Reflecting on what we have learned in 2021, and where to start in 2022
As we approach the end of the year it is worth looking back on the past 12 months of our exciting journey, the lessons that we have learned, our successes, and our setbacks. The pandemic goes on, dictating many of the ground rules of business and accelerating the emergence of disruptive technologies, enabling us all to shift to better and more dynamic operating models.
In 2021 KYP.ai had to find its way to the top and, fresh from their respective Christmas holidays, our CMO Henry Ellender sat down to interview CEO and Co-Founder Dr. Adam Bujak to look back on growth across three continents, what he has learned, and how best to start 2022.
Henry: If you were to prioritize where to start a transformation effort in January 2022, where would you focus first?
Adam: Transformation always starts and ends with people. They are at the center of every change. It naturally follows that the first question to ask at the start of any transformation project is how it can benefit your existing workforce, especially in the context of hybrid work. And more importantly, how you define what’s in it for them. A major customer interaction services provider now trains all its staff in digital transformation allowing them to not only run KYP.ai supported assessments of their own work, but also enhance their digital skillset for the roles of the future.
Henry: How does this ‘People’ focus fit together with Automation?
Adam: KYP.ai showed another global organization originating from the UK where their thousands of employees spent their time on process steps and activities which are mundane and demotivating. At its best, automation makes work more human, not less, by eliminating these manual and repetitive tasks. However, automation is rarely the only solution to the stresses and strains of modern working, and KYP.ai also highlighted over-utilization of key teams and individuals, and inefficient resource allocation in support of different time zones. Either way, humans came first!
Henry: We talk about the data we gather as the oil smoothing the transformation machine. How easy is it to get the data required?
Adam: The companies we serve have complex technology landscapes, with work performed across multiple legacy applications, software instances, virtual desktops, and many more complicating elements. For example, one Singapore based customer has more than 4000 applications in regular use. Does it mean that they should spend a few lightyears joining the dots to map how work really happens end to end? No, it took us just eight weeks to build a complete view across their technologies and all without interrupting any day-to-day activity. Combining the real-time data from these sources allowed us to generate the deep insights that are absolutely essential for successful digital transformation, helping the company to prioritize and implement solutions that take into account the vital trifecta of people, processes and technology
Henry: But are insights, however good, enough? How do you ensure the insights are executed upon?
Adam: Measuring what we do and how we do it should be the foundation of all our business improvement activities. In particular, we need to monitor the holistic impact of transformation initiatives and the ultimate shifts in customer and business performance. Our ability to deliver ongoing visibility of results across thousands of people allows our customers to continuously measure the pace of change in their global organizations, and to identify remaining opportunities for improvement.
Henry: So how does that work in reality? Can you share an example?
Adam: One of our most recent process intelligence deployments at a customer in Poland showed that while a recent automation investment was yielding benefits, there was still money left on the table. The KYP.ai insights showed that even post automation, invoice processing was still being done manually with staff having to do tedious cut and paste activities accounting for 38% of all time spent in the process. The local leadership team are now able to see this number fall in near real time as targeted corrections and new projects deliver results.
Henry: What does 2022 hold?
Adam: For KYP.ai 2022 is going to be exciting and fast. For our existing customers, who already know their transformation priorities thanks to KYP.ai, 2022 will certainly not be just another rerun of last year.
And I urge everyone else with change ambitions, seemingly impossible targets, or who does not know where to start the journey, to take advantage of a fast, fully-automated assessment to understand the potential within their organization. A KYP.ai Rapid Snapshot (RS) engagement can produce a list of automation opportunities, including estimated ROI, in just four weeks. And importantly, where automation is not the only goal, our holistic insights into people, processes and technology directly support the broader transformation agenda, enabling fast execution and validation of results.
Henry: Thank you, Adam!
Adam: Thank you for having me. I wish everyone a happy, healthy, and successful New Year.
To set up a meeting with one of our experts or for more information about KYP.ai please contact us on info@kyp.ai or visit www.kyp.ai.