Ventia has partnered with Microsoft to develop a Generative AI tool that could provide a step-change in our service capability, one of our key areas of differentiation. 

The RegTech-based tool – Ventia’s first venture into Gen AI – streamlines how employees query Ventia’s document library for information around policies, internal standards, compliance, and operating procedures. 

Known internally as Polli, the GenAI solution handles employee requests quickly and efficiently. 

A pilot returned overwhelmingly positive feedback from participants and resulted in immediate gains in productivity, efficiency and employee satisfaction.

Pilot users liked the quick and accurate responses and the natural, user-friendly interface. 

Polli is a collaboration between Ventia’s Compliance, Audit Risk and Legal, and Digital Services teams in partnership with Microsoft.

Group General Counsel Debbie Schroeder said the partnership had eased business pressures around risk and compliance and enabled employees to focus on higher-value tasks.

“Innovation is a key pillar in our mission to deliver value and risk reduction for Ventia,” Debbie said.

“It’s also a great example of cross-functional innovation.

“I’m excited about the roll out of Polli across Ventia’s operations in Australia and New Zealand over the next month.”

Polli's implementation marks a step forward in our digital strategy and enables us to continue to deliver customer service excellence through investment in digital and data capability, benefiting our people, our contractors and our clients.

Group Executive Digital Services Melanie Evans said Ventia saw AI as a way to engage and partner with the business on areas that drove measurable value and can deliver outcomes to simplify, standardise and modernise our operations at scale.

“As part of our platform of innovation, we’re leveraging emerging technologies such as AI and data insights that allow our workforce to spend less time on basic tasks and more time on delivering strategic initiatives,” Melanie said.

Polli is more than just an information management tool; it represents a new standard of excellence within Ventia.

Melanie said the fastest, most effective way of accelerating innovation and reducing risk in the AI space was working directly with experienced partners like Microsoft.

“Ventia will continue to use advanced analytics and AI to drive efficiency, optimisation, and value across our organisation as part of our  strategy to redfine service excellence,” she said. 

“We’ll use lessons learned in implementing Polli to enable other teams to innovate more quickly and create value for clients.” 

Chief Technology Officer for Microsoft Australia and New Zealand Sarah Carney said the technology developed through the partnership represented a powerful and targeted solution that neither off-the-shelf products nor those developed internally could achieve.

"This partnership fosters innovation and empowers Ventia to optimise operations, deliver superior services, and drive further advancements in infrastructure management and engineering."

You can find out more about the project on Microsoft Australia’s website.