BDO Colombia faced manual processes, errors, and prolonged response times in managing internal requests, affecting the experience of its employees.
With Microsoft Copilot Studio and Power Platform, BDO developed BeTIC 2.0, a virtual assistant that centralizes and automates key payroll and finance processes.
BeTIC 2.0 reduced operational workload by 50% and optimized 78% of internal processes, improving the experience for both employees and clients.
With over 35 years of providing professional services and innovative solutions in auditing, tax consulting, and digital transformation, BDO Colombia (BDO) not only stays at the forefront but also redefines innovation in its sector with its latest transformation. The company, part of a global network in 164 countries with more than 950 employees in Colombia, has developed projects that impact key sectors such as finance and technology, making it a crucial ally for the country's top companies in their digitalization efforts.
As part of the BDO Interaméricas Cluster, the firm plays a significant regional role in executing initiatives that foster innovation and sustainable development. These initiatives are supported by senior management, particularly through the strategic leadership of Diego Fernando Quijano, Managing Partner of BDO Colombia, who advocates for a transformative vision centered on delivering comprehensive and impactful solutions to clients. Complementing this vision, Jaime Alberto Ríos Barrero, Advisory Digital & Cyber Partner, spearheads digital and cybersecurity strategies, establishing BDO Colombia as a benchmark in enhancing technological capabilities within the Latin American market.
The company faced industry-wide challenges like optimizing accounting management through digitalization, process traceability, and handling multiple data channels. They identified 25 manual processes for technology requests and incidents, and developed an internal virtual assistant using Microsoft Copilot Studio. The BeTIC 2.0 chatbot now manages these tasks, reducing operational workload by 50% and optimizing 78% of payroll processes, greatly enhancing employee and client experiences.
BeTIC 2.0 allowed us to simplify request management and offer an agile and intuitive experience.
Luis Montenegro, Payroll Manager, BDO Colombia
50% less internal operational burden
Despite its digital DNA, internal request management faced significant challenges: manual processes, lack of traceability, and reliance on multiple communication channels. This led to errors, duplicated efforts, and prolonged response times, affecting both employees and the payroll and finance teams.
Ivan Darío Niño Alfonso, Senior Manager of Innovation and Digital Transformation at BDO Colombia, and a member of the Firm's Digital Advisory team explains: "We wanted a solution that not only streamlined processes but also empowered employees by providing security and privacy." BeTIC 2.0 is powered by Microsoft Power Platform and centralizes requests, automates processes, and offers uninterrupted access. Developed with Microsoft Power Automate, Microsoft Power Apps, and Copilot Studio, BeTIC 2.0 enabled BDO to manage payroll updates, integrate approvals and inquiries with precision in seconds, and eliminate operational errors and duplications.
"BeTIC 2.0 allowed us to simplify request management and offer an agile and intuitive experience. Previously, the team managed multiple communication channels, which led to errors and stress. Now, we have reduced the operational workload by 50%, enabling us to focus on higher-value tasks for the firm," says Luis Montenegro, Payroll Manager at BDO Colombia. Additionally, the implementation helped avoid human errors inherent in manual processes, saving approximately $20,000 annually.
The chatbot managed over 1,700 requests with 99.9% accuracy since its launch. This volume not only reflects the high demand in the area but also the solution's capability to efficiently address the organization's critical needs. Before its implementation, these processes relied on manual management involving multiple channels, which prolonged response times and increased the risk of errors. With the integration of tools like Microsoft Dataverse, Active Directory, and SharePoint List, the average response time decreased from hours to seconds, freeing the finance and payroll team to focus on more strategic tasks and improving service quality. Additionally, the duplication of efforts was avoided, significantly optimizing workflows.
Beyond the numbers, BeTIC 2.0 represents an evolution in the way we work. It is a reflection of how technology can humanize processes.
Ivan Darío Niño Alfonso, Senior Manager of Innovation and Digital Transformation, BDO Colombia
BeTIC 2.0's 24/7 accessibility provides employees with greater autonomy to resolve queries and track requests without being dependent on specific hours. This has contributed to overall satisfaction and optimized key processes such as payroll updates, which now handle more than 450 requests per month efficiently. The management's 99.9% accuracy instills greater confidence among employees, contributing to a more agile, secure, and modern work environment. "Before BeTIC 2.0, frequent queries and help desk cases overwhelmed the team. With its implementation, cases decreased by 50%, freeing up time for strategic tasks and improving service quality," says Deisy Milena Cuevas, Senior Manager of BSO (Business Service Outsourcing), one of the company's largest areas with 350 employees.
With the reduction of help desk cases from 140 to 30 per month (a 78% decrease), the payroll and finance team was able to reallocate resources towards strategic activities. These activities included enhancing customer service and developing 25 new payroll update services, such as vacation, leave, special leave, and retirement, among others. Ivan Darío Niño Alfonso underscores the strategic impact of this solution: "Beyond the numbers, BeTIC 2.0 represents an evolution in the way we work. It is a reflection of how technology can humanize processes."
The lesson we learned from BeTIC 2.0 is clear: innovation is not just a competitive differentiator but a tool for creating more satisfying and efficient work environments.
Ivan Darío Niño Alfonso, Senior Manager of Innovation and Digital Transformation, BDO Colombia
The success of BeTIC 2.0 inspired new plans: BDO seeks to incorporate advanced generative AI capabilities to provide even more natural and personalized responses. In addition, the firm plans to expand this solution to nine countries in the Americas: Costa Rica, Panama, Ecuador, Honduras, Guatemala, Venezuela, and Nicaragua, with the aim of impacting more than 2,500 users in the region.
With a 50% reduction in operational time, greater traceability in processes, and the ability to quickly adapt to high volumes of requests, BeTIC 2.0 demonstrates how technological innovation can transform not only operational efficiency, but also the employee and customer experience. Agents built in Copilot Studio can revolutionize every business process, such as interpreting languages in real-time during meetings in Microsoft Teams, automating employee self-service, and driving transformation.
"The lesson we learned from BeTIC 2.0 is clear: innovation is not just a competitive differentiator but a tool for creating more satisfying and efficient work environments. Our commitment is to continue building on this foundation," concludes Ivan Darío Niño Alfonso. In this way, BDO not only optimized its operations but also set a precedent for innovation to inspire transformation in other companies and industries.
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