A Success Story on Power Platform

Komatsu Australia's journey with Microsoft's Power Platform represents a pivotal shift towards digital transformation, emphasizing the profound impact that automation and digitization can have on operational efficiency and productivity. As an industry-leading manufacturer and supplier in the construction, mining, and other sectors, Komatsu faced the daunting task of managing over 52,000 supplier invoices annually. This process was not only labor-intensive but also fraught with the potential for errors, significantly impacting downstream processes and overall operational efficiency. The turning point came when Digital Solutions Architect Eric Cheng, leveraging his extensive experience with Microsoft technologies, identified the opportunity to automate the cumbersome process of fixing invoices. By implementing a solution utilizing Power Automate and AI Builder, Komatsu Australia embarked on a rapid transformation from manual invoice processing to a streamlined, automated system. This automation project, completed from licensing to production in just four weeks, revolutionized the way Komatsu managed invoices, saving the company 300 hours annually for a single supplier and setting the stage for broader organizational efficiencies. The success story of Komatsu Australia with the Power Platform is multifaceted, highlighting significant reductions in operational hours and enhancements in productivity across the board. The implementation of Robotic Process Automation (RPA) and AI not only alleviated the pressure on the small invoice processing team but also minimized errors and expedited the entire process. By freeing up valuable resources, the team could focus on more strategic tasks, significantly boosting overall performance. Moreover, this initiative led to the expansion of automation across Komatsu, utilizing the Automation Centre of Excellence (CoE) Starter Kit to manage, scale, and measure the effectiveness of automation projects. This strategic move enabled Komatsu to not only prioritize initiatives with the highest return on investment but also to foster a culture of innovation within the organization. Through the "Creating Value Together" initiative, employees from various departments were empowered to become citizen developers, further democratizing innovation and accelerating the development of custom solutions tailored to specific business needs. As Komatsu Australia looks to the future, the company is committed to leveraging the full potential of the Power Platform to support their long-term digital transformation goals. By aligning Power Platform initiatives with best practices in Application Lifecycle Management (ALM) and integrating tools like Azure DevOps and Azure App Insights, Komatsu aims to ensure the governance, efficiency, and success of their automation efforts. This story not only showcases the transformative potential of digitization and automation but also serves as a blueprint for other organizations looking to enhance their operational efficiency and innovate within their industries.