioneered RPA from the start!

AJ shares tips on how to start an RPA initiative in this brief interview.

#COE #RPA #build-capacity #don’t-be-afraid-of-terminology #opportunity-is-tremendous #future

[eventpdf]