RPA is becoming a large talking point as Energy and Commodity trading firms have already acknowledged the opportunities it presents. Broadly, how can these firms use RPA to achieve operational excellence?

RPA offers opportunities to develop automation projects that can not be cheaply managed with traditional tools.

How can Energy and Commodity trading firms optimise their back office functions when it comes to automating low value, repetitive processes?

RPA can be used for the automation of simple administrative tasks. With basic training, the back office staff can afford to automate different tasks by themselves. We are talking about simple tasks of low importance that are difficult to automate in a traditional project with ICT due to the cost/benefit ratio involved.

What are the challenges that arise with the implementation of the RPA in the back office? 

First, you must select an RPA tool that fits with your requirements among the different available tools. Second, you must train your staff in the new tool. And finally, you must identify, define and execute the different possible RPA automations.

Automation can be implemented not only on basic administrative tasks but on more ambitious projects as well. Could you please elaborate on that?

We have identified several possible developments for the automation of information recording in our ETRMs. It can help us to avoid manual work but also reduce the risk of mistakes and the need of checks. These projects are more complex than the automation of a simple administrative task and require collaboration with the ICT department.

What would you like to achieve by attending the Optimising the Back Office Function in Energy and Commodity Trading event?

It is an opportunity to share experiences with colleagues and to learn about new solutions that can help us in our everyday work.