A Conversation with Bartolomé Rodillo Pérez on IA in the Classroom

This is the second of a series of conversations with faculty who have introduced intelligent automation (IA) into their courses and programs using the SS&C Blue Prism Academia program. By sharing experiences from these faculty members, we hope this encourages other schools and faculty to take the plunge and start teaching this very exciting technology to their students.

Using our program will help students develop in-demand business-critical skills that will make them more job-ready and competitive in the marketplace upon graduation. The SS&C Blue Prism University team partners with universities across the globe that are interested in teaching robotic process automation (RPA) to their students using our Academia Program, which includes courseware, software, certification, and RPA training. As part of our initiative to help drive talent development across Latin America, we have recently partnered with a number of universities there.

Automation Academia Program

We talked with educator and engineer Bartolomé Rodillo Pérez, Universidad Diego Portales, based in Chile to find out more about his experience of utilizing our Academia program.

Q: Hello Professor, please introduce yourself, and provide a little bit about your background, where you teach, and what you teach.

I am Bartolomé Rodillo, an Industrial Civil Engineer with a postgraduate degree in Information Technology Management, a master's degree in Innovation and Entrepreneurship, and a diploma in higher education. I have over seven years of teaching experience and I am an active participant in the Chilean Engineers Association. I enjoy technology and taking on challenges that automation looks to solve.

Q: When did you start to hear/learn about RPA/intelligent automation and what were your initial thoughts about the technology?

Since 2015, I have been working on RPA projects in various roles. It has been an opportunity for innovation. I have participated in different organizations, developing business process outsourcing using RPA technology and also creating automations. Digital workers represent an incredible opportunity for companies to innovate, create value, and serve as a lever for digital transformation.

Q. Tell us a little bit more about your course and how you designed it to include RPA.

The Taller de Ingeniería Industrial is a pivotal course offered during the final semester of the Industrial Engineering program at Universidad Diego Portales. Its primary objective is to equip students with practical techniques and indispensable tools applicable to a diverse array of organizational contexts. This knowledge is then put into practice through a real-world project conducted over the course of the semester.

Within this context, we wanted the students to learn more about the role of robotic process automation within an organization and how companies are leveraging robotic process automation to drive their digital transformation journeys.

Q. How did you leverage SS&C Blue Prism’s Academia Program to support your course objectives?

With the above goal in mind, 26 of my students undertook the SS&C Blue Prism® Foundation Training to gain hands-on experience with this powerful software. We wanted them to get to know the key features and capabilities of how to use the software to design, develop, and deliver automated business processes and to give them a sense of how businesses are using this low-code/no-code software to help streamline and make more efficient their business processes through automation and to help optimize their business outcomes.

Q. Can you tell us a little more about the Consolidation Exercise and how your students faired with completing this assignment?

During the semester, the students work in teams and apply practical approaches to project management based on customer needs. Some of the students have chosen to address the identified problem using automation techniques, including RPA. The solutions proposed by each team result from the analysis of various ideas and viewpoints, but they always prioritize customer-centered solutions. The ability to select and dismiss options is a crucial capability developed during the course and is useful for their future endeavors.

Q. How did your students respond to learning about RPA and your course in general? Were any of them keen to take our SS&C Blue Prism certification program?

My students were very excited about gaining the SS&C Blue Prism Certificate of Completion for the Foundation Training course and were all eager to go on to complete the Associate Developer Certification program. The nice thing about the SS&C Blue Prism program is that the students can complete the curriculum in self-study mode and in their own time.

Q. Do you have plans to teach the course again shortly?

Yes, we are continuously evolving our program semester by semester. RPA is a strategic pillar for the student's learning path.

Q. How would you sum up your experience using the SS&C Blue Prism Academia Program and what it means for your students to have acquired job-ready skills with this technology?

This initiative afforded our students a remarkable opportunity to harness the power of robotic process automation, allowing them to grasp the significance of virtual workers and the immense potential they hold for driving digital transformation.

They also saw the value of this certification as a prestigious badge of honor on their resumes, setting them apart from their peers and enhancing their employability in a competitive job market. Their accomplishment signifies their readiness and adaptability for the future of work.

Q. Any words of wisdom to other faculty looking to teach RPA/intelligent automation in their courses/programs?

We think the Blue Prism Academia program is a great opportunity for both faculty and students to learn about emerging technology like RPA and Intelligent Automation. You can adapt the curriculum depending on the learning outcomes you have for your students, get software into their hands for them to understand practically how to automate business processes, and ultimately enable them to acquire the skills needed for entering the workplace of tomorrow. If you run into challenges along the way, reach out to the SS&C Blue Prism academic alliance team for the necessary assistance you need.

To summarize, the SS&C Blue Prism Academia Program helps to deliver on the promise of a better future of work by supporting its academic partners. Pathways for students are created, from skills development to job opportunities, helping them with the job-ready knowledge they need to succeed in a rapidly changing world.

Sign up today if you’d like to learn more about our program and how to become an SS&C Blue Prism Academia Partner.