Appian has announced that BAI Communications Australia (BAI) uses process automation applications built on the Appian AI-powered process platform to digitise and optimise site access management. The applications, which help safeguard the company’s employees, customers, contractors, sites and services, have significantly reduced processing time for site access requests.
In Australia, BAI operates one of the most extensive broadcast networks in the world across 741 sites, providing 1,985 fully managed television and radio transmission services and delivering 127 million broadcasting hours to 99% of the population.
Emergency services also rely on BAI Communications to keep them informed. During natural disasters and other times of crisis, national broadcasters and emergency service providers rely on BAI to maintain their connection with Australians to keep them connected, informed and safe.
“We’re the trusted neutral host provider for national and commercial broadcasters such as ABC, SBS, and Southern Cross Austereo,” explains Peter Knott, chief operations officer at BAI Communications Australia. “We deliver reliable network quality across metro, regional and rural areas. Because so many people depend on our transmission networks, we work round-the-clock to ensure our sites and services are and running at all times. This requires a high number of field staff and contractors on site to inspect and fix faults.”
Before deploying Appian, BAI Australia had labour-intensive manual processes for managing site access. It required multiple phone calls, emails, and document sharing between staff and contractors to permit site access and to keep the network operations centre informed of contractor movements while at a site. The manual processes meant BAI Australia struggled to enforce safety and security procedures, and there was a lack of audit and reporting capabilities for site access and work.
To upgrade from manual to automated processes, BAI created a site access management digital pre-qualification application process on the Appian Platform for all site visitors. The company also created a mobile app used by field staff to log in and out of sites, see faults and work details, report hazards and risks, and an application to manage contractors, including a review of their activities and ratings scheme.
“BAI Communications’ use of the Appian AI-Powered Process Platform reflects a broader shift in businesses to optimise their processes and maximise ROI by increasing the level of automation,” says Luke Thomas, area vice president for Asia Pacific and Japan at Appian. “Adaptability and rapid deployment are at the core of what Appian provides. We are excited to be working alongside BAI Communications to help streamline its back-end operations and improve business efficiency.”
“In addition to reduced processing time for site access requests, the Appian apps also delivered 100% of access grants to qualified applicants. The company has seen a significant decrease in the number of phone calls made to its network operations centre. The pre-qualification application also now allows BAI Australia to ensure all site visitors acknowledge safety and security procedures, and it provides key metrics and records for the company’s reporting requirements. The Site Access Management solution was recognised internally as a winner of the BAI Australia 2021 and 2023 HSE Innovation and Leadership Awards,” concludes Thomas.