TOPICS & NEWS
Articles and interviews on current trends, technology and industry challenges, information on our consulting services, seminars and events as well as company topics:
Here you can find out what drives EFESO.
Interview
“Where traditional IT reaches its limits, we rely on digital robots and AI agents.”
Experte: André Nowak | 03/20/2025 | Teilen auf in
Julian von Payr, Partner and responsible for AI at Exelentic in Düsseldorf, helps companies to automate manual processes, freeing up resources for growth.
Mr. von Payr, with technologies such as process mining and artificial intelligence, you optimize business processes. What are your main focus areas and how do you approach this?
Julian von Payr: With our solutions, we relieve employees and accelerate processes that were previously handled manually. We optimize across the entire value chain and also include functional areas such as quality management, right through to the production process. We automate wherever data flows are sluggish—without replacing the existing systems. For us, it doesn’t matter whether it's a modern SAP environment or an inventory management system from the 1980s. As long as a task follows a certain logic, we can automate it. From a technological standpoint, we primarily rely on digital robots and AI agents. This enables us to improve processes even where interfaces are missing or traditional IT solutions reach their limits. That’s a key differentiator for us.
We started in 2018 with classic process automation. Building on that, we’ve developed AI as a second strategic focus over the past four years. The two areas integrate seamlessly in our work. We collaborate closely with software providers—such as our partner Druid AI, a leading European AI platform provider. Our customer base is very broad. In the manufacturing sector, it ranges from wineries and medical device manufacturers to medium-sized automotive suppliers and DAX-listed corporations. We also have a strong industry focus in the banking, public sector, and insurance industries.
Please explain, with examples, how you use digital robots and AI agents.
JvP: We deploy software robots either on the client’s servers or in the cloud. These bots handle repetitive tasks and process information—much like a caseworker would. For example, they can transfer specific invoice data into a variety of existing systems, including SAP modules and custom-built specialist applications. For one public authority with over 20,000 employees, we automated the management of sick leave notifications. Previously, sickness levels were tracked manually on a daily basis—an enormous administrative burden. Today, this task is largely handled by a digital robot. Another example is form processing in public administration. By automating such processes, citizens no longer have to wait weeks for a response—just a few days or even hours. One of the advantages of our solutions is that full automation isn’t always necessary. Even partial automation, as seen in the examples above, can significantly reduce workload. AI agents, on the other hand, are ideal for gathering and preparing information. We're not talking about standard.
AI tools embedded in a specific application—we mean agents that operate across the entire organization and across multiple systems, locations, and subsidiaries. One of our clients, for instance, has grown through acquisitions and now employs 18,000 people across 36 different CRM systems. A meaningful exchange between these systems was no longer possible. This is where AI agents come in: they can connect to virtually any software. With specially trained agents and complementary automation tools, we enabled system-wide communication and transparency.
Established processes powered by high-tech automation can also pose risks and uncertainties for decision-makers. Do you observe any hesitations—and how can these be overcome?
JvP: Many companies are aware of the potential of AI-driven automation, but only a few implement it consistently. Often, this hesitation is linked to the rapid pace of technological advancement. Decision-makers assume they can wait for the next big innovation and postpone modernizing their systems. But that’s a misconception. Challenges are increasing—due to growing bureaucracy and staff shortages. Those who approach problems realistically and proactively are the ones who benefit.
To ensure results meet expectations, we always consider the business case in our projects. We know, for example, what a project will cost—and how many working hours it will save in return. This allows our clients to typically achieve a return on investment within the same fiscal year. There are also indirect effects: manual processes often act as a brake on growth. By automating them, companies free up capacity—allowing them, for instance, to take on more orders.
Modern processes are also a competitive factor in the labor market. If someone spends hours manually entering data and never gets to their actual job, that’s deeply frustrating. No fruit basket or ergonomic chair can compensate for that. More and more companies are beginning to recognize this.
Please give us a brief preview of your presentation at INDUSTRIAL FUTURE DAY 2025. What can participants look forward to?
JvP: We are organizing the presentation as an interactive workshop. Participants will experience our AI agents and automation solutions live in action and operate them themselves. An AI agent will also be our keynote speaker. The audience will be able to test it without reservation, interact with it and set it new tasks. This will provide a very practical insight into the possibilities of modern process automation.
