Kanton Schwyz: Power Automate for payments

Customer
Kanton Schwyz

Solutions
Automation

Country
Schweiz

To improve its financial processes, Kanton Schwyz focused on one specific workflow: from determining financial entitlements within its administrative departments to making the corresponding payments. Together with BE-terna, the canton implemented an automation project that reduces manual, repetitive work across its departments and offices. It also simplifies integration with the Office of Finance’s existing automated payment process.

Today, a software robot automatically extracts the relevant data from administrative decisions issued by internal departments. It transfers the information to the financial system and routes the transaction into the Office of Finance’s established electronic payment workflow. Once the responsible office has reviewed and approved the transaction, the system processes the payment automatically. The result is faster workflows, less manual data entry, and more time for specialist tasks across the cantonal administration.

Key Facts

Payment automation in public administration

Customer: Kanton Schwyz
Industry: Public administration
Business area: Financial administration
Solution: Microsoft Power Automate
Project status: Delivered within the planned budget

Kanton Schwyz: tradition and modern public administration

Kanton Schwyz combines tradition, culture, a welcoming business environment, and a high quality of life with strong infrastructure and a wide range of educational opportunities. Its administration provides information and services for individuals, businesses, and public authorities, while continually improving its processes. Reliable data, clear workflows, and modern, efficient financial administration play an important role in this work.

When routine tasks take up valuable time

Every day, the Office of Finance at Kanton Schwyz handles tasks that require accuracy, traceability, and timely completion. These include processing administrative decisions that lead to payments, such as those issued by the Office for the Environment and Energy. Before the robotic process automation (RPA) project, several steps in this process required manual work. Employees had to check and enter relevant information, then pass it on to the next stage. This took time and increased the risk of errors during data entry. The Office of Finance wanted to improve this workflow. Its goals were to automate repetitive tasks, improve data quality, and make the process from receiving an administrative decision to making the payment more efficient.

A software robot takes care of routine tasks

Together with BE-terna, Kanton Schwyz implemented an RPA solution that feeds data from administrative decisions into the automated payment process. Software robots take over recurring tasks that follow defined rules and previously required manual work. In the new process, the software robot automatically extracts relevant data, including the supplier, amount, date, reference, and account coding. It then transfers this information to the financial system without manual data entry and routes the transaction into the existing electronic payment workflow. The responsible offices continue to carry out reviews, approvals, and checks within this automated process.

“Once again, implementing RPA has made our work much easier. A straightforward and timely implementation of a software robot delivers quick results that everyone can see.”

“At the Office of Finance, we have developed a culture and a keen eye for improvement and automation across the administration. We address these ‘pain points’ promptly with the relevant departments in Kanton Schwyz. BE-terna supports us with a clear focus on our goals and a professional, pragmatic approach, bringing us closer to our vision of automated financial accounting every day.”

- Hermann Grab, head of the Office of Finance, Kanton Schwyz

From understanding the process to making automation work

BE-terna supported the Office of Finance at Kanton Schwyz in implementing the automation project. The focus was on a clearly defined process with direct benefits for the department. Together, the project teams analyzed the workflow, identified the relevant data points, and implemented automation that fits into the existing financial administration. The collaboration reflects BE-terna’s approach to digitalization: not an end in itself, but a practical way to reduce the daily workload. Complex processes become simpler, clearer, and easier to manage.

Key results

Faster payments and less manual work

The automated payment process brings several concrete improvements to Kanton Schwyz:

Shorter turnaround times from receiving an administrative decision to making the payment
Reduced or eliminated manual data entry, with fewer sources of error
More time for specialist tasks that add value
More efficient financial administration
A practical contribution to a modern administration focused on citizens’ needs

Digitalization that makes everyday work easier

The Office of Finance’s project shows how automation delivers practical benefits in public administration. Together with BE-terna, Kanton Schwyz automated a clearly defined financial process, from receiving an administrative decision to making the payment.

The result is minimal manual work, better process quality, and more time for tasks that require specialist knowledge.

Your automation project

Make routine finance tasks simpler

Ready to automate recurring tasks in your financial administration? BE-terna helps you identify suitable processes and implement RPA solutions that make a real difference in everyday work.

Learn more

Kanton Schwyz automates its payment process with Microsoft Power Automate