Don’t Automate the Problem: Fixing Your Business Processes Before AI

AI transformation is not just about deploying new tools or introducing agents into the business. To create real value, organisations first need to understand how they actually work – from the processes people follow to the data, applications and systems that underpin them.

In this episode of CXO Secrets, David McClelland sits down with Dee Houchen, Chief Marketing Officer at SAP for SAP Signavio and LeanIX, to explore the gap between how organisations think they operate and the reality of how work gets done.

Dee shares why shadow processes and workarounds are often hiding in plain sight, and why simply layering AI onto inefficient processes can create more problems rather than solve them. She explores the importance of visibility, standardisation and adoption, alongside the four key layers organisations need to consider when driving transformation: people, processes, data and applications.

The conversation also explores how AI is changing process management, the role of digital twins in helping organisations simulate change before deploying it, and why measuring outcomes is essential to understanding whether transformation is actually delivering value.

Topics include:

• The gap between documented processes and how organisations actually work
• Why shadow processes and workarounds emerge across the enterprise
• The risks of deploying AI on top of inefficient processes
• Why visibility and process understanding are critical for AI transformation
• The four layers of successful transformation: people, process, data and applications
• How AI is changing the way organisations map and understand their processes
• The importance of clean, governed data in the age of AI
• Using AI to identify opportunities for process improvement
• The role of SAP Signavio, LeanIX and WalkMe in transformation
• Moving from manual process mapping to AI-enabled process intelligence
• Digital twins and simulating the impact of organisational change
• Building guardrails around AI agents and managing risk
• Measuring end-to-end outcomes and turning transformation into real business value
• Why understanding people’s motivations is central to effective leadership
• The importance of putting your hand up and stepping outside your comfort zone
• Building diverse teams that challenge thinking and fill leadership gaps