Scoot is a low-cost, long-haul airline based out of Singapore with a mission to make flying safe and attainable for all. To do this, the airline places a singular focus on providing a reliable and consistent experience not just for their passengers, but for employees too.
“We look at two things when it comes to evaluating new technology. Will this meet efficiency goals? And more importantly, will it improve employee experience?” reflected Ivan Chuah.
Chuah heads Scoot’s HR Ecosystem team and is primarily responsible for maintaining core HRIS systems the team uses. As part of their expanded focus on employee-centric systems, Scoot implemented Workbot for Workplace, Workato’s no-code required enterprise platform that supports intelligent workflows, ChatOps, and notifications across apps.
Recently, we sat down with both Chuah and Zi Song Tan, a senior HRIS specialist and the team’s go-to integrations builder, to learn about their experience with Workato so far.
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Why did you switch from your existing bespoke chat bot to Workbot?
Chuah: We chose Workbot for its mobile capabilities and because it worked on Workplace from Facebook. While our existing transactional bot did the job, we realized that many of our employees who needed to perform requests such as leave applications did not have consistent office or laptop access. Plus, they preferred to get things done on mobile, while on-the-go. At that point, we were already using Workplace. Through them, we were introduced to Workato and Workbot.
What did you look out for when evaluating Workbot?
Chuah: Ease of use was key, as we planned to build and maintain our workflows in-house. Workato’s low-code platform makes it easy for our team to handle the Workbot integrations ourselves. Ability to scale and expand use cases was another—we didn’t want a stopgap solution but something we could use for the foreseeable future. As an airline, we had to be very cautious with spending during the Covid-19 period, but we went with Workato in the end because we saw lots of opportunities for future rebuilding and growth.
Why did you decide to start building integrations in-house?
Chuah: First, it would be easier to build and iterate on the workflows internally, since we would have a better understanding of our own needs and requirements. Using Workato gave us more control over the process compared to working with a vendor. Turnaround times also became much shorter.
What are you using Workbot for today?
Tan: We simplified our leave application process. Previously, we had to log onto a separate platform using a desktop, search for the leave application module, fill in the details, and submit an application. Now, with Workbot connected to Workplace on the back-end, employees can apply for time off on Workchat itself with just a few clicks. Canceling an application or viewing their leave balance is also easily done via the bot.
We’re also using Workbot to streamline the logistics of requesting for office access. With mandatory safe distancing and contact tracing measures in place in Singapore, only a limited number of people are allowed to be at the office at the same time, so this was a key use case. It’s much faster and less of a hassle for staff requesting for office access, as they can do it while on-the-go, during their commute, for instance.
Applying for time off with Workbot
What impact have you seen since using Workbot?
Tan: It’s just much faster being able to do it ourselves. It takes me just 2-3 days to build a simple workflow and to test it. Working with a vendor might take longer, as it might involve a lot more back and forth.
Chuah: Better employee experience, for sure. When we rolled out the leave application bot, we surveyed our colleagues for feedback and got overwhelmingly positive responses. Workbot was just easier, faster, and more convenient to use.
Then there are the possibilities we see with Workato. It’s a platform that encourages flexibility and creative thinking, and there’s so much that can be done on it. We are excited to explore them all.
Workbot works on Slack and Microsoft Teams too. Interested to see what else you can do with them? Schedule a demo to see it in action!
