Barry, Egle and Andre

Every change starts with an idea. And stands or falls by how it’s implemented. Barry, Egle and Andre know that better than anyone. Thanks to product owner Egle, developer Andre and other IT colleagues, change manager Barry's idea is now growing into an AI solution that automates the processing of invoices: a gamechanger for finance at NN. And that's just the beginning. With this innovation, they are creating a blueprint for smart automation within NN around the globe. 

Tell us, what was the starting point for this project? 
‘I think it started with me,’ Barry starts with a smile. ‘As a change manager within NN's Finance department, I am constantly looking at how we can work smarter and more efficiently. Invoice processing could be improved. We were using a system that was prone to error and expensive. I thought: this could be done differently. With that thought, I went to the AI Accelerator within NN, a meeting place where we are given the space to experiment with new technologies and draw up business cases. There I spoke to Egle and Andre, who were working on their own project during the AI Accelerator.’  

Andre says: ‘Barry had a great idea, and we saw this as a fantastic opportunity to show that AI projects can be integrated in a safe and practical way. AI models will never be 100% error-free, but by enabling models, automation and humans to work together optimally, you can get close to that level. Around Christmas time, we get to choose a project within NN that we want to work on, and that's how this adventure started.’ 

‘It quickly became clear that there was a lot of potential in this business case,’ says product owner Egle. ‘In the Process Management & Innovation team we were already working on intelligent automation and AI applications, so this was definitely something my colleagues and I wanted to help Barry with. And then we went for it!’ 

How did you develop the idea further? 
‘We started with a proof of concept and tested and improved the project in an agile way,’ explains Andre. ‘And now we are in the final phase of the project.’ The result is an AI workflow that not only collects and processes invoices, but also captures all necessary information in a structured way and flags up errors. This creates a solution that processes invoices directly from the mailbox, with AI and human checks. In short, a huge efficiency boost thanks to hyper-automation. Barry says: ‘We will be going live in the Netherlands within the next couple of months. After that we will roll it out worldwide.’ 

So there’s lots of potential!  
‘Absolutely,’ says Barry. ‘Within Finance, this is a huge step forward. And NN operates in 10 countries. The next countries on the schedule are Czech Republic and Poland!’ Egle says: ‘The international potential was already clear during the first pilot, so we built the model to be broadly deployable across NN. The great thing is that we have developed a flexible solution that can adapt to different business units and processes.’  

NN calls its employees ‘supporters of change’. That is definitely true in your case. What are you most proud of? 
Andre says: ‘My favourite thing is perhaps that we have shown that it works, which inspires other business units to explore the possibilities. Colleagues see what we are doing and think: can we apply this in our processes as well? Financial processes need to be 100% accurate, and it’s easy to think that AI is therefore difficult to apply. But this project proves the opposite. For me personally, that's a great success.’ 
Egle says: ‘I am especially proud of the collaboration. In these kinds of innovation projects, you need not only the technology, but above all the right people with the right mindset and the drive to really collaborate. We worked with a team that is curious, driven and open-minded, which has enabled the successful completion of the project.’ 

How is NN supporting you to bring about this change? 
‘At NN, the rule is: if you have a good idea, you are given the room to develop it,’ says Barry. ‘Of course, that doesn't mean that everything will happen automatically, but if you really believe in something, you can make it a success.’ Egle says: ‘Precisely. NN is a big organisation, so you sometimes have to overcome some obstacles. But if you have a strong business case, you will be given support. And in our case, that was not only because AI is “hot” now, but also because it adds real value to our processes.’ Andre adds: ‘What I like is that we have the opportunity to experiment and apply new technologies in our field. Automation offers many opportunities, and there is room to come up with innovative ideas. I appreciate that about NN.’