FBI Finance Unit to Implement Robotic Process Automation for Invoice Payments, Budget Updates

A new bot will automate customer and vendor invoice payments and budget line item updates at all 56 field offices of the FBI. The technology is meant to save time and reduce manual labor for the roughly 250 workers handling such financial processes.

Peter Sursi, the head of finance modernization, accounts payable and relocation services, said the bot is now undergoing final testing after a two-month development period. He told attendees of Tuesday’s Adobe Government Forum that the project marks the FBI’s first use of robotic process automation.

According to Sursi, his team has put together a list of other finance activities that can be streamlined with bots, FedScoop reported.

RPA has been seeing wider use across the government to ease the burden of manual, repetitive tasks on staff. At the Department of Homeland Security, acquisition personnel have been using an electronic contract filing system since before the COVID-19 pandemic.

Paul Courtney, DHS’ chief procurement officer, the technology helped to maintain operational continuity.