The January 20th UWEBC Technology event brought together members to discuss intelligent collaboration and digital processes, with practical concepts from nvisia, Husco, and Ideal Industries. Heidi, UWEBC’s Technology, Data & AI Practice Director, began the discussion by emphasizing common difficulties businesses face today, such as unclear ownership and unconnected data. She also underlined that intelligent automation is most successful when it complements how people work rather than just increasing current inefficiencies.
Data & AI Client Partner Brandon Phillips and Product Management Client Partner Danny Altosino from nvisia kicked things off by defining the difference between digital workflows and intelligent collaboration. They shared multiple examples of where AI adds the most value, particularly in context-heavy and cross-functional processes. One standout case study focused on benefits administration. By applying AI-driven document validation and automated routing, nvisia reduced processing cycle times by nearly 90% while still improving transparency for both employees and administrators.
Next, Husco’s VP of Business Process Optimization Be Ware shared a Microsoft-centric framework for scaling AI responsibly. Husco’s approach is to establish global process owners and clearly defined process lanes, which promote consistency, accountability, and ongoing development across different areas. Be also pointed out the necessity of governance and interconnection, cautioning against poorly integrated systems. To evaluate success, the company uses both “green dollars” (P&L effect) and “blue dollars” (efficiency improvements), emphasizing that not all value appears immediately on a financial statement.
Finally, Lori Anderson, Director of Business Process Operations, and Doug McMartin, IT Director, Data & Analytics, from Ideal Industries, finished the discussion by outlining their organizational transformation journey. Ideal Industries is focused on updating its technology stack with Microsoft Dynamics 365 and related solutions, while also addressing data integration and cross-functional communication issues. An important goal for them is to create an AI Community of Practice. This is intended to facilitate governance, skill development, prompt libraries, and experimentation in approved settings. Their future involves installing AI agents using Microsoft Copilot Studio and researching additional reasoning agents to help areas such as supply chain and procurement.
Overall, the discussion reinforced that successful intelligent collaboration is less about adopting the latest tools and more about building the right foundations. There’s no doubt that this session left participants with practical examples and shared lessons to help guide their own efforts toward smarter, more effective digital workflows.
Thank you to our members and attendees who made this event a resounding success!