Topic: Visualizing the Automation Life-Cycle: RPA to CoE and Beyond

Speakers: Christopher Denver, Managing Director, and Jim Hannan, Managing Director with Crowe LLP.

Presentation:

As more companies start on their Automation Pathway, it is important to build a plan to scale and govern the automations that are both active and planned.  In this interactive session, Chris Denver, and Jim Hannan with Crowe LLP, will describe the Automation Life-Cycle, from your first “bot” to a Fully Automated Enterprise.  With an eye toward firm governance and controls, Chris and Jim will describe best practices for organizations at all points on the Automation Life-Cycle “curve” to implement, manage, and govern automation program(s).  After this session, participants should be able to:

- Articulate the Automation Life-Cycle and identify where their company presently resides along its journey
- Understand why strong governance is necessary in any Automation Program
- Embracing a “culture” of Automation – Change management to 
- Describe why a vibrant Center of Excellence (CoE) is critical to the success of every Automation Program
- Various ways in which Robotic Process Automation (RPA) and a CoE can be implemented to achieve success

Speakers' Bios:

Christopher Denver is a Managing Director at Crowe LLP and leads the RPA-as-a-Service Practice.  As an experienced CFO, Controller, and Chief Audit Executive, Chris leverages his broad understanding of business processes and controls to ensure that automations not only improve processes bot also improve internal controls.  Chris’ 25 years as a consultant have largely included clients with Finance Transformation initiatives, including using Digital Transformation projects to direct digital improvement to Finance, leading to greater efficiency gains and higher project ROIs. 

As a leader of Crowe’s RPA-as-a-Service practice, Chris is responsible for identifying opportunities to deploy Digital Transformation initiatives, both using RPA-as-a-Service and via other digital strategies, to drive out-sized success for clients and prospects.  Chris is a frequent speaker on automation topics and has spoken several times before the FENG in the past year.  Chris is also a co-chair of The FENG Chicago Chapter.

Jim Hannan is a Managing Director in Crowe’ Accounting Advisory practice with 30 years of professional experience in audit, accounting and consulting roles. Jim brings deep technical and operational experience to assist clients with all aspects of their accounting and reporting processes, including adoption of complex accounting standards, building efficient, well controlled and automated accounting and reporting processes with advanced technologies such as RPA, AI and Machine Learning. Jim co-leads’ Crowe’s Accounting Advisory and RPA as a Service Practices.