Episodes
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Episode Summary
In this episode, Markus Zirn and Tembi Holmes explore the critical role of being data-driven in achieving sustainable and resilient global solutions. As a leader at Arup, Tembi discusses the importance of data integrity in real-time information exchange and the complexities of managing extensive data ecosystems. She shares her diverse background in financial services and tech, highlighting how these experiences influence her leadership. They delve into the challenges of standardizing processes across a global company and the impact of generative AI on productivity and efficiency in engineering and architecture. Tembi's insights underscore the future of data-driven practices and the value of hands-on experience for data leaders.
Timestamps*(00:00) Episode Start
*(04:50) Why Arup has embarked on their digital transformation journey
*(09:52) The winning focus on collaboration
*(11:40) Building guardrails around innovation
*(14:53) From big data to big processes
*(23:09) Maintaining data integrity across flows
*(29:20) Added complexities in the AEC space
*(32:14) Why Tembi has such a passion for data
*(37:52) The importance of getting your hands dirty
*(41:20) Practical use cases for Gen AI
*(48:28) Tembi's advice for others on the journey
Episode Key TakeawaysData Integrity is crucial: Ensuring the integrity of data as it moves through various processes and systems is vital. It’s not just about transferring data; it needs to maintain its accuracy and quality at every stage.Collaboration is key: Strong internal and external collaborations are necessary to tackle complex projects. Engaging with multiple stakeholders, from engineers to architects and clients, ensures a collective approach toward achieving goals.Utilize custom applications and innovations: Invest in developing and leveraging custom applications that can support specific industry needs, such as parametric design for engineers or specialized simulation tools.Start small with GenAI: Begin with manageable use cases of GenAI to understand the value it can bring to your company and identify any gaps in your data management strategies.Top Quote“We always ask, as data leaders, is how do we make sure that the business consumer who's not technical can leverage this technology? A lot of technology can be highly technical, the barrier to entry can be really onerous and complex. And that makes it really difficult, especially if you want to federate some of the data services that people need to be able to do by themselves. And so you need something that's at least visual, that has a process mind behind it because a lot of business consumers are thinking about the process and what they need to get to, not necessarily the technical complexity behind it. So, I agree with you that I think the visual component, the simplification is really powerful.”
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Episode Summary
In this episode, Markus Zirn and Stanley Toh discuss how Broadcom is leveraging automation and AI to stay ahead of the curve. Stanley shares his journey from teaching COBOL to leading major automation projects at Broadcom. They talk about Broadcom's dynamic growth through significant acquisitions, the power of simplifying processes, and the company's cloud-first strategy. Stanley reveals how automation has transformed processes like IT service provisioning and employee onboarding. They also delve into the exciting potential of generative AI and LLMs in enhancing automation. Stanley's insights highlight the importance of embracing future technologies and their transformative impact on business efficiency and scalability.
Timestamps*(00:00) Episode Start
*(02:05) Stanley's career journey
*(06:05) What is Broadcom?
*(10:58) How to leverage technology effectively
*(15:38) Importance of fast implementation with cloud-first technologies
*(18:30) Workato's impact at Broadcom
*(32:45) COBOL vs. Workato: Changes, constants, and advice
*(38:50) Areas of opportunity with Workato and the impact of GenAI
*(42:16) Impact of LLMs on automation
*(45:12) Leveraging Workato for cost-effective automation and integration
*(48:25) Stanley's takeaway from 'The New Automation Mindset' book
Episode Key TakeawaysAdopt a cloud-first strategy: Emphasize the adoption of cloud-first technologies to ensure quick and scalable solutions that can accommodate rapid growth and change. This approach will speed up how you roll out new ideas and scale them up.The importance of a process mindset: Before diving into any automation or coding, take the time to map out your processes and workflows. This will not only clarify what needs to be done but also highlight areas for simplification and efficiency gains.Embrace future technologies: Acknowledge the inevitability of change and keep an open mind to emerging technologies such as AI and automation tools. Consider how they can be integrated into your operations to enhance efficiency, scalability, and user experience. Leverage automation and AI for efficiency: Use automation and AI to streamline repetitive tasks, scale operations effectively, and manage complex challenges with greater precision. Explore how these technologies can be applied to your specific challenges to drive substantial improvements.Top Quote“Embrace the future. You cannot stop technology. It's coming, no matter what you do. You have to embrace this, and this is the new way of operations. Times are changing. People are looking at speed and efficiency and scalability. And there's no way you can stop it, Markus. So, the idea of embracing this. And you can actually do extraordinary things with it if you embrace the technology.”
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Missing episodes?
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Episode Summary
In this episode, Markus Zirn and Tristan Cox dive deep into the digital and regulatory landscape of aged care in Australia. Tristan shares insights into the formation and evolution of the Royal Commission, driven by significant events and the need for an integrated regulatory approach. He discusses the challenges and transformations within aged care, highlighting the importance of process mapping and technological adaptation in enhancing care quality. They also explore Tristan's remarkable career journey from studying archaeology to leading digital innovation in aged care, underscoring the invaluable role of a growth mindset in government IT leadership. Lastly, they delve into the future of aged care regulation, touching on Tristan's vision for leveraging technology to simplify government processes and make a lasting impact in the sector.
Timestamps*(00:00) Episode Start
*(02:23) Understanding the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety in Australia
*(05:16) Tristan's career journey
*(14:22) Challenges technology leaders face in aged care
*(23:30) Tristan's driving forces in his work
*(27:18) IT's role in simplifying government processes
*(35:50) Key takeaways from ‘The New Automation Mindset' book
*(41:22) Improving efficiency with Tristan's 'Operational Digital Toolkit'
Episode Key TakeawaysOptimize your workflow with process mapping: Begin by mapping out your workflows to thoroughly understand your processes and pinpoint areas for improvement. This fundamental step is crucial for enhancing efficiency and achieving operational clarity.Boost agility with low-code platforms: Empower your team to adapt quickly with low-code platforms. These user-friendly tools enable rapid development and deployment of solutions, enhancing your organization's agility and responsiveness to change.Future-proof your operations through composability: Design systems and processes to be flexible and adaptable. Embracing modularity ensures easy adjustments to evolving challenges, keeping your operations resilient and ready for the future.Top Quotes“Decomposition is right at the center of our enterprise architecture. We want to use best in breed products and connect them together in a smooth transition, an easy connection, so that we can get the data transfer between systems. And actually the Workato product is what we landed on to do that. It has all of these attributes, it has an ability to be used in a very powerful and flexible way. Is it fast? Absolutely. We can develop stuff really quickly in there. Does it have flexibility? Yes. We can do all sorts of things with it that, in fact, we're discovering some things that weren't even in our original intent, but we're playing with those things just to understand the boundaries.” - Tristan Cox
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Episode Summary
In this episode, Markus Zirn and Jim Williams discuss automation's impact on marketing operations, spotlighting Uptempo's innovative approach. They explore how Utempo uses Workato to streamline data flow between marketing and finance, setting new efficiency standards. They also touch on AI's potential in redefining marketing strategies. This episode offers a glimpse into the future of marketing, emphasizing integration, innovation, and insight.
Timestamps*(00:00) Episode Start
*(02:50) What is Uptempo?
*(04:47) Why automating the back end of marketing matters
*(08:34) Workato’s Impact at Uptempo
*(14:42) Role of integration in marketing strategies
*(17:24) 'The New Automation Mindset' and its impact on the CMO role
*(22:30) Turning big data into big marketing operations
*(28:29) AI revolution in marketing
*(35:50) How to scale through integration
Episode Key TakeawaysAutomate the back end of marketing: Simplify your marketing processes by automating back-end tasks. Ditch the spreadsheets and embrace efficiency, saving time and reducing errors in planning, budgeting, and execution.Merge your marketing and finance data: Unify marketing and financial data for deeper insights. This will enable your team to track spending, measure effectiveness, and adjust strategies confidently while empowering your CMO to make more informed decisions.Embrace AI in your marketing: Harness AI to enhance marketing efforts. From content creation to campaign planning, AI boosts efficiency and provides valuable insights, keeping you ahead of the curve.Top Quote"Change management in any organization is difficult. But take a global organization that's got 5,000 marketers, and they're organized into different regional groups and each wants to go to market in their own unique way. So that whole idea of the automation mindset is, by integrating these systems and then applying smart automation, smart business practices, you can actually begin to pull this system together into something that gives you the agility you need."
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Episode Summary
In this episode, Markus Zirn, Kerry Officer, and Al Smith discuss the future of business applications in HR, focusing on the shift from digitizing paper systems to creating outcome-driven user experiences. They explore iCIMS' journey through three generations of integration platforms, emphasizing low-code solutions, event-driven workflows, and the integration of AI and generative AI. You’ll learn how these advancements enhance recruitment processes and create efficient, customizable user applications. Moreover, they shed light on the principles of responsible AI, especially in sensitive data domains like HR and recruiting, ensuring fairness and transparency in automated systems.
Timestamps*(00:00) Episode Start
*(03:25) Business applications as a 'digitization of paper systems'
*(05:22) iCIMS's integration journey
*(12:15) How iCIMS is scaling adoption of integration
*(19:00) Workato's impact on iCIMS’ next-gen business applications
*(21:38 iCIMS’ AI and GenAI journey
*(31:55) Responsible AI in sensitive data
*(43:10) How to enhance business applications with low code integration, event-driven workflows, and AI
Episode Key TakeawaysTransition to outcome-driven applications: Evaluate your current business applications to identify areas where they simply digitize existing processes. Transform them into tools that actively achieve desired outcomes, leveraging tech for added value beyond digitization.Leverage low-code platforms for better integration: Assess your integration challenges with low-code platforms. Start small to familiarize your team, then expand gradually. This approach can help streamline your business processes, making them more adaptable and efficient.Adopt event-driven workflows: Identify business processes that could benefit from becoming more dynamic and responsive. Automate with event-driven architectures to enhance agility and reduce manual processing.Implement responsible AI practices: Begin by auditing your current use of AI to ensure it aligns with ethical guidelines. Consider where generative AI can enhance your operations without introducing bias. Focus on transparency, allowing users to understand how AI decisions are made, and involve them in the process to ensure outcomes are fair and balanced.Top Quotes“When we look at scaling, it's not just ‘can we deploy more customers,’ right? It’s ‘can we load larger volume data? Can we put more customers on the platform without degradation? Can we scale globally? How do we just make smarter integrations so that it's faster to deploy same day? We get them up and running in an hour.’ So there's lots of facets in scaling that come to play in automation and integrations that we've really been looking at. As technology gets smarter, and these customers continue to want more automations, they're not settling with what they have. They're always pushing those boundaries.” - Kerry Officer
“I don't think anybody says, ‘Hey, I want to do the 10 steps that it takes for me to generate a job offer for Markus.’ But I'd like to generate a job offer for Markus. That's the outcome I want to get to and I may or may not be an expert user of the software to do that. And look, there are regulatory steps in there that I need to make sure get covered. But why can't the technology help me pre-populate, know what things need to be done, take me as if it was an expert to the outcome steps and let me handle the differential things that I need to be the value add, decision-maker on. That's what we're working on as kind of the next step with this technology.” - Al Smith
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Episode Summary
In this episode, Markus Zirn and Kamlesh Talreja explore the technology parallels between Workato and Capital One, highlighting the strategic significance of cloud computing. They explore how harnessing cloud-native capabilities has fueled innovation, enriched customer experiences, and optimized data utilization well beyond the simple migration of traditional platforms. Drawing from his extensive experience, including 15 years at Amazon, Kamlesh reveals how it shaped his perspective on innovation in the cloud. They further dive into the transformative power of APIs, the role of AI and data in enhancing customer experiences, and the cultural and operational shifts necessary for companies to thrive in a cloud-dominated landscape. This discussion uncovers key strategies and insights on leveraging cloud technology to drive business innovation and operational efficiency.
Timestamps*(00:00) Episode Start
*(05:05) Kamlesh's 15-year journey at Amazon
*(16:18) Capital One vs. Amazon: Similarities and differences
*(20:10) Benefits of going cloud-native
*(25:42) Is on-prem more secure than the cloud?
*(30:50) Impact of Jeff Bezos' 'Build APIs or you will get fired' memo
*(38:16) Capital One's strategies around data and AI
*(41:45) Understanding Capital One's Auto Navigator
*(46:10) How the cloud transformed culture at Capital One
Episode Key TakeawaysMake the shift to the cloud: Transitioning to the cloud offers more than just cost efficiency. It unlocks agility, fosters innovation, and elevates customer satisfaction. By harnessing cloud technologies, you can catalyze business transformation and cultivate a culture of scalable innovation.Adopt an API-first strategy: Follow industry leaders like Amazon. Embrace service-oriented architecture for swift and scalable development, laying down a robust digital infrastructure that empowers teams to innovate seamlessly and deliver transformative solutions.Enhance your customer experience with data and AI: Transform data into stories and AI insights into personalized experiences. Anticipate customer needs to create intuitive products and services, ensuring every interaction reflects your commitment to customer value and fosters loyalty.Foster a collaborative cross-functional culture: Break down silos and foster collaboration across departments. Model after successful examples like Capital One's cross-functional teams to spark innovation and align technology with business objectives. By cultivating a culture of collaboration, you can ensure transformative projects that prioritize customer-centric outcomes.Top Quote“The strong belief we have and what I've seen, cloud today is in fact way more secure than any on-prem infrastructure we might have. You have cloud services such as AWS and Azure and Google now powering many of the military and intelligence operations of many countries, including the US. So you can't have more security than those, many of those highly sensitive workloads. And, I know for a fact, AWS, it is applying that same way they build regional data centers for the military, the same way they build it for the intelligence services. That's the same way they're building any of the data centers.” – Kamlesh Talreja
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Episode Summary
In this episode, Markus Zirn and Judith Apshago explore the dynamic realm of IT leadership and the impact of technology on organizational transformation. Judith takes us on a journey through her illustrious career spanning industries from rail to biotech. Delving into the heart of process innovation, she reveals Amtrak's cutting-edge advancements in predictive maintenance, aimed at revolutionizing operational efficiency and elevating customer experience. She also unveils her unique approach to IT leadership, where business-IT collaboration, agility, and strategic integration of data and AI take center stage. From her groundbreaking work at U.S. Silica to her current role at Amtrak, Judith shares invaluable insights on leveraging technology for transformative impact across many industries.
Timestamps*(00:00) Episode Start
*(03:15) Judith's career at Amtrak
*(10:15) Judith's process innovation at U.S. Silica
*(17:10) Advice on business process redesign (BPR)
*(21:10) Role of IT in solution design and business partnership
*(26:55) Identifying cross-industry experience for process improvement
*(32:22) Challenges and opportunities in AI-driven process improvements
*(36:06) How to lead organizational transformation
*(39:45) Judith's advice for IT professionals
Episode Key TakeawaysStart Small and Iterate: When implementing new technologies or processes, begin with a manageable scope. Test the waters, gather feedback, and refine your strategies accordingly to ensure they address pertinent business challenges effectively.Leverage Data and AI: AI can help you extract valuable insights from your data, enhancing decision-making and operational effectiveness. Reimagine processes with innovative, data-driven approaches to drive fundamentally better solutions.Align IT with business goals: Ensure seamless alignment between tech initiatives and overarching business goals. Get IT and business teams in sync, collaborating closely to make sure every tech move delivers real business value.Foster curiosity and innovation: Cultivate a workplace culture that champions continuous learning and inventive problem-solving. Empower your team to explore emerging technologies and brainstorm solutions to address business challenges effectively, fostering a culture of continuous improvement.
Top Quote“The people who are most valuable to me in the organization are the dot connectors who can see things in different places and say, ‘if that works over here, maybe we can leverage it over there.’ Back to that example I gave about the data that we're collecting from the trains and the tracks – we're doing that for a specific purpose to improve our maintenance processes, but that data is also valuable in other places in the business. So how can I connect dots and see where else might this information be valuable and what other information might be valuable to this process? So again, dot-connecting is a kind of key skill in this area.
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Episode Summary
In this episode, Markus Zirn and Michael Balarezo explore the transformative realm of automation and AI. Leveraging his experience leading Media.Monk’s Automation and AI strategy, Michael offers a wealth of invaluable insights on navigating digital transformation. They discuss the synergy of AI and automation, highlighted by Media.Monks’ revolutionary software, Monks.Flow. Michael also emphasizes the importance of fostering an automation-first culture and making AI tools accessible across the workforce. Whether you're a tech enthusiast or industry professional, Michael's expertise offers practical advice for leveraging automation and AI to drive organizational transformation.
Timestamps*(00:00) Episode Start
*(03:52) Michael's thoughts on AI and automation
*(08:11) Media.Monks' Monks.Flow software
*(11:37) Michael's journey at Media.Monks
*(22:00) Automation culture at Media.Monks
*(29:16) Empowering people in automation
*(34:59) Experiences with AI integration in automation
*(39:59) AI as a tool for inspiration
*(45:12) Michael's advice on automation and AI
Episode Key TakeawaysMaximize the power of automation with AI: Look for ways to bring AI into your automation projects. AI can help make smarter decisions and supercharge your automation processes to work even better alongside humans.Foster an automation-first culture: Make automation a part of your organization's DNA. Encourage everyone to get on board with automation, ensuring that its benefits and know-how are available to all.Democratize access to technology: Ensure that everyone in your team has access to AI and automation tools and training. By giving everyone a chance to engage with these technologies, you're opening the door to new ideas and innovations.Prioritize your budget for automation and AI: Get the money conversation going early. Make sure there's a dedicated budget for automation and AI projects by working closely with your financial decision-makers. With clear financial planning, you can speed up the adoption and growth of automation and AI in your organization.Top Quote"I've always said automation is change management. And there's this push and this pull in the automation journey. As you continue to scale out automation in your practice, you have to really identify what works and what doesn't work, for your business. But it's a team effort. If you don't have other folks around you supporting that and also beating the same drum, it makes it very difficult to kind of adopt that sort of mentality, that mindset, that culture." – Michael Balarezo
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Episode Summary
In this episode, Markus Zirn and Hillary Carpio delve into the dynamic world of Account Based Marketing (ABM). Leveraging her extensive experience, Hillary provides a peek into the strategies propelling Snowflake's market dominance. Drawing insights from her book 'Busting Silos', she illuminates the transformative power of automation, orchestration, and a profound understanding of human behaviors in modern marketing. Exploring Snowflake's unique ABM approach, they unravel the creation of their internal ABM platform and delve into the pivotal role of data and AI in shaping the future marketing landscape. Hillary shares her passionate advocacy for customer-centric methodologies, alongside invaluable advice for aspiring ABM leaders, unlocking the full potential of ABM in their endeavors.
Timestamps*(03:13) Episode Start
*(05:38) Exploring Account-Based Marketing (ABM) and Hillary's book “Busting Silos”
*(09:37) Crafting a custom ABM tech stack
*(17:05) Snowflake's approach to ABM
*(20:37) Composable enterprise and data-driven orchestration solutions
*(24:10) Approach to activation flows and cross-departmental collaboration
*(26:33) Future of ABM with AI
*(26:26) Hillary's journey at Snowflake
*(30:22) Advice on building your own ABM tech stack
*(30:26) Evolution of scoring models and Snowflake's approach
*(33:50) Hillary's wishlist for future tech advancements
Episode Key TakeawaysSolve genuine problems: Transform existing processes by identifying authentic pain points. Dive deep to understand the intricacies, ensuring your solutions yield impactful outcomes.Always put your customer first: Keep your customers front and center. Navigate through complexities while ensuring your solutions meet their practical needs, not just technical requirements.The future of marketing lies in technology: Embrace the technological revolution in marketing. Explore the power of generative AI and other emerging technologies to streamline processes and personalize interactions, propelling your strategies into the future of innovation.Flexibility is Key: Adapt and thrive in the ever-changing digital realm. Stay agile, iterate on your strategies, and embrace new data inputs to continuously improve and scale your efforts for success.
Top Quotes“You can create a great orchestrated product. But if sales isn't on board, if SDRs aren't on board, if the creative team isn't on board… Everybody has to be on board to believe in this vision that you're executing, you can't just execute against something that nobody wants to be a part of. So at the end of the day, it has to be business-focused. It has to be outcome-focused. And the tool or the platform just becomes a mechanism to help you get to that goal faster.” – Hillary Carpio
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Episode Summary
In this episode, Markus Zirn, Jason Pikoos, and Stephen Attanasio explore the complex world of order to cash (O2C), covering everything from lead generation to cash collection. They emphasize early data capture, reliable data sources, and process flexibility for optimal efficiency. From process mapping to incremental development, they offer guidance to keep your processes resilient and adaptable. Additionally, they discuss the potential impact of generative AI on O2C and the importance of designing processes to evolve with business needs.
Timestamps*(00:00) Episode Start
*(03:46) Introduction to order to cash
*(11:29) Exploring end processes from opportunity to renewal
*(15:05) Automating RMA processes for faster customer solutions
*(16:29) Advice for automating order to cash processes
*(24:18) Understanding maturity levels in order to cash
*(30:24) Strategies for exception handling
*(35:13) Role of Generative AI in exception handling
*(37:32) Optimizing data architecture in order to cash process
*(42:33) Agility through automated order generation
*(47:47) Jason and Stephen's advice
Episode Key TakeawaysDocument and map your order to cash processes: Begin by thoroughly documenting your current O2C workflows and creating clear process maps. This proactive step helps identify inefficiencies and areas suitable for automation, laying the groundwork for effective implementation.Design your order to cash process backward: Craft your process by starting with the end goal and working backward to ensure vital data capture and smooth information flow.Implement automation incrementally: Start automation projects with small, achievable tasks to demonstrate immediate benefits and build momentum. Incremental automation allows for quick wins and enables adaptation to changing business needs and evolving processes.Top Quotes“You really want to crawl before you walk, and then you run. And that really is critically important. Starting with the basics, building a strong foundation for which you can further build upon. You can't get to the more bespoke and complex process automations and integrations until you really have that strong basis to build from. Not just from a technical perspective, but also from an organization perspective. You need to show the value first in integrations and automations. You need to show what you can do.” - Stephen Attanasio
“Order to cash is going to evolve. So don't bother trying to guess every possible outcome and automate every possible outcome that may or may not exist. Oftentimes the best thing to do is create some degree of flexibility, so don't hard code everything into the system. But also make sure you have technology that is flexible and easy to adapt. It's a reason why we've always enjoyed [Workato], because it is a very easy product to evolve.” - Jason Pikoos
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Episode Summary
In this episode, Markus Zirn and Bill Genovese explore the financial services industry through the lens of automation. Drawing from Bill's extensive industry experience, they discuss the challenges and opportunities inherent in adopting new technologies within a complex and heavily regulated environment. They delve into the transformative potential of technology, emphasizing the crucial need to adapt strategies in response to shifting consumer demands and evolving industry trends. Bill's invaluable insights shed light on how automation is not only reshaping the financial services sector but also driving innovation to new heights.
Timestamps*(00:00) Episode Start
*(03:20) Bill's insights on financial services
*(09:30) Process thinking in financial services
*(13:29) Role of open APIs in customer experience
*(17:15) Navigating friction between legacy technology and open APIs
*(21:54) Optimizing open APIs through integration
*(25:16) Most beneficial process enhancements with digital technology
*(31:39) Early tech adopters and trends in finance
*(36:19) Simplifying technology for organizational growth
Episode Key TakeawaysCulture trumps strategy: Foster a corporate culture that prioritizes adaptability and innovation over sticking strictly to traditional strategies. This shift enables companies to effectively navigate industry disruptions and swiftly respond to evolving challenges.Adopt API monetization strategies: Align your API strategy with business objectives. Assess whether opening APIs enhances user base or generates revenue. Ensure regulatory compliance and adoption potential align with market expectations.The need for a mobile-first strategy: Prioritizing mobile and internet-first service development will help you stay relevant. This meets the rising demand for mobile access and seamless user experiences in a competitive market.Navigate legacy system challenges with partnerships: To overcome the friction between legacy systems and the need for open APIs, collaborate with technology partners. Look for solutions like code refactoring or API runbook conversions to bridge the gap between outdated mainframes and modern API requirements, facilitating smoother integration.Top Quote“There's a famous quote by Peter Drucker centered around culture. That quote is ‘Culture eats strategy for breakfast.’ So I've kind of spun that on its heels a bit in the sense that if your industry strategy does not address culture, then all you're eating is breakfast. You're leaving out lunch and dinner as well. So that's very important in terms of mindset, automation, integration, and digital transformation. Especially in a heavily regulated industry such as financial services.”
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Episode Summary
In this episode, Markus Zirn, Sari Vuola-Vuorinen and Andrew Newson explore the intricate world of ICEYE, where business meets technology. Sari and Andrew share their experiences about transforming ICEYE's business processes, fostering collaboration and innovation, and optimizing their IT environment for agility. This dynamic duo, one steering business transformation and operations, and the other helming IT, open up about their unconventional approach to harnessing the power of diverse engineering domains within their teams. From discussing ICEYE's unique work culture and compelling journey to the importance of maintaining a balance between governance and democratization, their candid stories provide a captivating glimpse into the ICEYE experience.
Timestamps*(00:00) Episode Start
*(03:22) What is ICEYE?
*(05:18) People and culture at ICEYE
*(11:47) Exploring the dynamics of fusion teams at ICEYE and its impact on growth
*(19:45) Comparing IT environments and the magic at ICEYE
*(21:25) How to implement a long-term vision using enterprise systems
*(23:49) Balancing democratization and governance for security and inclusivity
*(26:03) Uniting fusion teams, collaboration, and governance to drive innovation
*(28:53) Navigating innovation and agility in agile vs. static environments
*(32:11) Importance of end-to-end processes and ICEYE's strategic approach
*(38:47) Advice for emerging and established organizations
Episode Key TakeawaysPrioritize collaboration and fusion teams: Foster a culture of collaboration by uniting diverse talents and harnessing their curiosity. Establish clear objectives to channel contributions effectively. Embrace fusion teams to promote cross-functional collaboration, bolstering synergy and driving transformative outcomes.Embrace end-to-end eusiness processes: Emphasize a comprehensive understanding and management of business processes, from inception to completion, to optimize efficiency and deliver value to stakeholders. Shift focus from isolated tasks to a holistic view, ensuring seamless operation throughout.Implement loosely coupled architecture: Andrew advocates that this strategy helps pivot and provide a consistent method of transferring data and integrating systems without disrupting core architectures. Embrace this approach for enhanced agility, facilitating rapid adjustments and scalability within complex systems.Cultivate innovation and agility by embracing change: Be open to new ideas and encourage your team to trial and error for continuous improvement. Be able to adapt to learnings quickly. Manage tooling demands proactively, aligning with the pace of business evolution for sustained growth and competitiveness.Top Quotes"Sari and I's approach here is to transform how the business operates. It's not just implementing a system, it's not just providing IT tools. It is fundamentally changing business processes, changing the way that we work with our partners and our customers. And that really is a differentiator for me to have the opportunity to influence the core workings of a reasonably mature and sizable business is probably the unique thing.” - Andrew Newson
“It's all about people and collaboration. And that's why I like the diversity in practice being also that we can, through collaboration, bring very different people around the table. And curious people are committed to making the change. If you just are clear with the aspiration, the direction, the vision, you then enable people to do their best, so miracles happen.” - Sari Vuola-Vuorinen
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Episode Summary
In this episode, Markus Zirn and Earl Newsome delve into Earl's impactful role at Cummins Inc., exploring how technology bolsters the company's multifaceted business landscape. Drawing insightful parallels between IT composability and the improvisational nature of jazz, Earl explores the criticality of agility and interoperability amidst the dynamic tech sector. Diving into the realm of AI, Earl advises a collaborative approach over a replacement model, envisioning technology users as empowered 'AI artists'. He passionately emphasizes the nexus between comprehending business processes and technology's pivotal role, advocating for an adoption-driven model to unleash the full potential of technological advancements.
Timestamps*(00:00) Episode Start
*(02:12) Business processes and technology integration at Cummins
*(07:27) Evolution of the CIO role
*(12:22) Importance of a growth mindset in IT leaders
*(15:32) Earl's insights on AI
*(26:57) Composability as an IT tool
*(33:07) Significance of diversity in tech
*(39:22) Simplifying technology adoption and streamlining user experience
Episode Key TakeawaysJust ‘Add One’: Earl promotes the practice of adding one action to your normal routine that can make a difference. Whether it be reading a new book, engaging with people outside your usual network, or exploring different vendors - this 'Add One' strategy could have a multiplier effect if adopted widely.Embrace the theory of the business: Mastering the core principle behind your business's revenue generation is indispensable. A profound understanding of your business theory enables you to align your technological endeavors to enhance performance, quality, and operational continuity.Move from installation to realization: It's time to transcend mere technology installation and start realizing its full potential. The true value of technology emerges through widespread adoption and utilization. Embracing this shift toward realization can propel your business towards unparalleled levels of productivity and success.Create technology anthropologists: Earl proposes the creation of a groundbreaking role - the "Technology Anthropologist." Individuals in this role would delve into how technology is used in the real world, paving the way for more user-friendly and accessible technology solutions. This innovative approach has the potential to accelerate technology adoption rates and optimize utilization efficiency.Top Quote“Software is eating the world today. And so you have to move from being a caretaker to actually being a harvester. You have to plant those seeds, and you've got to water those seeds, and then you've got to grow those seeds, and not only grow, right? You have to harvest [them] in order to get the full value of technology in your business. So how is software going to eat your industry? If you understand that, then you can understand what seeds you plant, where you need to plant those seeds, how you get those seeds to grow, and then how you harvest the benefit of that technology embedded in your in your business.”
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A few months after Workato's CEO Vijay Tella released the Wall Street Journal Bestselling Book, "The New Automation Mindset," we launched this companion podcast, and the response has been amazing. Thank you for the thousands of listeners who tuned in and to the incredible guests who joined us for Season One.
We learned from leaders at Nvidia, Nasdaq, Vodafone, Amazon Web Services, Bain, Ernst and Young, Kyndryl, and many more. Now, we are excited to announce Season Two. Over the next 13 episodes, we'll hear from another incredible roster of business leaders. Join Markus Zirn, Chief Strategy Officer at Workato, as we continue the journey to learn more about this new era of AI, Automation, and Integration.
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Episode Summary
In this episode, Markus Zirn and Rama Theekshidar dive deep into what’s driving digital transformation in the distribution industry. Rama delves into the transformative potential of AI, the benefits of adopting composable architecture, and the significance of cultivating a growth mindset. From discussing the vast scale of the distribution industry to the evolutionary impact of new technologies and AI, Rama offers visionary insights and practical advice for leaders embracing change and innovation. These compelling insights extend beyond distribution to anyone navigating the digital transformation journey in their industry.
Timestamps*(00:00) Episode Start
*(02:47) Understanding the distribution industry and Rama's background
*(08:56) Evolution in the distribution industry
*(15:00) Enabling digital transformation through composable architecture
*(22:50) Choosing the right technology partner - What to look for and what to avoid
*(28:52) AI's impact on the distribution industry
*(37:42) Rama's thoughts on the future of AI in business
*(46:01) How to be a rebel entrepreneur and Rama's advice for Technology leaders
Episode Key TakeawaysEmbrace composable architecture: Integrate flexible and interchangeable services to enhance scalability and efficiency within your operations. By adopting this approach, you empower your organization to adapt swiftly to evolving needs.Revolutionize your business with AI: Explore innovative applications of AI beyond task automation. Identify opportunities to leverage AI for creating new business models and enhancing existing ones, driving transformative change and competitive advantage.Harness existing experience and knowledge: While AI and automation are reshaping industries, Rama talks about the importance of retaining and re-purposing experienced staff. By blending traditional wisdom with cutting-edge technologies, you can achieve more sophisticated outcomes and sustainable growth.Commit to lifelong learning: As Rama quotes, "You only get smarter by playing a smarter opponent." Continuously seek knowledge from diverse sources to innovate and overcome challenges. Prioritize understanding human behaviors, business trends, and industry shifts alongside learning new technologies.
Top Quote“Coming from an electrical industry, it's almost like we have to be like a transformer. A transformer's operating principle is mutual induction. And mutual induction is the power of a transformer to transfer power between a primary coil and a secondary coil and then magic happens, correct? That's mutual induction. What I mean by that in our world is how do we have business teams and technology teams acting as the primary and the secondary coil, and you create a mutual induction using a composable architecture where, we have made technology using composable architecture and large language models and AI where the business and tech teams are in it together, solving four problems together, not creating different solutions in silos. When we do that like a transformer, it is quite powerful, and then we will all win.”
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Episode Summary
In this episode, Markus Zirn and Luis Enriquez navigate the intricate world of technology leadership and business process optimization. Luis brings a wealth of experience in transforming IT and shares his insights from his roles at Grab and Zuellig Pharma. They dive into the benefits of focusing on process optimization and the importance of embracing discomfort as a significant catalyst for evolution. By scrutinizing buzzwords like AI and data, Luis stresses the importance of accessing their full potential beyond mere trends.
Timestamps*(00:00) Episode Start
*(03:45) Luis' career journey at Grab
*(16:35) Challenges of app overload and the importance of end-to-end process
*(25:35) Luis' experiences at Zuellig Pharma and the Impact of process design
*(36:30) Evolving role of technology in pharma distribution
*(42:12) Advice for aspiring and experienced CIOs
Episode Key TakeawaysPrioritize effective process design: Focus on essential tasks, remove unnecessary steps, and automate wherever possible to enhance productivity in large-scale operations. This was exemplified by Luis’ experience at Grab, where he streamlined process models to drive efficiency.Don’t overlook the importance of data: All cutting-edge concepts such as AI substantially depend on data. Ensuring data is clean, ready, and in an environment conducive to AI applications is necessary for successful implementation.Learn and educate yourself continuously: It's crucial to understand different disciplines, geopolitical situations, and historical contexts, as they impact technology landscapes. Effective leaders continuously expand their knowledge base through reading, and learning about society, history, and other areas that shape technology. Embrace discomfort for innovation: It's through discomfort and challenging situations that new insights and improvements emerge. Consistently pushing oneself to new limits and stepping outside of your comfort zone is an excellent approach to becoming innovative and adaptable.Top Quote“To anybody starting on this journey - get into the details. Don't get caught in the buzzwords. AI is about data, it's as simple as that. Don't get caught in the sense of all these different companies coming: 'I will give you the X, the Y, the Z, and it will be implemented in no time, and tomorrow you will be a hundred points higher in your revenue.' No, it takes time to evolve. So get into the details, take the buzzwords out."
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Episode Summary
In this special episode, Markus Zirn is joined by a distinguished panel of AI and automation leaders: Harish Surendranath from Amazon Web Services, Jia Li from LiveX AI, and Jeff Thomas from NASDAQ. They delve deep into the transformational power of advanced AI technologies, exploring how generative AI is altering the landscape of business processes and workforce dynamics. From enhancing customer experiences to supercharging back-office operations, they shine a light on the myriad ways AI is redefining the enterprise world. Tune in to gain top insights into the AI revolution, the rise of generative AI, and how adopting an 'automation mindset' plays a crucial role in staying ahead of the curve.
Timestamps*(00:00) Episode Start
*(04:35) Diving into the growth mindset and the CES Convention
*(08:56) LiveX AI’s approach to GenAI
*(13:05) GenAI use cases at AWS
*(15:05) Future of Generative AI
*(15:43) GenAI at NASDAQ
*(20:29) Impact of the new AI transformation wave
*(26:56) Democratization of AI
*(30:42) AWS’s Approach to AI and its impact on customers
*(36:05) Importance of responsible AI and governance
*(38:41) Role of AI at NASDAQ
*(42:02) Workato's approach to GenAI and the growth mindset
*(48:50) Advice on GenAI governance across industries
*(56:10) Disruptiveness of AI and its impact on the workforce
Episode Key TakeawaysGenerative AI’s potential to revolutionize multiple sectors: Harish hammers home the breadth of generative AI's influence. Reinventing customer experiences and enhancing employee productivity, AI's scope of application is radically diverse and impactful. He offers a glimpse into Amazon's responsible AI strategy and how the tech giant is using custom silicon to enhance the price-performance ratio for AI applications. Generative AI democratizes innovation: Jia highlights the power of generative AI in lowering barriers to entry, and 'augmenting' human capabilities. She shares insights from her work in Google Cloud AI and her current endeavors at LiveX AI, particularly how AI is set to impact the myriad aspects of everyday life. The power of AI in streamlining operations: Jeff underscores NASDAQ's strategic use of AI to augment productivity, foster product innovation, and streamline processes. Emphasizing the importance of staff training and robust governance mechanisms, he points out the key role these factors play in safeguarding trust and ensuring responsible implementation of AI.Top Quotes“We think about generative AI in two ways at Nasdaq. One, we think about how we can integrate it in our products. And then the second area is how we can use it on our business. And so, when we think about generative AI in the products, it's how can we change the user experience? How can we change the productivity gains that our customers get out of our products and solutions?” - Jeff Thomas
“Right now, given the low barrier to entry for generative AI products. Think of, there is a mom-and-pop shop who are serving their customers and they really want to focus on their business. And in the past, they probably need to spend a lot of time on customer support and sales efforts, et cetera, et cetera. But now, generative AI can actually automate much of this experience so that the repetitive aspects can be reduced and the business owners, or the small team, can serve their customers much better. And it's essentially AI for everyone.” - Jia Li
“We are going to see augmentation of productivity and the workforce being more productive thanks to AI. There will be higher value tasks and even higher value than what we are doing today for humans to do and for our AI sort of assistants or co-pilots to kind of help us along the way. So I'm an optimist.” - Harish Surendranath
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Episode Summary
In this episode, Markus Zirn sits down with Carter Busse to discuss the transformative power of automation, AI, and integration in the business landscape. They explore the shift from a traditional mindset to a forward-thinking, growth mindset, essential for harnessing the full potential of automation and AI. Carter underscores the significance of employee happiness and efficient business processes, backed by compelling examples illustrating automation's profound impact on business processes. He also shares insight into the role of AI in automation, and his optimistic vision for the future.
Timestamps*(00:00) Episode Start
*(02:16) Carter's thoughts on The New Automation Mindset
*(05:00) Carter's automation strategy
*(07:39) The evolving CIO’s perspective on automation
*(10:05) AI’s influence on business processes
*(11:59) Real-world automation use cases
*(20:00) Challenges with Integration
*(21:45) AI's impact on automation at Workato
*(26:05) Balancing the human element in tech
*(28:42) Solutions for future-proof strategies
*(30:22) Carter's insights for the future
*(33:10) Today’s Takeaway
Episode Key TakeawaysImportance of a growth mindset: Executives need to break free from limitations imposed by a fixed mindset. In this rapidly evolving environment, it’s critical to pivot and change your thinking from task-based to growth and process-based. Adopt an incremental approach to automation: When you begin adopting automation, start small and control what you can. But embrace a fast-paced, fail-fast approach to show possibilities to other business users. Automation empowers people: Automation is key to helping people do great things. Empowering users with technology tools fosters innovation and enhances overall employee happiness.The value of the people, process, technology framework (PPT): PPT emphasizes prioritizing people and processes over technology when making decisions. Use this framework to navigate your business journey, ensuring a holistic and user-centric approach to technology implementation.Top Quote“People, process, technology is what every CIO thinks about. And it's actually run my team meetings. People, process, technology. We talked about technology last. We talk about the people first, talk about process, and we talk about technology last. That's the way we're always thinking about it here.”
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Episode Summary
In today’s episode, Markus sits down with Mikael Yayon, partner at Ernst & Young, to discuss Mikael's transformative journey of revolutionizing traditional audit processes through cutting-edge automation tools. They explore how Mikael's team leveraged Workato to amplify process efficiency, eliminating manual data collection and promoting direct client interactions. Mikael advocates for team-wide adoption of technology tools like Workato, recognizing the synergy between his team's professional expertise and the tool's functionality. In his final advice, Mikael shares insights on future-proofing processes by embracing new tech advancements, such as generative AI.
Timestamps*(00:00) Intro
*(01:56) Inside Mikael's day-to-day at EY
*(05:31) EY's automation Journey pre-Workato
*(10:29) Workato use case at EY
*(14:30) How Workato revolutionized client interactions at EY
*(20:30) Automation as a market differentiator
*(25:20) EY's approach to scaling automation and efficiency with Workato
*(30:56) EY's evaluation process for Workato
*(35:34) Future of auditing and Audit 3.0
Episode Key TakeawaysRevolutionize your business with automation: Elevate your operational efficiency and accuracy by leveraging automation tools like Workato to automate manual tasks seamlessly. This translates into a tangible reduction in labor and time spent on manual data collection.Foster direct client interactions with automation: Opt for technological solutions that facilitate direct client interactions, eliminating the ‘middleman’. You will streamline communication, simplify procedures, and create a more client-friendly process by embracing automation tools.Empower your team with widespread tech adoption: Ensure that your entire team is proficient in the technology tools you employ. Maximize usage, boost efficiency, and empower your team to synergize their expertise with the functionalities of the tools you've integrated.Embrace the tech evolution: Strategically incorporate innovative technologies into your processes for future-proofing. In the age of AI, explore the possibilities of integrating a generative AI layer to amplify your business processes. Lay the groundwork now for the future transformation of your industry or processes.Top Quote“Every company, everyone, needs to transform. We need to make that transformation, to evolve, and to integrate all of the new processes and all of those new technologies that are part of the transformation process. I think also it means trusting your employees. You need to trust them. You need to trust the person you're working with. Sometimes it can be challenging. Changes are always challenging for people, but you need to do that in a way where they feel comfortable. Where they have the appropriate support internally, and they feel comfortable using a tool that they're familiar with. We're all together and the clients definitely see the added value on that."
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Episode Summary
In this episode, Markus Zirn and Pietro Casella, Managing Director and Chief Architect at EQT, emphasize the pivotal role of meticulous data management as the cornerstone for successful automation. Pietro stresses the necessity of treating data as a vital trigger for automation, establishing it as non-negotiable on the journey to success. He advises on the democratization of automation, as a way to break down silos and empower team members for innovation and efficiency. Finally, Pietro shares the importance of challenging traditional practices, urging a reconsideration of these methods in the face of AI's transformative impact.
Timestamps*(00:00) Episode Start
*(01:42) Pietro's background
*(02:50) EQT's digital transformation journey
*(05:06) Impact of automation on EQT
*(07:25) Alignment EQT's digital leadership and The New Automation Mindset concepts
*(15:20) Power of AI as a catalyst for democratization
*(18:00) EQT's data-centric approach, Motherbrain and Pietro's thoughts on the future data
*(26:15) Killer apps of Generative AI and exploring AI's impact
*(35:56) The role of AI in transforming business rules engines
Episode Key TakeawaysData as an enabler of automation: The foundation of successful automation lies in meticulous data management. Treating data as a crucial trigger for automation is not just a choice—it's an essential element for a successful automation journey.Start every project with a question: Initiate projects with a focused question, aligning efforts to gather essential data. This targeted approach cultivates purposeful action, leading to more streamlined and valuable outcomes.Democratize automation within your IT department: Break down IT silos and empower every team member with a holistic view of systems. Providing the right tools and authority encourages innovation and efficiency, uncovering simpler solutions to the same problems.Reconsider traditional practices with AI: Challenge traditional methods, such as relying on business rules engines, by embracing the transformative power of AI. Reflect on established practices and explore more efficient alternatives to stay ahead in the evolving landscape.
Top Quote“There's this other dimension of democratization. I think usually this word is used to describe the process of empowering your employees, the functional people. And I think that's kind of the goal. But, very few people speak about the democratization inside your technology department. And so if you have, let's say the CRM team, and you only allow them to work in the CRM, and they don't know that it's possible to do a lot of magic tricks outside of the CRM, right? They don't know they have permission to touch the database, right? Or to do automation. So they tend to build this spaghetti ball inside your CRM without realizing that if they step outside, it's quite remote controllable. So if you think about Salesforce, when we rolled out to the automation platform and the data platform, we left, we said, 'everybody has the keys to it, everybody can use it inside the technology department.' And that led to people finding much simpler ways from an architecture perspective to solve the same problem.”
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