ABBYY and Desktop Imaging have implemented Document AI and intelligent automation solutions within New Zealand’s public sector, assisting Wellington City Council and Fire and Emergency New Zealand (FENZ) in automating administrative tasks, meeting regulatory mandates, and enhancing operational efficiency.
The collaboration aims to allow public agencies to focus on core services by automating critical processes. Bruce Orcutt, Chief Marketing Officer at ABBYY, noted that leveraging intelligent document processing and workflow automation has resulted in citizens receiving faster rates rebates, smoother payments, and more reliable access to essential services.
Following new regulatory mandates from the Department of Internal Affairs (DIA) in early 2025, Wellington City Council needed to modernize its manual rates rebate process. By deploying ABBYY Document AI through Desktop Imaging’s DI Automation: Rates Rebate Service, the Council fully automated form validation, eligibility checks, reporting, and document retention. This initiative processed over 800 applications with no manual data entry, achieving 100% compliance. The cloud-based solution was deployed in days after comprehensive planning and testing, requiring no additional IT infrastructure.
Stephen Beighton, Director at Desktop Imaging, stated that purpose-built AI eliminated manual bottlenecks and ensured accurate and timely processing of every application. He emphasized Desktop Imaging’s expertise in New Zealand local government processes, which was crucial in customizing the solution to meet Wellington City Council’s specific requirements and DIA compliance standards.
Fire and Emergency New Zealand (FENZ), which processes tens of thousands of invoices annually across more than 650 stations, faced delays, errors, and compliance risks due to manual handling and legacy systems. ABBYY Vantage was integrated into Desktop Imaging’s DI Invoicing cloud service to automatically capture, classify, and extract data from invoices. This data then feeds the DI Invoicing validation engine for business rule validation, fraud checks, and IRD-compliant workflows.
This implementation has reduced manual processing significantly, ensured real-time compliance, accelerated payments, and provided scalable automation without requiring additional infrastructure or staff. Kris Elliott, Solutions Specialist at Desktop Imaging, highlighted that improving accuracy and speed were key priorities for FENZ to adhere to new payment time reporting requirements. The ABBYY technology, as an integral part of the DI Invoicing service, improved data quality, compliance, and processing speed, leading to immediate outcomes such as faster payments and increased transparency.
