Over the past two years, the Finance Department of HSU has taken major steps in digital transformation by introducing bots—known in Icelandic as þjarkar—into various work processes. We sat down with the team to gain insight into how these invaluable digital coworkers have changed daily operations within the department.

When did you start using bots in your operations?
"Our first bot was launched about two years ago. Every day, it retrieves revenue data from all HSU healthcare reception units. It extracts information from the Sögukerfi medical records system and Valitor’s payment system and inserts it into a booking document, which we then review and post.”

What other bots have been added since?
"At the beginning of 2025, a second bot was introduced. It pulls weekly data from the Sögukerfi system about unpaid invoices and sends payment slips to online banks and Island.is. This robot has taken over tasks that were previously both time-consuming and prone to human error.”

We’ve heard about your newest bot, Eldborg. What does she do?
"Eldborg is a bot that handles payments from the Icelandic Health Insurance for patients insured within Europe who receive treatment at HSU. Eldborg gathers all necessary data—including forms, ID images, and receipts—and creates invoices in the government’s revenue accounting system. She then submits the data through a digital portal to the Health Insurance Authority. Once payment is received, she reconciles it and completes the process through HSU’s collection system.”

Are any other solutions in the works?
"Yes, in collaboration with Advania, we’re developing a bot linked to the Flexlab laboratory system. It will retrieve the cost of lab tests performed at HSU, calculate interdepartmental billing, and send invoices to the institutions that received the service.”

What has been the benefit?
"It’s honestly exceeded our expectations. Processes are now more efficient and secure. The bots handle many repetitive tasks that were previously done manually. That makes a huge difference—because a good bot never forgets, works around the clock, doesn’t make mistakes, and performs its duties with precision.”