Olaf Pietschner (Capgemini)
Capgemini has reduced document processing from days to seconds as part of a systems overhaul for Services Australia.
The global systems integrator created a bespoke system for the federal department using Python, optical character recognition (OCR) software and natural language processing over a period of short “sprints” last year.
The solution has provided Services Australia with a new system for users to submit, classify and verify documentation online.
According to Capgemini, the solution was built on an unspecified cloud service provider platform and can process approximately 25,000 claims, or documents, per day, such as applications for JobKeeper and JobSeeker.
The solution is still in full trial mode, but could be made available to other government departments following an evaluation.
Speaking to ARN, Capgemini CEO for Australia and New Zealand Olaf Pietschner said the overall project took over six months with “robust testing”.
“It was a robust solution that documented API and endpoint schemes,” he explained. “We thoroughly tested the application of API to a set of use cases that we knew were working and tested it, and continue to test.”
Speaking more broadly around the GSI’s general interaction with the government, Pietschner said the company had been working with different agencies since 2012.
Looking at the bulk of Capgemini’s work with the government currently, he said the SI was now largely focused on dealing with the increased volume of digital interactions between the government and users.
“We are working very closely with our key strategic partners using cloud technologies to leverage advanced capabilities for the government,” he said. “Salesforce and SAP are very prevalent in Federal Government contracts in Australia, and we can invoke [them] globally, plus some of the new technologies around artificial intelligence.”
Looking at the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact, he added that Capgemini was already set up for remote working but had encountered its own set of challenges when working with government customers.
“The COVID-19 pandemic had a profound impact on all Australians and our health system, on communities, which ultimately heavily affects the government,” he said
