KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. -- Representatives from the Department of the Air Force Bot Operations Team and Invoke Inc. educated students in the 335th Training Squadron on Robotic Process Automation.
Through their traveling “micro-roadshow”, DAFBOT taught students in the Training Manager course how they can utilize automation software to perform at a higher level. By tasking the software to perform their data heavy, repetitive tasks, Training Managers will be able to do more in less time.
Students received an entry level education to the automation software called UiPath, seeing firsthand the tangible benefits of automation.
“Our ultimate goal here at DAFBOT is to rewrite schoolhouse curriculum and also drive policy change to encourage our Airmen to have an automation-first mindset,” said Master Sgt. Michael Olsen, DAFBOT automation lead. “The amount of daily tasks that most Airmen do that can be automated is astounding.”
When creating a bot, Airmen can use pre-made template modules, altering them slightly to meet their specific request. Bots can carry out commands, respond to messages, handle routine tasks, and gather data and sort organizational statics.
This software has played a pivotal role in driving the ongoing technology renaissance within today's Air Force optimizing Airmen’s time and resources for more efficient operations.
To date, DAFBOT, with a key partnership with UiPath and Invoke Inc., has been able to publish automations across the enterprise and repurpose over two million man-hours collectively.
“The introduction of automation into schoolhouse training programs represents a strategic imperative for the Air Force,” said Olsen. “Through this initiative, we have the opportunity to not only prepare Airmen for the challenges of tomorrow but also to inspire a culture of innovation and excellence that will propel us into the future.”