Some strange things have been happening around Sentrian lately. HR seems to have more time for coffee catch‑ups. Finance is relaxing in the garden and practising both yoga and tennis. Operations looks weirdly well-rested every afternoon. And Business Development has been spending far more time out with clients than at their desks.
Of course, that’s not what’s really happening, at least not exactly.
We’re using AI, automation, and intelligent agents to take care of repetitive admin and routine tasks. The result is more time for work that matters most, from supporting our people and clients to improving processes and building new skills across the business. Our clients benefit too, with faster response times, more proactive support, and stronger value from our services.
In February alone, our team got back 78 hours thanks to automations and agents that streamlined everyday workflows. That doubled to 156 hours in March.
Here’s how AI‑powered automation and agents are helping teams across HR, finance, business development, and operations work smarter at Sentrian.
Soph, HR, and meaningful work that shapes culture
Meet Soph, our HR Manager. Like many people in HR, her days were full of necessary but repetitive admin, research, and staying on top of the latest trends and legislation.
By introducing an HR specialist Copilot Agent to handle a portion of that repeat work, Soph gained back around 30 minutes every day.
She now uses that time spreading the latest Sentrian gossip with colleagues over coffee.
Only kidding.
In reality, automating manual routine tasks means Soph can spend more time on the work that actually shapes our culture. She can focus on supporting our people, attracting and retaining great talent, aligning benefits with what our team values, and building a workplace where we all genuinely want to do our best work.
Soph’s Copilot Agent acts as a trusted HR support, drawing from a range of reliable sources to help inform decisions and planning.
What Soph’s agent connects to
- Trusted legislative sources
- Staff feedback and surveys
- Local Brisbane benchmarks
- External articles and research
- Internal HR policies and documents.
What she uses it for
- Ensuring compliance
- Planning staff benefits
- Improving onboarding and training
- Continuously strengthening culture
- Identifying support and upskilling needs.
Learn more about Soph’s HR agent
Deb, finance, and better business decisions
This is Deb, our accountant. Her role sits at the heart of how the business runs, but like many finance professionals, a lot of her week used to be taken up by manual processing and repeat tasks.
After introducing a few targeted automations into her finance workflows, Deb now gets back hours each week. The systems handle predictable work consistently and accurately.
She now spends that time sunbathing in the garden, balancing her chakras at yoga, and practising beating us all at tennis.
Not quite.
But with the routine work taken care of, Deb can focus on higher‑value activities like forecasting, budgeting, risk management, compliance, and supporting better business decisions for staff, clients, and partners alike.
Rob, business development, and being where it counts
Rob leads Business Development at Sentrian. His calendar used to be crowded with admin, reminders, and follow‑ups.
By automating some of his least‑favourite routine tasks, Rob freed up significant time in his week. Admin and follow‑ups now run automatically in the background.
These days, his desk is empty more often than not. No one seems to know where he is or what he’s doing.
The truth is far less dramatic. With admin handled, Rob spends more time on‑site with clients, translating their needs into practical solutions. He’s also investing more energy into service improvements and building strong alliances with industry partners.
Trish, operations, and meetings that lead to action
Trish is our Operations Support Team Leader and Procurement Lead. She introduced a handful of AI‑powered automations and earned back around an hour every week.
She now uses that time hiding in the storage room for a quiet afternoon nap.
Of course, that’s far from the truth. With less manual work on her plate, Trish spends that time focusing on improving operational processes, reducing bottlenecks, and helping more teams benefit from automation across the business.
One of her most‑used automations handles meetings. It records and transcribes discussions, pulls out key points and actions, and sends clear follow‑ups to the right people automatically. Trish can stay fully present in conversations, then move straight into action once the meeting ends.
All teams can benefit from automation and agents
Across HR, finance, business development, and operations, the pattern is the same.
Automation takes care of the repeatable work. People focus on the work that needs communication, judgement, context, and care. Teams feel less stretched and more effective.
Automation and agents don’t require complex systems or tech literacy. The automations we’ve implemented are practical, targeted, and designed to fit into everyday work. They’re built to support busy teams, not slow them down or replace them.
Learn how to do this in your own role in our upcoming webinar
We’re sharing exactly how we approach this in our upcoming webinar, focused on practical AI‑powered automation and Copilot Agents for everyday roles.
You’ll see real examples, learn how to identify the right opportunities for automation, and understand how to implement solutions that actually save time without adding complexity. Bring your questions and challenges, as you’ll have the opportunity for a Q&A with our AI expert.
You’re invited to join us at 2 pm on Wednesday, 29 April.
We’re looking forward to having you along.
