DIGITAL AUTOMATION (USAF)

US Air Force picture of a plane on the runway with someone on the ground directing it

Client Challenge

Brillient was awarded a contract with the Air Force Personnel Center (AFPC) to help them automate manual repetitive, rules-based tasks. The AFPC must accurately account for airman dwell time at all assigned locations in order to determine airman availability for travel and deployment. The calculation of dwell time was inaccurate due to incorrect data entry of a field value of ‘X” in MilPDS where another code should have been entered. There was a backlog of millions of records that required an individual to validate the details of the record and update it to the proper code. Identifying and correcting this error consumed thousands of hours of labor time per year. The data errors also created a potential for error in personnel assignments, but the primary benefit of the automation was efficiency.

Brillient Solution

Brillient held a workshop for AFPC where we were able to identify this problem as an excellent rules-based, manual and repetitive use case for RPA. 

Once the opportunity for automation was identified, Brillient provided guidance and a template for AFPC to develop a Process Design Document (PDD), which documented at the keystroke level the steps the bot would perform.

Client Benefit

Brillient helped the USAF to objectively evaluate their current dwell time practices. Elimination of the data correction backlog through automation was estimated by AFPC to save approximately 229,000 labor hours, creating capacity for other, higher-value tasks. The automation was developed in only two weeks.

Brillient successfully developed, tested, and deployed the bot to reduce the manual updates by 40%.